The 27 paintings by society artists are all in frames made by Wheeler. Each was given a frame and asked to produce a work inspired by Wheeler.
Judged on Saturday by his son, Paul, the winning work was an ink pointillism by Oamaru artist Jo Harnett. The runner-up was Janice Joiner and Ross Fieldes was highly commended.
Wheeler was a life member and patron of the society. After he died in June last year, his family donated to the society frames he had made and other memorabilia, including catalogues of exhibitions with personal comments written inside, boards of pictures he used for inspiration and a drawing board riddled with pin marks.
The society came up with the idea of turning his drafting board into a trophy for an annual exhibition, and this year, for the first event, artists using his frames for their work.
Mrs Harnett's simple black and white graphic of an abandoned gate and fence posts in a landscape reflecting the isolated environment of back-country farming was inspired by some of Wheeler's earlier works.
The 27 works are in an exhibition and for sale at the society's Custom House on the corner of Wansbeck and Tyne Sts.
''Inside the Frame'', the Colin Wheeler Inspirations Exhibition, opened on Saturday night and will run for a month. It includes Wheeler works from the society's own collection and others on loan, along with his exhibition catalogues and inspiration boards.
