“Neither eccentric nor flamboyant, Stephanie Monteith exudes a calm, measured presence. She imbues a serenity that resembles the poised women depicted in the works of centuries-old masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, whose paintings inspire her… Her Archibald self-portrait, ‘The letter’, took more than a year to paint, and she almost didn’t submit it. “I decided to enter this painting just a week before the final due date, so it was quite a last-minute entry. I felt self-conscious about submitting a self-portrait. The Archibald prefers that the sitter is someone ‘distinguished in art, letters, science or politics’,” explains Stephanie. “To claim the ‘distinguished’ title for oneself seems a bit egocentric, so my submission was based on the fact that I felt it was a strong painting that happened to be a self-portrait. Self-portraits have become quite acceptable as an Archibald entry.”
To read the full article and interview with exceptionally talented painter Stephanie Monteith visit Truly Aus.
Image: Steph Monteith, The Letter – I really wanted to paint Germaine Greer but she said ‘no’ (self-portrait), 2018, oil on board, 111.5 x 93.5cm
About the artist
Stephanie Monteith is a Sydney-based artist who uses processes that involve direct observation of carefully constructed still life set-ups that can include a portrait or figure component. In contrast to this studio-based approach Stephanie also works from the landscape en plein air. She is interested in capturing the variety of light effects upon surfaces and spaces and specialises in oil painting, watercolour and drawing.
Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (first class honours) and a Master of Fine Arts from UNSW Art & Design. For more than 20 years Stephanie has been an exhibiting artist and she has over 15 years experience as a lecturer in the visual arts.
Since winning the Jenny Birt Award for painting at UNSW Stephanie has been a finalist in many prize exhibitions including: the Archibald Prize, the Wynne Prize, the Sir John Sulman Prize, the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, the Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award and the Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship. In 2018 Stephanie won the Gosford Art Prize, she has also received an Australian Post Graduate Award Scholarship for academic research, as well as a number of other grants and artist residencies.