Bud the ultimate prize

By Melissa Grant
TELEVISION and film star Bud Tingwell was difficult to portray for artist Peter Biram.
The Gembrook resident says the Australian actor, whom he is painting for the upcoming Archibald Prize, proved to be his most challenging subject to date.
“It was the most difficult portrait I’ve done,” Biram said.
“I respect him so much as an individual – I wanted to do him justice, I just wanted the portrait to be right.”
Tingwell is the fifth subject Biram has painted for the prestigious Archibald Prize. His previous entries were walker Nathan Deakes, mathematician Robyn Arianrhod, newsreader Mal Walden and showbiz/AFL identity Roland Rocchiccioli.
Biram said it usually took him about a week or two to complete a portrait, but it was six months until Tingwell’s was done.
“I got to the point where I said this is ridiculous, it’s never going to be perfect,” he said.
The former Channel 10 cameraman knew very little about Tingwell before he put paintbrush to canvas.
“Sometimes on-air personalities don’t match with the real-life person,” he said. “You can pick-up cues from one’s personality on the big screen.
“I suppose he seemed to be a nice person but you can never really tell.”
And it was lucky that Tingwell turned out to be as nice as he appeared to be on television.
“If I don’t like people I can’t paint them,” Biram said bluntly.
“Painting is a very private process; you get up close and personal.”
He describes his portrait of Tingwell as “honest”.
“He said, ‘I want to be a slob’,” Biram said. “I think what he meant was he was sick of being portrayed as a sophisticated gent.
“He wanted the portrait to say something different; he wanted it to have substance.”
Biram said he was nervous about showing Tingwell the final product.
“Nine times out of 10, if it (portrait) is done honestly you would find it confronting,” he said.
“I think I got a likeness, but I think first and foremost it must be a good painting and he really loved it as a painting – that was worth a million bucks,” he said.
Biram said others’ feedback about the painting had also been good, with most people describing it as sombre.
“There is a degree of sadness and also a degree of happiness (in the painting),” he said.
Biram is yet to have a painting selected as a finalist for the Archibald Prize but is hopeful his portrait of Tingwell will make the cut.
“People say it’s probably the best portrait I’ve done,” he said. “I’m too close to it – I can’t make an objective opinion.”
Biram will paint Neighbours actor Alan Fletcher, who plays Doctor Karl Kennedy, for next year’s Archibald prize.