NZ painter popular winner in Aussie portrait contest

SYDNEY - New Zealander Paul Jackson has won the Archibald Prize people's choice award for his painting of actor Gary McDonald.

The Archibald Prize is Australia's best known award for portrait painting.

Jackson, born in Auckland in 1950, shifted to Australia in 1976 and is based in Sydney.

He has been exhibiting regularly since 1969 in New Zealand and Australia in both solo and group exhibitions.

It was his fifth time as an Archibald finalist.

He portrayed McDonald, best known for his roles as Mother and Son's Arthur Beare, as an actor in full flight, but also conveying his battle with depression.

McDonald told the ABC the likeness of the painting was unsettling.

"It's a bit too good for my liking, a bit too realistic.

"As soon as I looked at it I went, 'Ah God, he's got that wonky eye, he's got all those creases, everything',".

More than 38,000 people voted in the people's choice.

Jackson receives $A2500 ($3083) as his prize.

The Archibald Prize was awarded in March to Marcus Wills' work, The Paul Juraszek Monolith.

- NZPA