Talking with Painters
Maria Stoljar talks with Australian painters about how they became an artist, their painting techniques, influences and current work.
Episodes
Richard Lewer After the Archibald Win + Excerpts from Our 2025 Conversation
Watch a 2 minute highlights video of this episode on the YouTube channel here
In this special episode of Talking with Painters, I’m bringing you my conversation with Richard Lewer recorded shortly after he was announced as the winner of the 2026 Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Richard won Australia’s most prestigious portrait prize for his powerful portrait of artist a
Ep 172: Ann Thomson on International Women’s Day
Watch a short highlights video of this episode on the TWP YouTube channel
In this special International Women’s Day episode I speak with acclaimed artist, and previous podcast guest, Ann Thomson about building a career in the male-dominated art world of the mid-20th century.
Born in 1933, Ann’s art education took place during the 1950s and early 60s, a time when male artists like Arthur Boy
Ep 171: Mary Tonkin
Watch highlights from this conversation on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel
I loved this conversation with Mary Tonkin at the S.H. Ervin Gallery in Sydney, before the start of her survey exhibition Among the Trees (opening 3 January 2026). The show brings together paintings, drawings and ceramics dating from 2008, works that reflect Mary’s deep relationship with her family farm in Victori
Ep 170: Aida Tomescu – ‘Messiaen’
A highlights video from this episode will also be coming soon to the Talking with Painters YouTube channel
In this episode, I visit the studio of acclaimed abstract painter Aida Tomescu just days before the opening of her exhibition Messiaen at Fox Jensen Gallery in Sydney. The exhibition continues until 20 December 2025.
Aida Tomescu on Instagram
Aida Tomescu website
Aida Tomescu at Fox Jensen G
Ep 169: 12 finalists, 12 landscapes
Watch an edited video version of this episode on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel here
Podcast listeners see the works we talk about here or go to talkingwithpainters.com (ep 169)
When I travelled to Hobart for the announcement of the Hadley’s Art Prize, I not only interviewed the winner, Sophie Cape (you can hear her in the previous episode), but also had the privilege of speaking with t
Ep 168 Sophie Cape wins the Hadley’s Art Prize
Watch an edited video version of this conversation on the YouTube channel here
Sophie Cape has just taken out the $100,000 Hadley’s Art Prize for landscape with her powerful painting Thunder Shifts the Shivering Sands.
It’s a raw and visceral work on canvas made using rust, charcoal, soil, pigment and binder.
In this episode I talk with Sophie about what winning the prize means for her at this poi
Ep 167 Remembering William Robinson with Davida Allen (2020)
Australia has lost one of its great painters. William Robinson has passed away at the age of 89.
I was lucky enough to meet Bill in 2020 when I interviewed his close friend, artist Davida Allen. At Davida’s suggestion, Bill joined the conversation —and what unfolded was something special.
In this re-released episode you’ll hear Bill’s warmth, humour and generosity as the two artists reflect togeth
Ep 166: Julie Fragar wins the 2025 Archibald Prize
Watch an edited video version of this conversation on the YouTube channel here
It’s one of the most thrilling days on the Australian art calendar—and this year, Julie Fragar has taken out the Archibald Prize with a captivating portrait of fellow artist and colleague Justene Williams.
Her large scale portrait of Justene, appearing to float in space and surrounded by model figures and structures dr
Ep 165: Richard Lewer
Watch this interview on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel here
Step into the gripping world of Richard Lewer — where drawing, painting, and video meet the raw edges of human experience.
Richard doesn’t look away from life’s toughest stories. From the deeply personal — like the final days of his father’s life — to the harrowing and socially charged, including the tragic death of an Indigen
Ep 164: New Videos, Loading Dock Invite & What’s Next
Catch up on the latest YouTube videos and Instagram reels, and don’t miss the chance to be part of my next Loading Dock interview at the Art Gallery of NSW!
Justin Williams (video)
Justin Williams – ep 60 podcast interview
Robert Malherbe and Keith Burt (video)
Loading Dock Interviews Playlist
Nic Plowman (Instagram reel)
Sam Eyles (Instagram reel)
The Art Room
Sign up to the TWP newslett
Robert Malherbe and Keith Burt (live at the Tweed Regional Gallery)
See the video version of the interview on YouTube here
My conversation with two remarkable Australian artists, Robert Malherbe and Keith Burt was in front of a fabulous audience at the Tweed Regional Gallery.
Robert and Keith completed residencies at the gallery’s Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio, drawing inspiration from objects in Margaret Olley’s recreated home studio at the gall
Ingrid Hedgcock at the Margaret Olley Art Centre
Ingrid Hedgcock, director of the Tweed Regional Gallery, shows me around the amazing Margaret Olley Art Centre which is the relocation of Margaret Olley’s home studio from Paddington in Sydney.
Famous for being like an Aladdin’s cave of eclectic objects, the recreated home studio contains the sources of many inspirational items which appear in Margaret Olley’s paintings. Over a
Sophie Perez and Sarah McDonald (with edited version on YouTube)
See an edited version of this episode (5 mins) on the talking with Painters YouTube channel
An artist’s residency provides more than just uninterrupted time to work; it’s also a valuable space for risk-taking, experimentation, and self-reflection.
That’s what I learned when I caught up with Sophie Perez and Sarah McDonald during my recent visit to the Tweed Regional Gallery. They
Karen Black
Podcast listeners click here to view the works
Through layers of paint in varying translucency, Karen Black explores not only the physical nature of the female form but through her use of abstraction and considered use of colour she brings out another dimension – an emotional layer.
There is a strong sense of a spontaneous response in her paintings so you may be surprised to hear that readi
Laura Jones wins the 2024 Archibald Prize
Watch the video version of my interview with Laura Jones here on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel
Congratulations to previous podcast guest Laura Jones on winning the Archibald Prize – Australia’s most famous portrait prize – with a sensitive and meaningful portrait of writer and environmentalist Tim Winton.
On Friday I interviewed Laura shortly after the announcement and I’m
The Loading Dock Interviews (also on YouTube)
See the video version of this episode on the TWP YouTube channel here.
This is my 5th collection of Loading Dock Interviews of entrants to the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes.
Six brave painters fronted my camera and microphone as they delivered their work to the packing room at the Art Gallery of NSW via the loading dock.
Thankyou to these artists (tap on their name for their Instagram page):
Caroline Zilinsky
See highlights of this interview on the YouTube Channel
Caroline Zilinsky’s paintings freeze pivotal moments in our culture’s history, encouraging us to reflect upon our times, whether it’s the absurdity, the horror or the humour.
At the risk of being labelled a conspiracy theorist, she’s attracted to the dilemmas brought on by the internet era and shines a light on the thi
The Story Behind the Painting (Part 2)
Podcast listeners click here to see images of the work
Over the years, podcast guests have shared some fascinating back stories to paintings they have made, stories which you could never have guessed just on viewing the work.
Sometimes that back story has made me look at the work in a totally different way and I’m bringing you another eight artists’ works in addition to those in ep 155.
C
The story behind the painting: Fantauzzo, Flint, Quilty and Dobell
Podcast listeners click here to see images of the works
Over the years, podcast guests have shared some fascinating back stories to paintings they have made, stories which you could never have guessed on merely viewing the work.
Sometimes that back story has made me look at the work in a totally different way and I’m bringing you a few of those to you in this episode. See images of the works we t
Inspiration from the archives | The Flow State
Podcast guests talk with me about the flow state!
See below for timestamps and links to each guest’s full podcast interview and video
3:39 Julie Nicholson and Fiona Verity – Podcast | Instagram video
6:40 Ann Thomson – Podcast | YouTube
7:54 Joshua Yeldham – Podcast | YouTube
10:15 Antonia Perricone Mrljak – Podcast | YouTube
11:25 Wendy Sharpe 
Jan Senbergs
Above photo of Jan Senbergs by Riste Andrievski
Click play for my podcast introduction to this interview and scroll down for the transcript.
Podcast listeners click here and scroll down for transcript.
Watch the YouTube video of Jan Senbergs’ studio and work here
Links
Jan Senbergs’ website
Jan Senbergs on Instagram
Jan Senbergs at Niagara Galleries
Talking with Painters YouTube chann
‘Kandinsky’ with co-curator Jackie Dunn and artist Desmond Lazaro
See a video version of the interview with curator Jackie Dunn here
See a video version of the interview with artist Desmond Lazaro here
The largest exhibition of Kandinsky’s work ever to be seen in Australia has just opened at the Art Gallery of NSW!
The exhibition, titled simply ‘Kandinsky’, brings together over 50 works of one of the 20th century’s most innovative and gro
James Powditch live at the AGNSW
This episode is a conversation between James Powditch and Maria Stoljar in front of an audience at the Art Gallery of NSW, recorded by the Art Gallery Society
James Powditch has always loved the movies. As a child in the 70s and 80s he would watch whatever he could get away with – from Taxi Driver to Deliverance.
But in recent years, after being shortlisted in the Archibald prize with painti
Inspiration from the Archives | Risk
Risk. Some painters want it in their toolbox while others are terrified by it. But nearly every painter will tell you that you need it in order to move forward in your practice.
It might be using a new material, drastically altering the composition of a nearly completed painting or creating a completely different body of work to what had previously been commercially successful and critically accl
Inspiration from the Archives | Colour (Part 2)
More inspiration from the archives!
Here are another 12 past podcast guests talking with me about colour.
Links to full podcast conversations and YouTube videos on each of the artists in this episode:
2:13 David Griggs – Podcast | YouTube
5:00 Laura Jones – Podcast | YouTube
9:08 Lewis Miller – Podcast | YouTube
11:10 Lucy Culliton – Podcast | YouTu
Inspiration from the Archives | Colour (Part 1)
This episode I’m bringing you some gems from the archives. Leading artists talk with me about colour!
Episodes of featured artists:
Jo Bertini
Paul Newton
Philip Wolfhagen
Nicholas Harding
John Wolseley
Peter O’Doherty
Links
YouTube channel
Talking with Painters website
Sign up to the TWP newsletter
Nicholas Harding talks with me about his Wynne prize painting
John Wolseley talks wi
Ann Thomson in her 90th year
Watch an edited version of this conversation (4 mins) on the YouTube channel here
Ann Thomson, one of Australia’s most important artists, might be in her 90th year but she shows no signs of putting down the brush.
A powerful collection of works is currently hanging in a solo show at Sydney’s Defiance Gallery and Ann is looking forward to a busy 2024. A major survey show to be curated
Francis Giacco at his Australian Galleries exhibition
Watch the edited video version of this podcast episode on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel
The exhibition of Francis Giacco’s paintings now showing at Australian Galleries in Sydney has been a long time coming. Covid pushed back the scheduling but it was worth the wait!
I met Francis at the gallery and we walked through the exhibition talking about several key works which cross port
When I won that art prize (part 4) – Georgia Spain
In the final episode of the series ‘When I won that art prize’ we go back to 2021 when a 27 year old Georgia Spain won the Sir John Sulman Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW, the first time she had entered the prize.
In the same week she was announced the winner of the Women’s Art Prize Tasmania. These announcements were made less than 12 months after she was one of 5 artists to receive the Brett Wh
When I won that art prize (part 3) – Megan Seres
In this episode I’m taking you back to my interview with Megan Seres who won the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2016.
Megan received the $150,000 in prize money for her stunning painting, ‘Scarlett as Colonial girl’, which depicted her daughter in 19th century dress against a golden landscape.
Megan hadn’t planned on entering the competition, but was persuaded by a friend. When she h
Archibald winner Julia Gutman
You can see an edited video version of the interview with Julia Gutman here
Australia’s most famous art prize was awarded yesterday at the Art Gallery of NSW together with the Wynne and Sulman prizes.
The $100,000 prize went to a shocked but happy 29 year old Julia Gutman for her fabulous portrait of singer/songwriter Montaigne. It’s titled ‘Head in the sky feet on the ground’, a beautiful m
When I won that art prize (part 2)- James Drinkwater
In part 2 of the series ‘When I won that art prize’ we go back to episode 29 when James Drinkwater recalled winning the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship in 2014.
The award included a three month residency in Paris at the Cité Internationale des arts, a dream come true for any young painter. However, when he and his young family set off for France, not everything went accordi
When I won that art prize (part 1) – Prudence Flint
Golden moments from the archives! While I’m busy updating my YouTube channel and taking a break from new interviews, I’m thrilled to bring you a new series featuring clips from past podcast guests.
In my first series ‘When I won that art prize’ I look back at conversations I’ve had with painters about their experiences with winning awards. Although there are plenty of
Idris Murphy: Backblocks (live at the S.H.Ervin Gallery)
See the YouTube video of Maria Stoljar’s earlier conversation with Idris Murphy here
Last Thursday I was thrilled to speak with Idris Murphy, leading contemporary artist and a previous podcast guest, in front of a live audience at the S.H.Ervin Gallery in Sydney.
It’s where the survey exhibition of his work, ‘Idris Murphy: Backblocks’ is now showing and continues until 26
Yvette Coppersmith
See video highlights of this interview on the YouTube channel here
For those of you interested in portraiture in Australia, Yvette Coppersmith needs no introduction.
She has painted dozens of portraits, including a collection of fascinating self-portraits, and is regularly shortlisted in the country’s most competitive portrait awards. In 2018 she was awarded the one that would place her i
Anthony White
The gestural marks in Anthony White’s work are often bold and demanding of the viewer’s attention. These abstract works vary from swirling lines in saturated colour, to textured surfaces and more formal collaged constructions.
What is not apparent on the surface of the canvas is the time the artist has spent reading, writing and researching in the lead-up to their creation. Newspapers
Paul Newton (part 2)
Most artists know that painting a portrait in a tradition where colour and form appear realistic takes years of training where trial and error play an important part.
This is part 2 of my interview with leading portrait painter Paul Newton. He makes the analogy of a painter being like a cook and it’s an appropriate one. And like a celebrity chef printing his secret recipes in a cookbook, Pa
Paul Newton (part 1)
It was the 80s. Paul Newton had finished a science degree and was a singer in a band. He sensed, though, that this was not meant to be his life’s work.
‘I’m a bit of a perfectionist and unless I can do something really well I find it frustrating to do it at all’.
So he decided to change course and he put that perfectionism to good use; he is now one of Australia’s most high
Belinda Street
It’s hard to define what makes a good landscape painting but, if you investigate the backstory, you might find the artist has a close connection with that place.
In Belinda Street’s October show at Straitjacket Artspace, ‘Keep your feet on the ground and your thoughts at lofty heights’, her bond with the alpine landscape was obvious, particularly with Mt Kosciuszko in NSW.
Nicholas Harding (2019)
We lost one of our greatest artists last night. Nicholas Harding – landscape, still life and portrait painter – and my heart sank when I heard the news.
It’s early afternoon and already there are many tributes coming through in the newspapers and social media. It’s clear he will be greatly missed by many.
When I started this podcast, Nicholas Harding was on my wish list and when he ag
Fred Fowler
You can also see a short video of Fred in his studio here
There is something mesmerising about Fred Fowler’s paintings. The multitude of small, colour-filled shapes scattered across a monochrome background raise a lot of questions. Is that a pink cat? A cactus? An alien? Next to a mobile phone tower? Are they related?
Other amorphous elements seem purely abstract but still somehow evoke a respons
Jacqui Stockdale and ‘Heads of the Family’
Jacqui Stockdale is a previous podcast guest . I asked her back onto the show after I saw a series of moving portraits she posted on Instagram.
Her stepfather, George Stirling, was nearing the end of his life and Jacqui was painting the portraits of family and friends who were visiting over that difficult time. George passed away in June.
The works were swiftly painted alla prima, mostly in one
Idris Murphy
See an edited video version of this conversation on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel here
‘Colour, for me, is the main game’ Idris Murphy tells me as we sit in his studio in Sydney’s southern suburb of Kurnell, a stone’s throw from Botany Bay.
On various easels around the room are works in progress. His distinctive energetic brushstrokes, often using metallic pai
Luke Sciberras (uncut)
For over 25 years, previous podcast guest Luke Sciberras has been immersing himself in landscapes across the world, returning to his studio to draw on the smaller works created from life. His paintings are bold and have a commanding presence.
Many of those works, as well as drawings and prints, have been brought together for the first time in two excellent survey shows. The exhibitions, titled &#
Daniel Boyd
Click play for the podcast episode – you can also watch an edited video version of this episode on the TWP YouTube channel.
Most artists remember their first show. Maybe they were lucky enough to sell a few works, usually to family and friends. Daniel Boyd remembers his. It was in the year he graduated from university, 2005, but family and friends didn’t stand a chance. The entire exhibitio
Sam Leach
Scroll down to watch two videos of Sam on the TWP YouTube channel.
In 2010 Sam Leach won the Archibald and Wynne Prizes, two of Australia’s most famous awards for portraiture and landscape painting, becoming only the third person in the prizes’ history to win both in the same year.
The two artists to achieve this rare distinction before him were 20th century greats Sir William Dobell a
Blak Douglas, Nicholas Harding, Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro
It’s that time of the year!
The winners of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes have been announced at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and in this episode you’ll hear my interviews with each of those artists about their winning works:
Blak Douglas (Archibald Prize)
Nicholas Harding (Wynne Prize)
Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro (Sulman Prize)
The Archibald Wynne and Sulman Prizes
Del Kathryn Barton – ‘the women who fell to earth’
One of Australia’s most significant artists returns to the podcast! Del Kathryn Barton spoke with me the day before the opening of her spectacular exhibition ‘the women who fell to earth’ at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, showing until 28 May 2022.
Internationally renowned, Del is well known in Australia for having won the country’s most famous art prize twice – the Archibald Prize – an
Steve Lopes -‘Encountered’
See video highlights of this conversation on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel
It’s not often that an artist gets to see almost a quarter of a century of their work in one space but in this episode Steve Lopes tells me what that feels like.
The impressive survey exhibition ‘Encountered’, curated by Kon Gouriotis and now showing at the S.H.Ervin Gallery in Sydney, brings
Marikit Santiago
Marikit Santiago is one of Australia’s most impressive artists, combining a skilful representational painting technique with powerful imagery.
Mythology, Disney, her Filipino heritage, religion, guilt, motherhood and family are examples of the subject matter she draws from and her upcoming show, ‘For us sinners’ at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art in Sydney, is set to contain
Summer Series – Tom Carment
In this extended episode, recorded in Tom Carment's studio in 2019, I chat with the acclaimed artist as he prepares for his show at King Street Gallery and celebrates the release of his book Womerah Lane: Lives and Landscapes. Tom shares insights into his creative process, from handcrafting frames in Tasmanian blackwood to capturing South Australia’s landscapes in his latest works, including a ser
Summer Series – Nicole Kelly
This is the second episode of my summer series where I’m bringing you longer conversations with past podcast guests, from recordings when taking video of the artists for the Talking with Painters YouTube channel.
The video of this episode’s fabulous artist, Nicole Kelly, is the second most watched on the channel, which currently has over 150 videos*.
Nicole Kelly is an acclaimed Sydney art
Ep 121: Summer Series – Joshua Yeldham
In podcast episode 101 I spoke with leading Australian artist Joshua Yeldham in the lead-up to his sell-out show ‘Providence’ at Arthouse Gallery in Sydney. I remember being fascinated by his approach to painting and his views on the creative process.
We also recorded a separate video and this episode is the first of my 2022 Summer Series which is a collection of extended audio recordings from vid
Ep 120: Robert Malherbe
Whether it’s a moody vase of flowers, a reclining nude or the incredible ridges of the Blue Mountains, Robert Malherbe depicts his subject matter in sensuous, fluid brushstrokes which give the impression the painting was completed only moments ago.
Working from life, it is vitality which Robert aims to capture in his work and by painting alla prima and completing the work in one session, the viewe
Ep 119: Justin Paton, curator of ‘Matisse: Life and Spirit’
A video version of this episode can be viewed here
Justin Paton is the co-curator of the most exciting exhibition to arrive on Sydney’s doorstep since our world was upturned by the pandemic.
‘Matisse: Life and Spirit, Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou, Paris’, now showing at the Art Gallery of NSW, is an uplifting collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures which not only brings with it e
Ep 118 Fiona Verity and Julie Nicholson from the Art Wank podcast
Fiona Verity and Julie Nicholson have a lot in common; they were both born in the UK, both met their husbands while backpacking in Australia, are both emerging artists and are both very funny.
But they also have distinctly different personalities and it’s this contrast that makes their arts podcast ‘Art Wank’ so interesting and entertaining.
They interviewed me earlier this year
Ep 117: Julian Meagher
Watch highlights of this episode on the YouTube channel
The impacts of COVID have challenged the world in a multitude of ways, but for Sydney artist Julian Meagher they appear to have sharpened his focus.
Over the last 14 months, with no other deadline than his upcoming show at Yavuz Gallery, he has taken the opportunity to free himself from the usual demands of an imminent exhibition and created
Ep 116: Aida Tomescu (uncut)
See the YouTube video version of this podcast episode here
Fresh out of Sydney lockdown, the incredible works of Aida Tomescu are showing both in Sydney with Fox Jensen Gallery and in Hong Kong with Flowers Gallery in two outstanding exhibitions.
To add to this, in early December 2021, Orange Regional Gallery will be exhibiting what promises to be a blockbuster Tomescu show, looking at the artist
Ep 115: The Archibald Winners
Scroll down for transcript
If you’ve been listening to this podcast over the years, you would probably know I’m a self-confessed Archibald tragic. I’m fascinated by the depiction of the human face and figure in paint and that is exactly what the prize celebrates each year at the Art Gallery of NSW.
The Archibald Prize is Australia’s most famous portrait prize and is now in its 100th ye
Ep 114: Kim Leutwyler
Many Australians may have seen Kim Leutwyler’s work without ever having set foot in a gallery. In 2019 her impressive Archibald painting of television presenter Faustina Agolley was splashed across Sydney to promote the prize.
The striking image was on a huge banner above the entrance of the gallery, on bus shelters around the city, in newspapers and even on the front cover of a magazine.
Kim is n
Ep 113: Georgia Spain
One of Georgia Spain’s paintings was taking up more than its fair share of her Tasmanian studio. So she thought one way of freeing up some room would be to send it to the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney as an entry into the Sir John Sulman Prize.
A few weeks later she found out it had been shortlisted and a week after that, to her astonishment, it won. It was the first time she had entered th
Ep 112: Jo Bertini
Jo Bertini’s recent exhibition at Sydney’s Arthouse Gallery, ‘Songs of Dry Hills’, alluringly portrayed the landscape she is drawn to repeatedly – the desert.
Her love of that landscape and its First Nations People has led her to spend months at a time not only in the deserts of Australia but also those of India and the US. She has built an intimate connection to these lands and their
Ep 111: Joanna Logue – ‘Alone on the Marsh’
‘Everyone has a COVID story’ Joanna Logue told me when we spoke recently about her show with Scott Livesey Galleries in Melbourne.
Part of Joanna’s story is that, for the first time in her career, she wouldn’t be attending the opening of her show. The paintings had travelled to Australia from her home in Mount Desert Island in the USA without her.
Joanna is a previous pod
Ep 110: Robin Eley
We’ve all been there. You see an artwork and think ‘surely, that is a photo’. But as you get closer and read the description, you accept it is made of paint, expertly applied, creating the illusion of reality.
I am in awe of the artists who work in this way because it calls for painstaking labour and the technique is certainly not suited to every painter. Australian artist R
Ep 109: Filippa Buttitta (with Louisa Chircop)
In early 2020, as COVID was sweeping the world, Filippa Buttitta (pictured right) was facing her own personal crisis.
She had been working on her entry for the Archibald prize when she had trouble with her eyesight and was finding it difficult painting the fine details of her work.
Thinking she needed an eye test, she visited her optometrist which led to a swift hospital admission and the shocki
Ep 108: Guido Maestri
See my video of Guido Maestri painting in the field on the TWP YouTube channel
A riverbank in the Australian bush would be the perfect plein air location for many artists. A rushing stream, long tree trunks and a deep vista where the artist’s eye can gather information into the distance. But what is more fascinating for leading Australian artist Guido Maestri, is what the substance he is app
Ep 107: Guy Warren
‘National treasure’, ‘legend,’ ‘inspiration’. These were just some of the reactions from my Instagram followers when I posted that I would be interviewing Guy Warren.
Guy is about to turn 100 years old.  He has no less than 5 shows opening this year.  But he is also plain spoken, practical, down to earth and modest. In typical style he seemed pleased w
Ep 106: Vincent Namatjira
The name Namatjira is a famous one. Vincent Namatjira’s great-grandfather, Albert Namatjira, was one of Australia’s great painters, uniquely depicting Australia’s desert landscapes in vibrant watercolour.
Although he didn’t know about his connection with the famous artist in his childhood – he was in foster care and removed from his culture – Vincent has made his own way t
Ep 105: Summer Series – Tony Costa
Tony Costa won the Archibald prize in 2019 with his stunning painting of contemporary artist Lindy Lee. I caught up with him a few weeks later in his studio in Sydney and our podcast conversation from that day is episode 70 of the podcast.
I also recorded video in Tony’s studio which I edited down to about 5 minutes, with lots of painting wisdom ending up on the cutting room floor. So in th
Ep 104: Summer Series – Susan Baird
In 2019 I travelled 4 hours west of Sydney, past the Blue Mountains, driving through winding bush roads until I arrived at Hill End, the historic goldmining village which is now also known for its inspiring artist’s community.
It was there that I interviewed Susan Baird who a few years earlier had fallen in love with the town and now has a home and studio there, deep in the bush.
We recorde
Ep 103: Summer Series – Euan Macleod
My recent conversation with leading artist Euan Macleod is the first in a summer series of extended audio recordings from videos I’ve taken of my podcast guests.
As is the way with videos, a lot of great material gets lost in the editing process so I’m bringing you the longer version of our conversations recorded during filming.
I caught up with Euan in September 2020 at his knockout show ‘Figure
Ep 102: Antonia Perricone Mrljak
Antonia Mrljak’s art exudes a dynamic force. It mirrors her personality – one of energy, vibrancy and a sure sense of direction. She is one of Australia’s most exciting emerging abstract artists.
But it wasn’t until after a career in fashion and creating a family that, almost by accident, she discovered that painting was the perfect way for her to express her experiences.
Ep 101: Joshua Yeldham
Joshua Yeldham’s imagery is steeped in nature. His large works range from portraying the landscape with its stunning mystical trees, to figures with a tribal aesthetic, to his iconic owls which he has famously painted and sculpted multiple times over the years, even as a self portrait. 
As you get closer to these works you realise they are intricately composed with astonishing detail. A
Ep 100: Archibald Wynne and Sulman tour
An edited version of this episode is also a video which you can see here:
When I started this podcast in July 2016 with no knowledge of audio recording – let alone how to start a podcast – I never imagined that four years later I would have interviewed close to a hundred painters, as well as curators and authors, and have a YouTube channel with over 100 videos filmed on my iPhone.
Bui
Ep 99: Wendy Sharpe and ‘Magic’
You can also watch this episode as a video here. To hear the episode as an audio podcast click on ‘play’ above.
Leading artist Wendy Sharpe talks with me in her Sydney studio about her fabulous show ‘Magic’ at King Street Gallery on William.
We also talk about the controversy around her Sulman finalist painting ‘The Witches’ in 2016, her involvement in the innovative SBS sh
Ep 98: Wayne Tunnicliffe, curator of ‘Streeton’
In the late 19th century, impressionism swept through the art world. In Australia, a group of young artists embraced the new movement – they would meet in artist’s camps and paint en plein air. Among them was a young Arthur Streeton who would in due course become one of Australia’s most loved and respected artists.
Wayne Tunnicliffe has curated an outstanding retrospective of S
Ep 97: Jude Rae and ‘424-428’
After months of disruption and pessimism wreaked by the global pandemic, seeing Jude Rae’s exhibition ‘424-428’ at The Commercial in Sydney was as uplifting as the paintings themselves.
The towering concrete walls of the gallery would ordinarily overpower an exhibition of five paintings but the exquisite works easily took command of the space. Viewing the exhibition will be an
Ep 96: Scott Bevan on William Dobell
Reading Scott Bevan’s biography of 20th century artist William Dobell is like viewing one of Dobell’s portraits; Scott takes us behind the exterior of the subject and into their inner life. He just uses words instead of paint.
Scott is a journalist, TV and radio presenter, musician and biographer. In this podcast interview, I talk with him about the life of Dobell in the context of the changi
Ep 95: Louisa Chircop
Creating her work through intuition, Louisa Chircop takes us into another world – the world of her subconscious.
Dreamlike landscapes containing disembodied limbs, headless figures and mysterious forms – some representational others more abstract – create a surrealist atmosphere which draws the viewer closer to see what the artist has unearthed and portraits take on an extra lay
Ep 94: William Mackinnon and ‘Learning to love the wind’
William Mackinnon is a previous podcast guest. In this episode we talk about his show with Hugo Michell Gallery, ‘Learning to love the wind’ coming up in a few weeks.
We also talk about his life in Ibiza, Spain, where he lives with his wife and young son, and how this body of work has developed in these times of change, both global and personal. You can hear more about William’s
