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Talking with Painters: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Maria Stoljar
Maria Stoljar talks with Australian painters about how they became an artist, their painting techniques, influences and current work.
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- 3 weeks ago
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 and Pitjantjatjara elder Iluwanti Ken, a striking full-length painting set against a powerful ochre background inspired by time spent with Iluwanti on country. I also share some of my favourite parts from my longer 2025 conversation with Richard, where he talks about growing up in New Zealand, using art as a form of escape as a child, painting deeply personal works about family and grief, and creating his exhibition Steve, currently showing at the National Gallery of Australia. Along the way we also discuss this year’s Wynne and Sulman Prize winners, including works by Gaypalani Wanambi and Lucy Culliton. Links Video highlights on YouTube Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes Exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW ‘Steve’ showing at the National Gallery of Australia Full 2025 interview with Richard Lewer Worse luck I’m still here, 2014, video and animation Talking with Painters on Instagram Join me on LinkedIn Sign up to the TWP newsletter Talking with Painters on Facebook   ‘Iluwanti Ken’Synthetic plolymer paint on canvas198cm x 198cmWinner 2026 Archibald PrizeImage: Art Gallery of NSW ‘The Waṉambi tree’ by Gaypalani Waṉambispray paint on etched steel240cm x 240cmWinner Wynne Prize 2026Image: Art Gallery of NSW <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9105" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-9105" src="https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SID119411.jpg.800x799_q85.jpg" alt="" width="475" height="475" srcset="https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SID119411.jpg.800x799_q85.jpg 799w, https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SID119411.jpg.800x799_q85-300x300.jpg 300w, https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SID119411.jpg.800x799_q85-150x150.jpg 150w, https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SID119411.jpg.800x799_q85-768x768.jpg 768w, https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SID119411.jpg.800x799_q85-500x500.jpg 500w, https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SID119411.jpg.800x799_q85-125x125.jpg 125w"
- Mar 8, 202627 min
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 Boyd, Sidney Nolan, John Brack and Charles Blackman dominated the Australian art scene. Today Ann Thomson is one of Australia’s most respected and internationally acclaimed artists. A painter and sculptor, she has held more than 60 solo exhibitions, won numerous awards, and her work is represented in major public collections. As this episode is released, an exhibition of her work is also showing at Messums Gallery in London. Links Ann Thomson on Instagram Ann Thomson at Messums Talking with Painters YouTube channel Talking with Painters on Instagram Talking with Painters on Facebook Maria Stoljar on LinkedIn Sign up for the Talking with Painters newsletter Podcast interview with Thomson on her life and art Podcast interview with Thomson on Ian Fairweather Podcast interview with Thomson in her 90th year Video highlights of this episode https://youtu.be/94aHBnKwR2w?si=SCWA0GDPvevSDMyM
- Dec 28, 202543 min
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 Victoria’s Dandenong ranges and with painting from life. Her painting ‘Ramble Kalorama’, measuring almost 19 metres long, is a magnificent meditation on what it is to be in the Australian landscape and was a huge hit at the 2022 Sydney Contemporary Art Fair. Mary Tonkin has won many awards and her works are held in major public institutions and private collections. She is represented by Australian Galleries. NB: When Mary speaks about her teacher Geoff in this conversation she is referring to Geoff Dupree. Links Mary Tonkin on Instagram Mary Tonkin at Australian Galleries ‘Among the Trees’, S.H.Ervin Gallery, 3 January to 1 March 2026 Highlights YouTube video My instagram reel of ‘Ramble, Kalorama’ at Sydney Contemporary (2022) https://youtu.be/84JSU210-38?si=78SsLYUPGalbja-g ‘Ramble, Kalorama’ (2017–2019) at Sydney Contemporary, 202218.9m x 1.8m (21 panels)Oil on linen   ‘Coprosma Madonna, Kalorama’ 2021-22oil on linen 320 x 610cmPhotographer Matthew Stanton <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9055" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-9055" src="https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Madre-Kalorama-2008-oil-on-linen-244cm-x-508-cm-Photographer-John-Brash-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" heigh
- Nov 21, 2025
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 Gallery Talking with Painters website Talking with Painters on Instagram Subscribe here for my monthly newsletter Previous TWP YouTube videos of Aida Tomescu: Aida Tomescu – extended interview Aida Tomescu talks with Maria Stoljar (uncut) Aida Tomescu in her studio (2017) Aida Tomescu talks with Maria Stoljar about ‘Tuckson: the abstract sublime’ Aida Tomescu’s 2019 show ‘The Open Wounds of White Clouds’ Previous podcast conversations with Aida Tomescu: Episode 33 – Aida Tomescu Episode 63 – Aida Tomescu on Tony Tuckson Episode 116 – Aida Tomescu (uncut) Messiaen II 2024200x460cmoil on Belgian linenPhoto: Jenni Carter Messiaen III 2025200 x 306cmOil on Belgian linenPhoto: Jenni Carter <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9036" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-9036" src="https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Aida-Tomescu_Messiaen-2013-oil-and-pigments-on-canvas-184-x-154cm.jpg" alt="" width="863" height="1029" srcset="https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Aida-Tomescu_Messiaen-2013-oil-and-pigments-on-canvas-184-x-154cm.jpg 863w, https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Aida-Tomescu_Messiaen-2013-oil-and-pigments-on-canvas-184-x-154cm-252x300.jpg 252w, https://talkingwithpainters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/
- Oct 4, 2025
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 twelve of the other outstanding finalists (see images of works below) At $100,000 the Hadley’s is Australia’s richest landscape art prize, and the calibre of work this year was outstanding. With 29 finalists in total, I would have loved to talk with every single one, but time was short in the lead-up to the celebrations! Even so, these conversations give you a cross-section of artists and approaches to depicting the Australian landscape — from bold abstraction to meticulous realism. In this episode, you’ll hear from the following artists: Michaye Boulter, Belinda Street, Neil Haddon, Valerie Sparks (Honourable Mention), Peter Griffen, Harrison Bowe (People’s Choice winner), Melanie McCollin Walker, Denise Lamby (Residency Prize winner), Julz Beresford, Raymond Arnold, Richard Klecociuk and Melissa Kenihan. Links YouTube video highlights of this episode YouTube video of interview with winner Sophie Cape Podcast interview with winner Sophie Cape Talking with Painters Newsletter Talking with Painters on Instagram Talking with Painters on Facebook Maria Stoljar on LinkedIn Hadley’s Art Prize website Michaye BoulterAtmospheres,oil on linen 102 x 153 Neil Haddon‘A view of water’Acrylic oil and lacquer on aluminium140 x 130 Valerie Sparks (Honourable Mention)‘The Long View’Pigment inkjet print on paper <di
- Sep 1, 202531 min
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 point in her career. She also tells me about her incredible path to painting — from training as an elite athlete with Olympic ambitions to finding her way into the art world after injury changed the course of her life. Sophie has received multiple awards and residencies over her career. She has exhibited in over a dozen solo shows and her work is held in many public and private collections. She is represented by Olsen Gallery. A highlights video from this conversation will be up on my YouTube channel soon. I also spoke with 12 of the other finalists, and those conversations will be heading to YouTube shortly as well. During my time in Hobart, I was a guest of Hadley’s at the beautifully restored Hadley’s Orient Hotel (built in 1834) and is the venue for the exhibition. The show runs until 21 September, accompanied by a series of talks – you can find more information on their website here . Links Podcast listeners – see images of the works we talk about here Sophie Cape on Instagram Sophie Cape at Olsen Gallery Australian Story: Adrenaline Brush: Sophie Cape Sign up for the Talking with Painters newsletter Talking with Painters on Instagram Talking with Painters on youTube Talking with Painters on Facebook Thunder Shifts the Shivering SandsRust, charcoal, soil, pigment and binder on canvas2024148cm x 160cm Romper Stomper, 2014, oil, acrylic, bitumen, charcoal, and soil on canvas, 209 x 203cmWinner, Portia Geach Memorial Award, 2014
- Aug 27, 202521 min
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 together in his Brisbane studio.
- May 9, 202514 min
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 drawn from Justene’s creative universe, commands the viewer’s attention. Julie talks with me about the portrait and its elements, her approach to colour and her tips for a productive sitting. This episode also includes Julie’s moving acceptance speech. Also announced today: Jude Rae, winner of the Wynne Prize (and two-time podcast guest) Gene A’Hern, winner of the Sulman Prize (video interview coming soon!) Scroll down for images of the winning works Podcast listeners click here to see images of the works Julie Fragar’s website Julie Fragar on Instagram Ep 28: Jude Rae Ep 97: Jude Rae ‘424-428’ My chat with Sulman winner Gene A’Hern TWP on Instagram TWP on Facebook Maria Stoljar on LinkedIn Sign up to the TWP monthly newsletter https://youtu.be/h4NfQDN803I Julie FragarFlagship Mother Multiverse (Justene)oil on canvas240 x 180.4 cm Jude RaePre-dawn sky over Port Botany container terminaloil on linen200 x 150.4 cm Gene A’HernSky paintingoil and oil stick on board240 x 240 cm  
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Maria Stoljar talks with Australian painters about how they became an artist, their painting techniques, influences and current work.
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