Talking with Painters

'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 paint, the carefully placed collage pieces and thin lines scratched into the wet surface are just part of what makes up his arresting work. And yes, colour takes centre stage - in this case bringing life to the landscape of the Northern Territory's East MacDonnell ranges which he has visited and revisited. Idris Murphy is one of Australia's leading landscape painters and his work sits between representation and abstraction. He was inspired from an early age by the work of Matisse but, as he later explored what it meant to paint the Australian landscape, it was the way the Indigenous artists saw the land that influenced him to take into account both traditions. In recognition of his career, the survey show 'Idris Murphy: BACKBLOCKS' has just opened at the Drill Hall Gallery in Canberra. Curated by gallery director Terence Maloon, the exhibition includes important works from the last 30 years of more than 50 years of work. The exhibition will also travel to Orange Regional Gallery and S.H Ervin Gallery and a monograph will be available in early 2023. Idris has won the Gallipoli Art prize, has exhibited in 40 solo shows and group shows including a previous major travelling survey exhibition in 2009-2010. His work is held in the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW and other state and corporate collections. His love of literature, poetry and philosophy also comes through clearly in our conversation and you can find references to the works he mentioned in the podcast episode in the links below. I’ll also be uploading a short video we filmed on the day of the interview onto the Youtube channel and this website in the coming weeks.  Idris is represented by King Street Gallery on William in Sydney. To hear the podcast interview, click 'play' beneath the above feature photo Upcoming shows and talks * Survey show, 'BACKBLOCKS', Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra, August 19 to October 16, 2022* The above survey show will then travel to Orange Regional Gallery and S.H Ervin Gallery * Group show 'Earth Canvas', Australian National Museum, Canberra 25 August to 20 October 2022* Solo show 'NOW AND THEN' Mitchell Fine Art, Brisbane, 18 October to 5 November 2022 Links * Idris Murphy (website)* Idris Murphy at King Street Gallery on William * George Steiner - 'Real Presences'* Hilary Spurling - ‘The Unknown Matisse’* Lloyd Rees* Kevin Connor* Patrick White * Colin Lanceley* Philip Guston * John McDonald*

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 'Luke Sciberras: Side of the Sky', are running concurrently at Campbelltown Arts Centre and Bathurst Regional Art Gallery in NSW and include works sourced from public and private collections around the world. A beautiful monograph also accompanies the exhibitions (link below). The shows end on 7 August 2022. I interviewed Luke in 2019 in his studio in Hill End, NSW - an old stone church built in the 19th century - and the conversation we recorded is episode 64 of the podcast. I also recorded video on that day and this episode is the full audio recording from that video. The popular 4 minute YouTube video made from the recording can be seen on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel. Luke has exhibited in over 40 solo shows, his work is held in the collection of the Art Gallery of NSW and many regional galleries and in corporate and private collections. This conversation was recorded in the lead up to Luke’s show with his Sydney gallery, King Street Gallery on William, which was called ‘Rose into View’. To hear this episode click on 'play' beneath the above photo. Current exhibition Survey exhibition ‘Side of the Sky’ Campbelltown Arts Centre and Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, current until 7 August 2022 Links * Luke Sciberras website* Luke Sciberras on Instagram* Luke Sciberras at King Street Gallery on William* Luke Sciberras at Scott Livesey Galleries* Talking with Painters YouTube video ‘Luke Sciberras talks with Maria Stoljar in his studio’* Talking with Painters podcast episode 64* Maria Stoljar Instagram video at Campbelltown Arts Centre's 'Luke Sciberras: Side of the Sky' * Monograph 'Luke Sciberras: Side of the Sky' https://youtu.be/htLK3TzbUNo 'White Christmas, Bell, NSW', 2020oil on board160 x 244 cm; 162.5 x 246.5 cm framedImage: Art Gallery of NSW website Finalist Wynne prize 2020 'North Facing, Belle Ile', 2018oil on board120.00 x 160.00 cmImage: Scott Livesey Galleries website 'Shelly Beach (Portsea)'2020oil on board120.00 x 120.00 cmImage: Scott Livesey Galleries website

Click play for the podcast episode and watch the YouTube video here 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 exhibition was bought by the National Gallery of Australia.  Daniel describes himself in those university days in Canberra as ‘a shy young First Nations man from Far North Queensland’. That reserved nature still comes through even though I was speaking with him at the exhibition 'Treasure Island' which celebrates his career with over 80 works in one of Australia's most important art institutions, the Art Gallery of NSW. Daniel's First Nations heritage is central to his work. His ancestors were part of the Stolen Generation. Forced to let go of their culture and language, they lived in fear that if they shared it with their children they would be taken away from them. In an interview in the Gallery's Look magazine Daniel said that that forced  withholding of culture meant that he always felt there was something missing and it was at university that he tried to make sense of that. One of the striking aspects of Daniel's work is the way he both reveals and obscures his subject. Using a pointillist technique, he places a multitude of translucent dots over the image creating a series of convex lenses, as he refers to them, and while you can see the image through these lenses the rest of the image is painted out. Although this creates a visually alluring effect, there’s more to this technique than just the physical use of the material. There are concepts behind it which relate to ways of seeing and perception and which are interestingly explored in the book accompanying the exhibition (see link below). The show has been curated by Isobel Parker Philip, Senior Curator of Contemporary Australian Art and Erin Vink, curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, both at the Art Gallery of NSW. Daniel has exhibited in over 30 solo shows, has won the Bulgari Award amongst others, and his work is held in many other public institutions including the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria and the Natural History Museum in London. Click play beneath the above feature photo to hear the podcast episode watch the YouTube video of this edited conversation here. Current exhibition 'Treasure Island', Art Gallery of NSW, current to 29 January 2023 Links * Daniel Boyd on Instagram * Daniel Boyd at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery * Edouard Glissant * Daniel Boyd: 'Treasure Island', (book accompanying the exhibition) at the Art Gallery bookshop also available through many other online booksellers https://youtu.be/IUlMxJOHjSY Untitled 2014 , oil, pastel, archival glue on canvas 315 x 224 cm Collection Art Gallery of New South Wales Winner of the Bulgari Art Award 2014 Photo: AGNSW 'Untitled (FS)' 2016, 215.

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 and Brett Whiteley. I remember seeing those two small paintings hanging in the Art Gallery of NSW and being struck by their beauty and exquisite detail. The debate surrounding his Wynne Prize painting that year, which caused a small media storm, is something we dive into in this episode. I've been intrigued by Sam’s work ever since then. His art delves into the areas of science and nature, and in more recent years, he's used Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to initiate his paintings. It was fascinating to hear him talk about this approach. With a distinctly surrealist feel, Sam's work also reveals his continued interest in the Dutch masters of the 17th century which began in his early career. In his current show at Sullivan+Strumpf in Sydney, moody utopian landscapes team up with incongruous elements such as huge 'bubbles' and globular and tubular forms often hinting at or including a human presence. Other works depict animals, particularly polar bears, created from machine learning. These paintings, and the rather comical-looking Polar Bear Detector devised by Sam (where you can test how closely you resemble a polar bear) encourage us to see ourselves and the creatures with which we share the planet from a new perspective. The exhibition, with the unsettling title  ‘Everything Will Probably Be Fine’, continues until 16 July 2022. Sam has exhibited in 30 solo shows nationally and across the globe, has won several other awards apart from the Archibald and Wynne, and his work is held by many private and public collections including Australia's National Portrait Gallery. A short video of Sam talking about his work will be uploaded to the Talking with Painters YouTube channel in the coming weeks. Scroll down for images of the works we discuss in this episode. Press play to hear our conversation and scroll down for images of the works we talk about in this episode. Above feature photo supplied by the artist Current shows * 'Everything is going to be fine', solo show, Sullivan + Strumpf, Sydney, until 16 July 2022* 'Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes Exhibition', Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, until 28 August Links * Sam Leach (website)* Sam Leach (Instagram)* Sam Leach at Sullivan+Strumpf* Sam Leach talks with Professor Kate Crawford (Sullivan+Strumpf magazine article)* Professor Mandyam Svrinivasan talks about his work and his portrait by Sam Leach in the National Portrait Gallery (National Portrait Gallery video) 'Machine-assisted memory of Harewood Farm, Meadows', 2022oil on linen,

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 exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW runs until 28 August 2022 and will then travel to Victoria and regional NSW until July 2023. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists! Links * Blak Douglas - episode 68 Talking with Painters (podcast and YouTube video)* Blak Douglas in his studio - TWP YouTube Channel* Blak Douglas delivering his Archibald winning painting on the loading dock - TWP YouTube channel* Nicholas Harding - episode 65 Talking with Painters (podcast and YouTube video)* Nicholas Harding in his studio - TWP YouTube Channel* Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro (website) Blak Douglas, 'Moby Dickens', synthetic polymer paint on linen, 300 x 200 cm Winner of the Archibald Prize 2022© the artist image © AGNSW, Mim Stirling Nicholas Harding,  'Eora', oil on linen, 196.5 x 374.8 cm Winner of the Wynne Prize 2022© the artist, image © AGNSW, Mim Stirling Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, 'Raiko and Shuten-dōji', acrylic gouache, jute and tape on helicopter shell, 159.5 x 120 cm Winner of the Sulman Prize 2022© the artists, image © AGNSW, Mim Stirling

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 - and her works are held in many private collections and public institutions. This year the National Gallery of Australia acquired her largest single-panel work she has made to date, 'my heart is blazing 11 hours', and we talk about the work in this episode. Although difficult to describe in words, Del's work often depicts a female sensuality which is at the same time beautiful and confrontational - set in an intricately detailed imaginary world. She is also a self-described optimist and the work hanging in this exhibition is a testament to that, with vivid colour bursting from the canvas. We also discuss other art forms she has recently been engaged in, including a major project she has been developing over the last 4 years which has now come to fruition. Del's first feature film 'Blaze', a very personal work which she directed and co-wrote, is debuting at the Tribeca Film festival in June and it's one of only 10 films selected in the International Narrative competition. It has also been selected for Official Competition in the upcoming Sydney film festival, again one of only ten films selected internationally. You'll also hear about the origins of her arresting timber sculptures included in the exhibition. Large shell forms inlaid with exquisite materials which reference very personal themes. To hear the conversation press 'play' beneath the above feature photo. You can hear the previous 2019 podcast interview where Del talks about her life and art here. Scroll down for a short video of highlights of this conversation and footage of the exhibition on the Talking With Painters YouTube channel.  Current exhibition * 'the women who fell to earth' at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, 6 May to 28 May 2022* 'Blaze at the Tribeca Film Festival on 9, 10 and 17 June 2022* 'Blaze' at the Sydney Film Festival, 17, 18 and 19 June 2022 Links to things we talk about on the show * Del Kathryn Barton on Instagram* Del Kathryn Barton at Roslyn Oxley 9* Del Kathryn Barton at Albertz Benda * Talking With Painters YouTube channel* 'Blaze' at the Tribeca Film Festival* 'Blaze' at the Sydney Film Festival https://youtu.be/_y8sm9WuHRI the women who have gathered for the earth, 2021-22acrylic on linen203 x 353 cmSource: Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery website the women who came from the earth, 2022acrylic on linen203 x 303 cm her earth nature, 2022acrylic on linen243 x 203 cmSource: Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery website

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 together 120 of Steve Lopes' works including over 80 paintings and drawings, sketchbooks, prints and collages. This is a must-see exhibition especially for those interested in figurative painting. In my previous interview with Steve, he expressed the view that to be successful, a painting requires a gritty element - a bit of 'poison'. When I visited the exhibition a couple of weeks ago, though, it wasn't only that grittiness that struck me but also the humanity evident in the works, not only in the figures but also in the environments they inhabit. Desolate wartime landscapes hinting at the loss of human life, a dog wandering across a suburban backlot, figures enigmatically positioned on a coastal landscape; these scenes exude an air of melancholy but often also a familiarity. Steve has exhibited in close to 40 solo shows across Australia and in London and Hong Kong. He has won the Gallipoli Art Prize, the Kings School Art Prize and has been shortlisted in many others. His work is held in the National Gallery of Australia, the Parliament House Collection, the State Library of NSW and many other public and private collections. We met at the S.H.Ervin gallery as the exhibition was being installed and we talked about a selection of works (pictured below), the story behind them as well as insights into his practice. The show continues at the S.H.Ervin Gallery until 8 May 2022 and will then travel to Orange Regional Gallery where it will run from 21 May. To hear the podcast episode click 'play' beneath the above feature photo. Time stamps for each painting * 3:30 Trench Life* 8:25 Aurora Track* 12:45 Creek Bed Study* 16:00 Uncommon Figures* 27:15 Warren Ellis etching and painting* 29:49 Railway Club Exhibition details * Survey exhibition 'Encountered', S.H Ervin Gallery, Sydney, 26 March to 8 May 2022, then touring to:* Survey exhibition 'Encountered', Orange Regional Gallery, 21 May to 17 July 2022 Links * Steve Lopes website* Lopes at Stella Downer Fine Art* Lopes at Mitchell Fine Art* Lopes at Queenscliff Gallery* Lopes at Penny Contemporary * Talking with Painters 2019 interview with Steve Lopes * Guy Warren * Euan Macleod* Luke Sciberras*

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 some of the most impactful work she has produced to date. What's equally striking is the contrast between her painting style and the surface on which she often chooses to paint: found cardboard, typically in the form of flattened packing boxes complete with rips, creases and packing tape! Marikit won the Art Gallery of NSW's Sulman prize in 2020 with her work ‘The Divine’, a painting of her three children who were also her collaborators. We talk in this episode about how they contribute to her practice and why that collaboration is so important to her work. Apart from winning the Sulman, Marikit has been a finalist in many other prizes including the Archibald prize twice.  She has exhibited in 6 solo shows and her upcoming exhibition at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art is her first institutional show. It is curated by Micheal Do and opens on 26 March 2022. We recorded this conversation in Marikit's garage studio with her stunning recent work, Thy Kingdom Come, leaning precariously against the easel. Rich with cultural and religious symbolism, as well as quite a few cartoon characters, the complex painting had been finished the day before our interview, after nine months' work. To hear the podcast episode click 'play' beneath the above feature photo. Scroll down for a short video of Marikit in her studio from the Talking with Painters YouTube channel . Current and upcoming exhibition * Solo exhibition 'For us sinners', 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney, 26 March to 15 May 2022 * Archibald Prize 2021, currently showing at Cowra Regional Art Gallery, NSW, until 1 May 2022 Links * Marikit Santiago* Marikit Santiago on Instagram * Egon Schiele* Rodel Tapaya* Jojit Solano* Balikbayan Box* Aida Tomescu video https://youtu.be/C2hpafMF09g Thy Kingdom Come, 2021 – 2022, interior paint, acrylic, oil, pyrography, pen, gold leaf on found cardboard (pen and paint markings by Santi Mateo Santiago and Sarita Santiago), collaboration with Maella Santiago, 167cm x 307cm. Courtesy of the artist and The Something Machine, Bellport, New York. Photo credit: Garry Trinh Tagsibol/tagsabong, 2019, acrylic, oil, pyrography, pen and paint on found cardboard144.5 x 214 cmFinalist, Sulman Prize, 2019, Art Gallery of NSW Filipiniana (self-portrait in collaboration with Maella Santiago Pearl), acrylic, interior paint, pen and oil on found cardboard110.5 x 100.

I interviewed the acclaimed artist Tom Carment for the podcast in 2019 and this episode is the extended audio recording from video I filmed in his studio. A lot was going on creatively for Tom at the time. It was at about the same time as his book ‘Womerah Lane: Lives and Landscapes’ was released and his solo show at King Street gallery in Sydney was about to open. As soon as I arrived at his Womerah Lane terrace I saw that it was overtaken by preparations for that show. Once Tom has created his work he then makes their frames from beautiful Tasmanian blackwood and the frames were in various states of completion throughout the dining area and the studio. By coincidence, I’m publishing this episode as Tom is going through the very same process in the lead up to his next show with King Street Gallery which opens on 22 March 2022. It's taken over two months to make the frames. They are works of art in themselves with each corner joined with wooden keys and he thinks carefully about which work would best suit the timber of each unique frame. When I spoke with Tom he had been living in Adelaide where he and his wife Jan had pared back their belongings and rented a one-bedroom worker's cottage where they had only intended to stay for a year. But since then Covid took hold and his upcoming show is called ‘Two years in South Australia’. It's a beautiful body of work and what struck me in particular was a series of exquisite works of the lighthouse on Corny Point, Yorke peninsula, where he camped for several weeks and which he observed and painted at different times of the day. Tom has won numerous art prizes (including the Gallipoli, Mosman and NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize) and has been shortlisted countless times in others including the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes and the Salon des Refuses. He has exhibited in over 25 solo shows and his work is held in public and private collections internationally. ‘Womerah Lane’, the latest of several books he has written, was shortlisted in the NSW Premier’s literary awards last year. You can see the edited video version of this recording on my YouTube channel here and listen to the previous podcast episode (ep 78) where Tom talks with me about his life and how he became an artist here. To hear this podcast episode click on 'play' beneath the above photo. Upcoming show * Solo show 'Two years in South Australia' at King Street Gallery, Sydney, 22 March to xx April 2022 Links * Tom Carment website* Tom Carment at King Street Gallery * 'Womerah Lane: Lives and Landscapes'* YouTube Video of Tom Carment edited from this recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcvytTVt3Is 'Corny Point Lighthouse II', oil on marine ply, 16 x 21cm 'Yellowtail Mackeral on Robert's plate', oil on linen, 30.5 x 38cm 'Plane Tree, Mount Lofty, winter morning', oil on marine ply, 30.5 x 38cm 'Returning surfer, Berry Bay', oil on linen, 25 x 30cm 'Sugar Bananas', oil on linen, 25 x 30cm Works mentioned in the podcast episode

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 artist, having won multiple art prizes, and you can find out more about her career and how she became an artist in my original 2019 podcast interview (episode 75).  In this episode she talks about working en plein air, how she sources colour for her work, the importance of making mistakes and lots more. Her next solo show ‘Opacity of Time’ with her Melbourne gallery, This Is No Fantasy, opens on 25 February 2022 and I’ve included a selection of the exciting works going into that show below. Nicole also has a solo show coming up in August with Arthouse Gallery in Sydney and her work will be included in a curated show ‘Quintet: 5 southern Sydney Artists’ at Hazelhurst Arts Centre in September. Its hard to explain what I love about Nicole's work but there’s a kind of mystery and romance to her paintings through her use of colour and mark which draws me in every time. To hear this episode press 'play' beneath the above feature photo. * The most watched video is the first 'loading dock' video where I interviewed entrants to the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2019. Link to the YouTube channel in links below. Upcoming shows * Solo show, 'Opacity of Time', This Is No Fantasy, Melbourne, opening 25 February, 2022* Solo show, Arthouse Gallery, Sydney, opening 18 August 2022* Group show 'Quintet: 5 Southern Sydney artists', Hazelhurst Arts Centre, opening 10 September 2022 Links * Nicole Kelly (website)* Nicole Kelly (Instagram)* Nicole Kelly at This is No Fantasy* Nicole Kelly at Arthouse Gallery* Video of Nicole Kelly made from the recording in this episode* Talking with Painters YouTube channel* Talking with Painters podcast interview of Nicole Kelly - episode 75* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6yRDLvAeGA 'Night walker', 2022oil on polyester, 167 x 198cm Double self (Valley between doubt and dream), 2021. Oil on polyester, 138 x 152cmFinalist Portia Geach Memorial Award 2021 'Last song', 2022135 x 227.5 cm, oil on polyester 'Poppy and Matisse', 2022oil on polyester, 89 x 73.5 cm 'To the sky something lost' 2019 oil on polyester 123.5 x 169.5 cm (framed) ‘Studio nude (self portrait)’, 2019, oil on polyesterFinalist 2019 Portia Geach Memorial Award

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 videos I've taken of my podcast guests. Joshua's works are extraordinary. His paintings often involve an element of carving into the wooden surface of the work and in some cases he inserts pieces of cane which add a further dimension to the work. But it's the physical method of doing that work which enhances his creative process and you'll hear him explain this and many other aspects of his practice in this episode. If you're in Sydney you can see several stunning Yeldham works in Arthouse Gallery's Summer group show which also includes work of podcast guests Colin Pennock, Susan Baird, Nicole Kelly, Jo Bertini, Michaye Boulter and Belinda Fox as well as many other skilled artists. The exhibition continues until 29 January 2022. See below for a short video version of this episode filmed in Joshua's Sydney studio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ocg2oLZ008 Links * Joshua Yeldham (website)* Joshua Yeldham at Arthouse Gallery* Talking with Painters interview, Episode 101* My video walk through of Joshua Yeldham's exhibition 'Providence' at Arthouse Gallery in 2020 * Episode 101 YouTube video

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 viewer ultimately witnesses the movement and life which has been captured in each brushstroke. He has won the NSW Parliament Plein Air Art Prize and the Manning Art Prize and has been shortlisted in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes multiple times as well as being shortlisted in many others. He is represented in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and New York, has had 25 solo shows and his work is held in many public and private collections. We met in his studio in Sydney (he also has a studio in the Blue Mountains) and there was a series of recent breathtaking works lining the walls. In this podcast episode you can hear Robert talk with me about his early career in animation, how he learnt to paint, how and why he paints alla prima and much more. To hear the podcast episode click on 'play' beneath the above feature photo. See below for video highlights of the conversation which includes footage inside his studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel. Upcoming shows * Upcoming exhibition at BDDW gallery, New York Links to things we talk about in the show * Robert Malherbe * Robert Malherbe on Instagram * Robert Malherbe at Jan Murphy Gallery * Robert Malherbe at James Makin Gallery * Robert Malherbe at BDDW Gallery * YouTube Video 'En Plein Air' * Nick Stathopoulos * Philjames https://youtu.be/SAf7U0q0zCc 'Govetts Leap', 2021, oil on board45.8 x 61 cmFinalist Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, 2021 'Figure 34', 2021, oil on polyester canvas46.0 x 51.0 cm 'Self-portrait', oil on linen, 91 x 91 cmFinalist Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, 2017 'Michael Reid' oil on linen, 103.5 x 83.5 cmFinalist Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, 2018 Robert Malherbe, Philjames 'Last waltz at the Doomsday Ball' oil on linen91 x 71 cmFinalist Sulman Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, 2017 'Nude 25', 2019, oil on canvas51.0 x 41.0 cm 'White Flowers in Glass', 2021oil on polyester56 x 46 cm 'Flowers 2', 2019oil on linen76.0 x 60.0 cm

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 excitement, joy and optimism, but also is immediate in its nature.  “As these works have come out of their crates I’ve really had the feeling that the paintings are almost making themselves before your eyes … he’s not giving you a sealed off, finished, product”, Justin tells me in this podcast episode. “He’s showing you his thinking. He wants you to feel as though you’re looking over his shoulder as he revises, adjusts, amends a line, sands something back’. And this proximity to Matisse is not only felt in the works themselves, but in the way they are presented to us. His sculptures and paintings seem to talk to each other and the breathtaking space which evokes the artist's Chapel of the Rosary in Vence takes us a step closer to what he might have felt in the moments of its creation. The space is designed by renowned Australian architect Richard Johnson. Justin Paton is the head curator of international art at the Art Gallery of NSW. He talks with me about the exhibition, from the early works from the Fauvist period and Matisse's time connecting with the Australian artist John Russell to the later cut-out works and how they came about. He also talks with me about the ‘Matisse Alive’ exhibition which he also curated. Justin is also an acclaimed writer and his books include ‘How to look at a painting’ (which was adapted into a TV series) and more recently  ‘McCahon Country’ about the works of the famous New Zealand painter Colin McCahon. To hear our conversation click on ‘play’ beneath the above photo. The exhibition ‘Matisse: Life and Spirit’ continues until 13 March 2022. You can buy tickets here. ‘Matisse Alive’ is a free exhibition and continues until 3 April 2022. Links * Justin Paton on Instagram* Matisse: Life and Spirit* John Russell* Chapel of the Rosary, Vence https://youtu.be/gl6DyqbCxg0 Justin Paton talks with Maria Stoljar about 'Matisse: Life and Spirit' Installation view of ‘Matisse: Life & Spirit Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou, Paris’ exhibitionPhoto © AGNSW, Mim Stirling Installation view of ‘Matisse: Life & Spirit Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou, Paris’ exhibitionPhoto © AGNSW, Mim Stirling

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 and when I heard they were exhibiting at The Other Art Fair in Sydney I thought it was the perfect opportunity to interview them back. So here it is! A fun chat about their lives, their podcast and their art. See below for details of The Other Art Fair, examples of their beautiful work and for links to the podcast and other things we chatted about in the show. Photo of Fiona and Julie by Jasmine Higgins Upcoming show * The Other Art Fair, Sydney, 2-5 December 2021 Links to things we talked about in the show * Julie Nicholson website* Julie Nicholson on Instagram* Fiona Verity on YouTube* Fiona Verity on Instagram* Art Wank podcast on Instagram* Art Wank podcast on Apple Podcasts* Art Wank podcast's interview with me* The Other Art Fair* Pittwater Artists Trail* Wilamina Russo (mentor and podcaster)* Debbie Mackinnon* Willoughby Arts Centre* Judith White JULIE NICHOLSON'Creek', 2021, acrylic, oil stick and pastel on canvas FIONA VERITY'Beer needs nuts'80x120cm Acrylic, charcoal and collage on polycotton  JULIE NICHOLSON'Through the sheltered creek' 116x80cm FIONA VERITY'Look longer, think more'114 x 114 cm Acrylic, charcoal and Collage on polycotton  JULIE NICHOLSON'Time Stamp' acrylic, oil stick and oil pastel on canvas 75x95cm Fiona Verity'it’s easy like Sunday Morning'80x120cmAcrylic, charcoal and Collage on polycotton 

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 a body of work which has explored exciting new directions.  Jules is well known for his beautiful portraits and still life works - painted in thin layers of translucent oil paint and often mistaken from afar as watercolour - but his stunning large scale landscapes over recent years are now taking centre stage and incorporate elements of abstraction to the point where in some works the representational drops off altogether.  And yet there is a strong link to the mysteries of the natural world in his work. Ideas surrounding the moon and tidal forces, sleep cycles, dreams, heartbeat rhythms and light rays drive his landscape paintings adding to their symbolism and allure. I caught up with Jules last week at his Sydney studio where he works among other high level creatives. In this podcast episode we talked about how it all started (his first career might surprise you), his ideas, his techniques and the unexpected energy required to create these still works.  He has exhibited in close to 30 solo shows and has been shortlisted in many major art prizes in Australia including the Archibald (four times), Wynne, Doug Moran, Glover and Shirley Hannan.  To hear our conversation press play beneath the above feature photo. See below for a short video of highlights of this episode from the Talking with Painters YouTube channel. Upcoming show * Solo exhibition, 'The small hours', Yavuz Gallery, Sydney, 18 November to 18 December Links to things and people we talked about in the show * Julian Meagher website * Julian Meagher at Yavuz Gallery * Julian Meagher at Edwina Corlette * Julian Ashton Art School * Philip Wolfhagen on Talking with Painters * Robert Hannaford * Jasper Knight https://youtu.be/QtFOx0IGmsQ ' Fozzy', 2021, oil on linen, 56.5 x 46 x 3.5 cmfinalist, Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, 2021Image: Art Gallery of NSW 'Slow Wave Cycle (Barragga Lake) #8', 2021, oil on linen, 152 x 123cmImage courtesy of the artist Slow Wave Cycle (Barragga Lake), 2021, oil on linen, 245 x 198 cmImage courtesy of the artist 'The small hour #3', 2021, oil on linen, 183 x 152cmImage courtesy of the artist Julian Meagher, Slow Wave Cycle (Marrickville), 2021, oil on linen, 245 x 198 cmImage courtesy of the artist 'Daniel Johns', 2015, oil on linen, 122 x 91 cmFinalist, Archibald Prize 2015Image: Art Gallery of NSW