![Former St Hilda's Collegiate student, Imogen Corbett, in front of her portrait of Natalia Hughes...](https://www.odt.co.nz/sites/default/files/styles/odt_landscape_extra_large_4_3/public/story/2024/08/untitled-1_3.jpg?itok=mm0t9MQL)
The former St Hilda’s Collegiate student said "it was a bit nuts" finding out she had won the Lord Mayor’s Prize at the Brisbane Portrait Prize this month.
She had to paint someone who had a connection to Brisbane and wanted to paint a person who was a role model for her creative field.
Brisbane artist Natalia Hughes, whose focus was in "feminine art", was the perfect choice.
Miss Corbett met Ms Hughes through the Queensland College of Art Honours programme.
"She’s a very approachable artist and that's why I thought she would be the perfect subject."
She said Ms Hughes ticked all her boxes.
She was down to earth and generous with her time to other creatives, but also competent, established and deserving of a portrait.
After growing up drawing all the time, Miss Corbett started painting when she was at high school.
She said she had a lot of encouragement early on. .
"I was quite lucky I had a lot of support which isn’t always the case with creatives."
After taking a gap year working in Australia, she had a stint at an international art college in Italy before deciding to settle in Brisbane.
She is now working as an installer at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane.