Archibald Portrait Prize ‘HAT FITZ

The beginnings of ‘HAT FITZ BEARDED BLUES’ by Darren Trebilco

This morning I happy to announce that my 2014 Archibald Portrait Entry ‘HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES’ has been delivered to the Solitude Art Gallery. The past 3 months has been a wonderful journey. Thank you for all of the support, following my progress in the studio with interest in my quest in completing a beautiful piece of artwork. I feel as though I have captured the rawness of my sitter Hat Fitz and I am very happy with the end result…

This piece for me was a new venture with a mixed media piece that used a wooden panel instead of the usual canvas for me. The use of wallpaper, charcoal, acrylic, wire brushes, gas soldering iron, and a sander was all a great challenge and plenty of fun!

Some of the tools used on ‘HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES’

The lovely wallpaper that was used for this piece and also showing the lovely grain in the timber that will eventually be exposed in the finished artwork.

The wallpaper being laid up on the lovely timber frame. The frame was that big that I had to join two pieces of timber to get the desired size 1.5 meteres x 1.8 meteres tall.

‘HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES’ charcoal work completed.

Up close detail of ‘HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES’.

‘HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES’ looking great in the Solitude Art Gallery Studio.

Starting work with the acrylic and laying up the white base for further details of ‘HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES’.

Adding in colour and building up the layers for ‘HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES’.

Taking a moment for a photo to share with Hat Fitz the progress of his portrait.

Artist Darren Trebilco being busted standing on a stool while working on the details of Hat’s massive hat…

Late night mess in the Solitude Art Studio. Working between two pieces ‘HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES’ and also ‘THREE PARROT SWING’ by Darren trebilco”

Up close detail of the mixed media piece by Darren Trebilco ‘HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES’

Nearly completed ‘HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES’ and the studio is looking great! Plenty of mess and fun to be had…

Up close detail from all of the torn wall paper and texture of the final artwork ‘HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES’.

***For those of you that haven’t seen the completed piece you can now visit the Solitude Art Gallery and view the artwork in all of it’s glory!

The Gallery is OPEN Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm *Subject to change
(check out Facebook  for weekly opening times)

For all of our interstate / international fans you can view the final artwork here
“HAT FITZ – BEARDED BLUES” 

enjoy…