In the lead up to this year’s ArtFest event, creatives will be thinking about clashing sounds, clashing colours, clashing patterns, even clashing personalities as they prepare their works for the CLASH-themed festival.

Plans are well underway for the two weeks of artistic bliss in the Milton-Ulladulla district, with many artists already preparing their works for the host of competitions and exhibitions planned for September.

Rebecca Boyd Defina couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into this year’s theme and is working on paintings that reflect various body images and personal style that will be on exhibition at the Greenhouse Gallery in Milton.

“I’ve been engaged with the notion of beauty ideals and all the clashes that occur when individuals make judgements about women in particular,” she said.

“My series encompasses strange facial features, plus sized beauties and lots of colour.”

ArtFest coordinator Julie Sydenham said this year’s festival will follow in the footsteps of the 2014 event which was “by far the biggest to date”.

“The organisers are confident the 2015 festival will be just as impressive and diverse,” she said.

“Anyone wishing to be one of the fabulous individual events that make up the two week festival will soon be able to enter on line via the Escape ARTfest website.

“The various competitions associated with the festival will also be taking applications soon via the website.”

Julie said each year the festival embraces a theme which carries across many events and art prizes, from story writing and poetry to painting, sculpture, photography and even food..

She said the theme CLASH was “a starting point for inspiration”.

“The theme can be taken wherever the creative mind wishes to take it - clash of colour, clash of sound, clashing objects, cultural, generational or political clash,” she explained.

“Participants are encouraged to let their imaginations take flight.”

With many regular participants now working on their creations, Julie said the diverse variety of interpretations of the theme were already apparent.

There will be great prizes up for grabs in many competitions including the Shoalhaven Open Art Prize (SOAP), 8x8 Canvas Prize, Postcard Art, ARTfest Digital, Poetry and Short Story Prizes, RIPE: Sculpture, photography and the ARTfest Archies, a local portrait prize.

Julie said many of the festival’s favourite events would continue and a few “exciting new additions” were in the wings.

Anyone wishing to host an event or become involved should contact Julie on 4454 5993 or go to: http://www.escapeartfest.info/