A MEMORABLE PORTRAIT SITTING WITH DR RISHELLE HUME AM
When I started the process of finding a sitter for a competition for the National Portrait Gallery, I had a vision to find someone who had a big impact on the lives of the people of Australia. Then through a friend, the Mayor of Wanneroo in Western Australia, Tracey Roberts, was the one who led me to Dr Rishelle Hume AM. The more I learnt about her, the more certain I was that she was the perfect muse for this occasion.
I had looked forward to our session with much anticipation, and the day of our meeting finally arrived. The sun was shining bright, the sky a warm shade of blue that made my fingers yearn for the touch of a canvas. Kings Park was as spectacular as ever, a fitting background for any creative stimulus. Doing portraits is always a spiritual experience, one that makes me learn more about the world and myself. As Oscar Wilde said, “Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion.” My encounter with Dr Rishelle Hume AM was an eye-opening occasion.
On meeting her, within minutes of our conversation, I knew that I had found someone who inspired me and I wanted everyone to know about her.
She is a proud Noongar Woman with traditional ties to the Whadjuk, Ballardong and Gnaala Karla Boodja peoples. She is the granddaughter of Patrick and Lorna Hume, the Noongar Wadjuk Elders who have tirelessly spent their lives promoting and advancing the Aboriginal Rights with the development and improvement of the Aboriginal people and Noongar culture.
My personal experience of this journey so far has been overwhelmingly exciting. Learning about the history in Western Australia and how Dr Rishelle Hume AM has added value to Aboriginal advancement in WA over the years has been an eye-opener. As a result, I am learning the history that has led her to where she is up to now.
Know more about Dr Rishelle Hume AM here.
There are moments in life that, as they’re happening, make you feel you’ll remember them forever. The hours I spent with Dr Rishelle Hume AM was one such moment. Drawing her portrait in such a beautiful setting and learning about the tumultuous past that is still affecting the present of many around me was an unforgettable experience. Though our surroundings offered a serenity, the way she talked about the struggles of her people and her own battles sparked a fire in me that very few have. I felt honoured to be given the opportunity to know and paint the portrait of a winner like her. As someone who enjoys the unpredictable and tumultuous journey of life, I found a bit of myself reflected in her. A reflection that sets my creativity ablaze.
Keep an eye on this space! It’s going to be a wonderful reveal.
I am in the process of doing her portrait at the moment, trying to get the sense of her achievement into the painting. It is an enormous task and a very challenging thing to do. But we can’t improve unless we constantly challenge ourselves.