‘It was 2004 and I spent Thursday evenings sketching the marvelous blues singer Jackie Orszaczky. I was newly single, and this was my way of becoming confident enough to rock into a pub by myself to have a beer.
After many months of Thursday evening sketching, I approached Jackie and told him I’d like to enter the Archibald Prize for Portraiture with a portrait of him.
‘There’s a form you’d have to sign saying you approve,” I said. “I have a copy here.”
“Of course, you’re just always here,” was his reply and there on the beer-wet counter amongst the beer decals he signed the form.
The painting didn’t get hung in the Archibald but I did achieve my goal of feeling comfortable in a pub by myself.’
For more about painting musicians see the book The Painted Musician
… more soon …