Artist Maxine Stibbe says Noosa MP Sandy Bolton is ‘our people’s princess’ while painting her portrait to enter into the 2025 Archibald Prize competition.
The annual event judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW is underway, and finalists are to be announced on 1 May, with the winners announced on 9 May.
The prize will be awarded, in the terms of the will of the late JF Archibald dated 15 March 1916, to the best portrait ‘preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics…’
Maxine, 52, said this was her first time ‘having a crack’ at a portrait prize.
“I thought if I’m going to have a go, I’m going to have a go at the best and pick someone who is a woman of calibre,” she said.
“We have such a tiny Noosa Shire of only about 56,000 people. And Sandy is everywhere all at once. She’s with the elders that are doing their crafting, she’s at art competitions, she’s at exhibitions, she supports indigenous people, and all our new migrants.
“She’s our people’s princess and I’m so proud of her being an independent MP with no party alliance, third term. To have to go down to the big house and put up with all of those massive misogynistic views, and fight for money for our little town.”
Maxine said she wanted to paint someone that other young women could look up too.
“Sandy’s got so much charisma. She walks into a room and all eyes turn. She walks two worlds. She walks the world of politics and she walks the world of everyday people. And with ease.”
The portrait is over Laguna Bay, Main Beach of Noosa, and Maxine painted it out the front of her favourite restaurant, Bistro C.
“I don’t usually do realism. I’m usually into abstraction or other fields of art,” she said.
“I’ve only ever done one portrait of myself in realism in oils. I think it was like 28 layers of buffing, and it took forever and it was a lot of concentration and this is also taking forever and a lot of concentrating. So, I’m putting my love into it.”
Maxine said it would be an honour to be a finalist in the Archibald Prize competition.
“I went this afternoon and showed Sandy and she adores it. So, that’s the main thing for me. It was only her judgment I was worried about. If everybody else enjoys it, that’s a bonus,” she said.
