Fiona Lowry Wins Archibald 2014 Prize

Sydney-based Fiona Lowry has taken out this year's coveted Archibald prize.

The winning painting, which depicts architect Penelope Seidler in her garden, has reportedly been in the works for six years, when Lowry first spotted her subject.

"I was really struck by her beauty and her presence," Lowry explained. "I asked a friend who she was and I decided then that I wanted to paint her."

Lowry said she chose to paint Seidler in her personal surroundings because she felt it was "important" her subject have history.

"So in this instance we went to Penelope's house, her iconic house in Killara, which she designed with her late husband Harry Seidler in the 1960s," said the artist."It's an incredible space architecturally but it's also a place that's full of their history and memory of their lives.

"We tried a few spots around the house to set the work but we ended up climbing down to the gully at the back of the house where there's a small waterfall and it's an incredible view of the house because it sort of towers over the top of you.

"There was a moment when Penelope glanced back at the house and reflected that she hadn't been down there for a very long time and it was that moment that I wanted to capture with this work."

Lowry's thoughtful explanation of her subject, coupled with the unique ghostly undertones of the painting ultimately won the Archibald judges over.

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