Picture misses cut for Archies

Artist Dave Machen with an earlier version of the Nigel Brennan portrait.

Mike Knott

ARTIST Dave Machen’s portrait of former Somali hostage Nigel Brennan has failed to make the cut for the prestigious Archibald Prize.

But Mr Machen is unfazed by the setback and is planning another portrait of Mr Brennan to enter in another portrait competition.

“It’s a little disappointing, but there is a lot of competition,” Mr Machen said.

He has entered the Archibalds “half a dozen times”, and said his best result was in 2003 when he was judged an alternative winner of the packing room prize, voted for by the workers who unpack and hang the portraits.

That was for a portrait of Gallery of New South Wales head packer Steve Peters.

Mr Machen’s portrait of Mr Brennan came about almost by accident.

“When I first saw him on TV when he got back from Somalia I thought he’d be interesting to paint for the Archibalds,” Mr Machen said.

“I didn’t even know he was from Bundaberg.”

A mutual friend passed on a message to Mr Brennan, who rang Mr Machen, and the two got together to work on the painting.

“It took a bit over a week to paint,” Mr Machen said.

“Like anybody, you have to get to know them a bit first, and find out what they’re like.

“In this case I did three paintings of him to try to capture his personality.”

Mr Machen will be heading overseas in May to live in Europe for six months and work on an exhibition he has coming up in the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery.

He also plans to enter another prestigious portrait competition, the Doug Moran prize.

“Artists appreciate the Doug Moran prize more than the Archibalds, and I’ve already asked Nigel if he will sit for that and he’s agreed,” he said. “I’ll put a lot more time into this one.”

Mr Machen plans to enter the Archibalds again, but he has not decided on his subject.

Like anybody, you have to get to know

them a bit first, and find out what they’re like.

In this case I did three paintings of him

DAVE MACHEN