Last year his painting of writer Robert Hoge was shortlisted in the renowned BP Portrait Award in London which attracted over 400,000 visitors.  The portrait was also reproduced on the cover of the Times.

His art career spans many fields including illustration, book cover design, computer game design, animation, screenwriting, film making and sculpture and this is all on top of an arts/law degree. He has won several awards for his illustration work but has found a real passion in hyper realist painting of portraits and still lifes.

In this interview Nick talks about how children’s television of the 60s provided him with the inspiration to draw toys, cars and machines as a child, he explains why he can never eat another Freddo frog and reveals how he came to name his 2009 show ‘Toy Porn’. He generously discusses his art techniques in detail from the first sketches and meeting with the sitter to the final portrait. He also gives moving accounts of how he came to paint Deng Adut and Robert Hoge and the emotional impact those experiences had on him.

Nick has works included in a forthcoming group show ’40/40 Project’ at Wagner Gallery,  Paddington, Sydney opening on 19 November 2016.

Video below was taken two years after the podcast interview where I caught up with Nick in his kitchen in Sydney.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7DKlMw85pY

‘Robot Power!’ (2011) Acrylic and oil glaze on canvas, 90 x 60 cm

‘Ugly – Portrait of Robert Hoge’ (2014) Acrylic and oil on linen

Deng (2016), acrylic and oil on linen 137.5cm x 137cm

Stathopoulos’ thumbnail sketches in preparation for his  portrait of Deng Adut

‘And our friends are all aboard’ Acrylic and oil glaze on canvas 61cm x 61cm (from Toy Porn 2)

‘Can I be of Service’ (2011) Acrylic and oil glaze on canvas 61cm x 61cm (from Toy Porn 2)

‘(GM) Square Meals’ (2008) acrylic and oil glaze on canvas 60cm x 60cm

Nick Stathopoulos at home with his painting ‘Don’t touch that dial!’