Step inside the studio of award-winning portrait artist Stephanie Galloway Brown during the Pittwater Artists Trail on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. In this first part of my trail adventure, I visited Stephanie’s North Narrabeen studio—where her deeply expressive paintings, including the Black Cockatoo in Wattle and her Archibald-finalist portrait of Kathrin Longhurst, reveal emotion, story, and soul.
This intimate visit captures the beauty of her work, a quiet conversation about her favourite piece, and the joy of connecting directly with the artist behind the canvas. Stay tuned for Part 2, where I’ll share visits to more inspiring studios & galleries along the trail!
🎥 Featuring:
Face of Extraordinary: Volunteers
Pittwater Artists Trail 2025
Behind-the-scenes studio moments
Interview clip with Stephanie
👉 For more about the trail: pittwaterartiststrail.com 🔔 Follow me for Part 2 and beyond!
This past Saturday, the 27th of July, I spent the day exploring the Pittwater Artists' Trail,
a hidden gem on Sydney's northern beaches where local artists open their studios to the public.
It's a rare chance to step into their creative spaces, see where the magic happens,
and even chat directly with the artists themselves.
Each stop on the trail felt like walking into a living gallery, from fine art painters and ceramics,
to sculptures and printmakers. Every studio has a unique story. It wasn't just about the art,
it was about the connection. The weather is getting warmer. The gentle winter sun,
the coastal breeze and the peaceful bush setting make the whole experience feel like a retreat
for the soul. One of the absolute highlights of the day was visiting Stephanie Galloway Brown
at her North Narrombin studio.
Stephanie is a New Zealand-born artist based here on Sydney's northern beaches.
With over 20 years of experience, she's known for her emotionally rich multi-layer portraits
often created with oil and beeswax for added depth and texture.
Her award-winning book, Face of Extraordinary Volunteers,
shines a light on unsung heroes through heartfelt portraits.
Her subjects, whether people, black cockatoos or dreamlike interiors,
are brought to life with a quiet intensity that stays with you.
One of my favourite pieces was her black cockatoo in Wattle, vibrant, alive and stunning in person.
My friend fell in love with one of Stephanie's works and bought it right then and there.
She told me, this is my investment.
Stephanie's work is going to be treasured. I'll pass it on to my children someday.
When I asked Stephanie which piece was her favourite,
she pointed to a bold portrait on the back wall, her award-winning prize.
This portrait earned her a place as a finalist in the 2024 Archibald Prize and it's also received
the People's Choice Award in the Porsche Gage Memorial Prize that same year.
It's my favourite because it was a little bit challenging with the background breakdown
and getting that to work with the portrait and wanting to put elements of graphics in it,
street signs, elements of urban life.
Near Sally's studio, so it's kind of pulling the two elements together and trying to make them work
and the colour, the bold bright colours and the textures. Yeah, it was just a fun one to work on.
How long did it take for you to paint that one?
Probably maybe four weeks all up, off and on.
But there's a lot of waiting for paint to dry because of the oil content.
But it probably would have been quicker if I was doing it all on one go.
But yeah, fairly straightforward.
That moment captures so much of what makes her work special.
The emotion, the layered storytelling, the humanity in every stroke, the vibrant colour.
We also love her serene bedroom painting.
It's beautiful, colourful, blends of feelings of being both indoors and outdoors.
We asked if the place was imagined but Stephanie smiled and said it's real, it's in Port Douglas.
We had such a wonderful time visiting her.
Thank you, Steph.
We look forward to visiting again.
