A little while ago I announced on my social pages that I was going to be entering The Archibald Prize for 2024. This is HUGE for me. It is Australia’s most prestigious portrait prize, and each year thousands of people enter, but only 30 to 50 are chosen as finalists.
I have wanted to do this since I was about 12 years old, but never thought I was good enough to enter. My Mum and Dad would always encourage me to do it, but you know when you are so sure you’re no good at something so you just put it out of your head? Well, that has been me pretty much all my life.
My last conversation with my dear Dad before he passed away in January this year was him encouraging me to do this. I wish I didn’t leave it until now though.
It’s just been the last year and a bit where I have started to trickle out my talents to do with art – which have always been my first passion creatively. A long, deep love affair with drawing and painting that I tucked away in secret because I was told at school by one teacher that how I made art was wrong.
He crushed my spirit, and I believed him…I wish I hadn’t have taken it to heart so much then. I had won many awards, was top of the class and in the top percentile in Australia for art at the time, but his words held me back.
No more! I have realised over the past few years that I AM good enough to have a try at this! I don’t need to compare myself to anyone, or listen to heart what anyone has to say. As long as I love what I am making, and the person I am creating it for (if it is a commission), then that’s all that matters really.
I’ve really been putting more and more of my art out there, (this drawing is currently in progress) and if you follow on Instagram, you would have no doubt seen the behind the scenes of paintings and drawings and know how much art means to me. I’ve been a creative for as long as I could hold a crayon! I don’t have a set “style”. I just LOVE MAKING ART! Realism, hyper realism, Surrealism, Impressionism, the work of the Renaissance era, old Dutch Masters…..so much more. So, I don’t want to get pigeonholed into one particular style. I just want to create like I always have.
This is a little video documentary on the journey of the painting, the subject – Sarah Andrews, and the final work, all shot by the amazingly talented Jeremy Plaisance. He travels the world taking photos and videos for big corporations and for creatives like me. I was so honoured to have him capture this truly important part of my art journey, and I’ll forever be grateful.
If you don’t know how Sarah Andrews is, she is an amazingly talented woman. Not only is she a wonderful person and friend, but a scientist, Author, the brains behind The Hosting Masterclass, a Captain, and owner of Captains Rest – one of the most photographed Air BnB’s in the world. I am so blessed that she agreed to be my muse for this piece. I hope you take a look at the video, and give Jeremy some love, and I would love to hear what you think.
~ Ness x
