Awards & Honours

At Desire To Sketch, every artwork is created with dedication, meaning, and heart. Over the years, Keira Sloetjes has been honoured for her contribution to the arts — not only through exhibitions and awards, but also through the many ways she has shared her creativity with communities near and far. Her work includes:

  • Creating eight large-scale murals across Victoria and beyond, transforming public spaces into celebrated community landmarks.
  • Completing hundreds of professional realism sketch commissions, including highly personal memorial works.
  • Illustrating the children’s book The Mysterious Baw Baw Egg, written by Valerie Jarrod and proudly sponsored by the Baw Baw Shire Council.
  • Designing the book cover for Uncomfortably Comfortable by Nikki Fairchild, sponsored by Beyond Blue, which has achieved Amazon Best Seller status in over five categories.
  • Leading and contributing to community and cultural events, using art to connect people of all ages and backgrounds.

Each milestone reflects Keira’s belief in the power of art to inspire, heal, and unite — and these achievements have been recognised through awards, exhibitions, and national projects.

🎨 Highly Commended – Exhibition & Fundraiser

  • Award: Highly Commended
  • Exhibition & Fundraiser: Make a Stand, Paint Your Hand
  • Venue: West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul (October – December 2024)
  • Competition: Stop It Before It Starts! Art Competition (2024–2025)
  • Organisation: Violence Prevention Australia (VPA)
  • Date Awarded: May 27, 2025

Highly commended Keira Sloetjes

This recognition honoured Keira’s exhibition and fundraiser, which used art to raise awareness and spark conversations about violence prevention. Through this initiative, creativity became a platform for advocacy, healing, and community connection.

🏆 Quirindi Silo Art – Assistant Artist Recognition

In 2023, Keira joined acclaimed artist Peter Ryan as an assistant artist on the Quirindi Silo Art project in New South Wales. This large-scale transformation turned disused silos into a nationally recognised mural, celebrating regional life and culture.

The project went on to receive multiple national honours:

  • 2023 Australian Street Art Awards – “Best of the Best” Winner
  • 2023 Australian Street Art Awards – Winner, Best Mega Mural
  • 2023 Australian Street Art Awards – Winner, Best Street Art Experience
  • 2023 Australian Street Art Awards – Finalist, Best Mega Mural (Quirindi Silo Art & Light & Sound Show)

While these awards were presented to the project under Peter Ryan’s leadership, Keira is proud to have contributed as an assistant artist, helping bring the design to life and gaining valuable experience in large-scale mural execution.