David Darcy

David Darcy is a multi-award-winning portrait painter, photographer and author based in Murrurundi, New South Wales.

Born in the Blue Mountains, he spent 15 years as a professional photographer and author of nine bestselling books on dogs before turning to painting around 2016.

What sets him apart is that he’s almost entirely self-taught, learning to paint from YouTube tutorials in just 12 to 18 months after a lifetime behind the camera.

His portraits are drawn from a consistent theme - regional Australians doing remarkable things. "Having subjects that inspire me is incredibly important," he has said, describing his aim to represent regional Australia through the people who define it.

He set up his studio and gallery, Darcy and the Fox, on Mayne Street, and is represented locally by Michael Reid Murrurundi.

He gives back to the region’s next generation too, having visited Scone High School to walk students through his portrait process, telling them that passion, determination and the willingness to take criticism matter more than raw talent.

Darcy is a three-time Archibald Prize finalist: a finalist in 2018 for his portrait of artist Charlotte Drake-Brockman; winner of the 2019 ANZ People’s Choice Award for his portrait of Ngaanyatjarra elder Daisy Tjuparntarri Ward; and a finalist again in 2026 for his portrait of fellow artist Dale Frank.

He was also a finalist in the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award for "Bernie and Billy - Local Heroes," his portrait of BackTrack founder Bernie Shakeshaft, shown at Bega Valley Regional Gallery.

He also won the inaugural Darling Portrait Prize’s People’s Choice award in 2020, for his portrait of Upper Hunter farmer and environmentalist Wendy Bowman, and has previously won the National Photographic Portrait Prize.

His work has also been commissioned by Parliament House for its Historic Memorials Collection.

In 2026 he opened his first solo exhibition, Self Sabotage, at Tamworth Regional Gallery - a striking shift from his photorealistic portraiture toward expressionism.

Follow his work on Instagram, or visit the studio in Murrurundi.