Jeweller and painter Myra Skipper (1917–1994) is photographed in her studio at Montsalvat, an artist community in Eltham, Melbourne. Behind her, canvases are stacked against the walls, anchoring the portrait in its subjects’ own creative practice. The lingering impression, however, is made by the light that bands across Skipper’s eyes, casting her upwards glance as a moment of dramatic poignancy or even inspiration. This portrait flirts with ideas of transcendence while still capturing a likeness.
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Gift of Mrs Joy Jerrems 1981.
© The Estate of Carol Jerrems