Madeleine Winch Facing the canvas

In her self-portrait, Madeleine Winch paints herself surrounded by ‘the tools of her trade’.

‘As I ponder the empty canvas, so many forces come into play. Each new canvas presents a fresh challenge. Once the idea is conceived, the process of transferring it to the blank surface begins. Innumerable decisions must be made. Guided by my intuition, the painting gradually takes form. My hunger to delve and explore takes over,’ says Winch.

‘Painting for me is a constant process of self-questioning and self-discovery, both impassioned and demanding. With my trusted materials and tools at hand, in the seclusion of my studio, endless creative possibilities emerge.’

Winch is a painter and printmaker with studios in Sydney and Central West NSW. She has been a finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Award on five occasions, winning the People’s Choice twice as well as being highly commended and commended. In 2004, she was a winner of the Kedumba Drawing Award. She has also been a finalist in the Sulman Prize and Dobell Prize for Drawing. Her work is represented in collections held by the National Gallery of Victoria and regional galleries in NSW. This is her first time in the Archibald Prize.