You might spot me on ABC TV in November - I’m on Portrait Artist of the Year Australia!!!

Well, the cat is out of the bag. I can finally reveal….

I am a contestant on Portrait Artist of the Year Australia for 2025!

If you’re not familiar with the televised competition, it’s hugely popular in the UK and this year it has come to Australia (affectionately known as PAOTY Australia). Watch as 54 painters from around the country race to paint the portrait of a surprise celebrity sitter, with only one artist awarded a career-defining commission for a national art gallery.

While I can’t reveal anything about the show until it airs (I don’t want to spoil the show for you), I can show you some of the portraits I created while practicing for Australian Portrait Artist of the Year. Because, as many of you know, the main focus of my artwork is birds. So the idea of painting a portrait with the absence of a beak was a little concerning. I asked neighbours, friends, and family to sit for me so I could practice. I also organised portrait painting groups so I could practice with other artists chatting around me. Here’s some of the portraits I created:

Once the program airs I can reveal more about how I prepared for the show and the lessons I learnt from being on a televised painting competition. But for now, sign up to my newsletter to be notified when I reveal more about being a contestant on Portrait Artist of the Year Australia.

Stream Portrait Artist of the Year from Sunday 2 November 8pm on ABC iview and ABC TV. #PortraitArtistOfTheYearAU

Anne