To give you an idea of Lucy Culliton’s popularity, in 2014 Sydney’s Mosman Art Gallery held a major survey of her work which contained over 100 works. That exhibition attracted more than 20,000 visitors.

This year she was named as a finalist in all three Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes at the Art Gallery of NSW and she has been a finalist in those competitions many times before. She has received many art awards including the Portia Geach Memorial award, the Mosman Art prize and the Kedumba drawing prize.  She has exhibited in over ten solo exhibitions and her work is held in many public and private collections including the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of NSW.

I met Lucy Culliton at her home in Bibbenluke, a small town in south eastern NSW.  She showed me around her property and introduced me to her many animals. She also opened up her studio to my iphone!  You can see a short video taken on the afternoon below.

In our conversation Lucy talks about her childhood years when she would draw horses over and over again.  She talks about how her dyslexia affected her first job in graphic design and what caused her to leave that career to pursue a career as a full time painter. We also discuss how she met dealer Ray Hughes who would represent her for many years until his gallery closed its doors last year and how her animals have played a large role in her life and continue to inspire her work.

Upcoming shows

Links

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-CJnh9yn3s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QAAeeGE-2Q

‘Monaro/Ando’ oil on canvas 170.5 x 170.5cm (Wynne Prize finalist 2016)

Lucy Culliton in her studio with Mayday

‘Ray in Paris’ oil on board 200 x 80cm  (Archibald prize finalist 2011)

‘Spark Plugs’ (2008) oil on board, 80cm x 80cm

‘Pigeons’ oil on canvas 148.5cm x 148.5cm (Sulman prize finalist 2016)

‘Lucy and fans’ (2016) oil on canvas, 170.5 x 170cm  (Archibald prize finalist 2016)

‘Cactus’ (2004) oil on canvas, 116cm x 102cm

‘Hartley Landscape, view from the studio’ (2002) oil on canvas 200 x 120cm – this is the painting hanging in the Good Room which we talk about in our conversation