Anne Spudvilas Leigh Hobbs

Anne Spudvilas met Leigh Hobbs 18 months ago at a children’s literature seminar where they spent most of the week laughing and became friends.

‘Leigh is a talented painter, cartoonist, children’s book illustrator and writer with a great sense of humour,’ says Spudvilas. ‘After painting various high-profile people to enter in competitions, I felt the need to paint a more personal portrait. Portraying someone you know and like affects the work in a very positive way. I found that as the painting progressed, Leigh became a much stronger figure on the canvas than I had intended and I began to throw out various other ideas I had planned to include in the finished portrait.

‘I became so involved in the act of painting itself that the work became much looser, freer. The colour and texture in the background just happened spontaneously. Leigh’s great – he’s funny, committed and passionate about many things, always busy and crackling with nervous energy. This mixture was a challenge to get onto the canvas but as the work evolved, the necessary elements came together naturally until finally there was just Leigh on a background of vibrant colour.’

Spudvilas was born in Heyfield, Victoria in 1951. She studied painting with Robert Hollingworth at Geelong Fine Art Studio from 1981 to 83, and is an award-winning illustrator of children’s books as well as a professional painter.