Monaro-based artist, Lucy Culliton, has been awarded the Sulman Prize for the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project under the Archibald Prize exhibition.

Ms Culliton has entered the award previously, being a seven time finalist, before taking out the prize this year.

In an artist statement, Ms Culliton described the painting as: ‘This is Toolah. She is one of seven greyhounds (nine dogs in total, all rescued) who live with me at Bibbenluke in the Snowy Monaro region. This chair is Toolah’s favourite spot to sleep while I paint in the studio. I love how she camouflages herself into the upholstery of the chair. At the time, I was painting large Monaro grass paintings in a matching palette, so I had to include one.’

Ms Culliton said she is very pleased to win the Sulman Prize.

Painting in her private Bibbenluke studio, Ms Culliton, said she ‘couldn’t be happier’ to have won.

“Toolah is one of seven greyhounds I have, there are two other breeds as well, a staffy and a sheep dog, so nine dogs all together,” Ms Culliton said.

“Toolah is the prettiest, and is a beautiful brindle colour.

“She always sits on the chair while I paint, and for ages I thought ‘I have to paint that’, and finally I did, and I put one of my landscape paintings from Yambullah behind the chair with the dog and it just made for a better painting.

“It includes all my stuff, a little bit of home, one of my family members and a landscape painting from the local area.”

The judge, Sydney artist, Del Kathryn Barton, who chose the artwork from 26 finalists, described “Toolah artist model”, as offering a ‘tender moment of gorgeousness’ and a ‘painting by a consistently exceptional artist’.

“You never know with judges, as judging is such a personal thing. I am just the lucky one who was chosen,” Ms Culliton said.

“Winning the prize means as a professional artist I have a lot of exposure which in these times couldn’t be better. I hope this increases peoples’ interest in buying my work and this will keep me painting.

“Prize money of $40,000 came with the prize - as a professional artist it is perceived as income, so I pay tax on that - but I’ve already spent a chunk of it on a truckload of hay.”

As a rule, Ms Culliton doesn’t enter her art for prizes, but makes an exception for the Sulman Prize, which comes under the Archibald umbrella - Australia’s favourite portraiture art award.

“I hate competition, but prizes especially the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, are the biggest exposure a living artist can achieve, so I try most years to enter,” she said.

“I did win the Shirley Hannan Portrait Prize a couple of years ago at the SECCA gallery in Bega, and that was a fantastic local event which I entered to support it.”

At an artist’s chat at Bombala cafe Kitchen Eighty Ate recently, Ms Culliton spoke to a few budding young local artists and interested locals.

“We had a good chat and catch up with those who attended, and I was able to give some helpful advice to some of these budding artists,” Ms Culliton said.

Her current focus is local landscape painting, particularly regenerative agriculture, and she has visited Severn Park, Charley Massy’s property.

“As a vegan, I am really interested in positive subjects, and regenerative farming,” she said.

“I have also done many paintings at Charlie Maslin’s property at ‘Gunningrah’ and made paintings at Jim Osborne’s 1500-hectare Yambulla property, which is being re-wilded.

“People who are making good moves on the land, is what I am painting at the moment.”

Ms Culliton’s work can be viewed at her two galleries in Sydney and Brisbane and online.

She has a show coming up at the Kings Street gallery in Sydney which opens on 13 June.

The Sulman Prize winning “Toolah artist model” will be on exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW until 16 August.