- A self-portrait from a different time, feels like a different time, even though it's only a couple of years ago or one and a half years, if that, and it was my commentary on COVID and how I was feeling about it at the time, which was a lot of mixed feelings which I think everybody had obviously, it was very dystopian time when you couldn't travel interstate and with curfews and I couldn't drive in Melbourne where I'm based more than five kilometres for a large amounts of time. So just things you could never think that would possibly happen. And so, the hands are very much, oh my goodness and a mask. So representing the mask. And then the paint brush, this is the artist side of me and feelings that as an artist I had. For me, it was just the noise stopping around me and just being able to go, and breathe a little bit, but very confusing because yes, I was feeling that and that was good, but then also worried about other things and couldn't travel to see my daughter and all of those sorts of things as well. So sort of that's the essence of the painting but then it's sort of, for me now, personally it's taken on a different meaning 'cause it's a person from a different time, 'cause the hair's such a focus and not just going through cancer treatment I look like I've got a lot of hair now six months ago was bald as mat, so, and it's colour, everything's quite different. And so, it's interesting looking at that and seeing that as such a document and it's different time, even though it's not that long ago, it's sort of, it's yeah, it's a little weird actually, but I think that through COVID also like it's the gasp and a lot of horrible things that were around, but I do think there are also some really good things that happened as well. And I do like to be a little bit of Pollyanna and look at the bright side of everything. I think that people around me at least I was very lucky, rallied during the COVID time during the cancer time. And I think I've come through a time where I'm going like this and thinking, "Oh my goodness, what's going on in the world," where I'm going, "Oh, people are okay, they're good." And yeah, so that actually means quite a lot, lot of emotions in there when I'm good at.
- And what does this winning this prize mean to you?
- Ah, so much, so much. I mean it's the National Portrait Gallery which is just extraordinary for me. This is the pinnacle for a portrait artist to be here. So it's an incredible honour first and foremost from a practical perspective I'm going to use it to extend my art practise and start working more in portrait sculpture which is my next sort of stage for the moment at least. We'll see how, where that goes. So it's got many facets to it that are just fantastic. So yeah, it means a huge amount to me actually.
- And do you have any words for any maybe young female artists who are coming through now? Any words of advice or anything that you wish that maybe you could go back and say to your young female artist self, now that you've won the Darling Portrait Prize?
- Yeah, just to have the courage I guess, and just keep doing it and be aware that there can be subliminal messages maybe out there that they may not know. And just to question that sometimes that it's changing obviously, and with so much getting better, and better and better all the time, but yeah, just to have faith and know that women artists are amazing, as are men as well. All artists are amazing, but it's good for women to have their voice and do we love it? Just enjoy it, 'cause that's what I do. It's just a passion and I love it to death. So yeah.
