Lennox Head artist Jane Allan has been stripped of the main prize in one of the Gold Coast’s most prominent art competitions.

Her painting that won the Doyles Landscape Art Award last year, Seaside Explorers (main photo), appears to have been copied from the 2011 Nicholas Harding painting, Two Estuary Figures  (below).

More than 500 artists enter the annual Doyles Art Award held in Firth Park Community Centre, Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba.

The Doyles Landscape Art Award is now reported to be looking into whether it can reclaim the $20,000 in prize money given to Ms Allan.

Ms Allan has not yet spoken publicly about the allegations of copying despite national media coverage on TV and online.

After winning the award last year, Ms Allan told The Byron Echo, “‘I adore all forms of artistic expression and have attended many exhibitions and performances throughout my life as I feel the arts add joy to our lives and make us think and feel.

“It is my love for art that inspired me to become an artist. The founder of the Doyles Art Award and the judges of the 2025 Award encouraged me to pursue painting as a profession …”

The three judges’ decision to award Ms Allan first prize in 2025 was unanimous.

On Friday, organisers of the Doyles competition posted this to Facebook:

Two Estuary Figures by Nicholas Harding

“In a time where artists are constantly having to defend themselves against their artworks getting ripped off from large faceless overseas companies, stolen from brands who don’t credit them and ai which seems to bring its own complications, never did we expect a threat from within our own art community.

It appears as though one of last year’s winning works is an imitation of a Nicholas Harding artwork. We have no idea why this has only emerged now, but we thank our community for once again having each others (and our) backs

As everybody knows, the Doyle’s is a beloved art exhibition completely driven by artists for artists on volunteer time …

Of course there’s questions around how this happened, how no one noticed for a full year and more. Of course there’s anger, it goes against everything we stand for …”

Weight of the Mind’s Periapt by Jane Allan

Now questions are being asked about a second painting by Ms Allan, Weight of the Mind’s Periapt (above), which was a finalist in the Darling portrait prize in 2022. It won the Art Handler’s award, that came with $2,000 in prize money.

Weight of the Mind’s Periapt by Ms Allan has similarities with a work by New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (right).

Work by New York Jean-Michel Basquiat