That’s understandable as most don’t have a lot of time for sittings and public faces have such a high recognition factor that adds an extra degree of difficulty to capturing them on canvas.

But the artist, who has maintained a studio in the old general store in Stuart Town since 1981, said it was also a feeling that you need to know someone really well to be able to portray them.

So, she decided on a self-portrait.

And Ms Winch was duly rewarded last week when she was named one of 34 finalists for the prestigious art award.

Her work Facing the Canvas features not just her own likeness, but the tools of her trade, the brushes, paints and even a coffee cup, to show the complete artist.

“I look younger in the portrait than I am, but I feel young,” she said.

“I’m not generally a portrait painter.

“I paint people, figures and faces a lot, but from my imagination.”

“I may do a few more portraits, I tend not to paint celebrities.”

Celebrities feature prominently in the finalists list every year and this is no exception with Peter Smeeth’s portrait of TV personality Lisa Wilkinson winning the Packing Room Prize last week.

Comedian, actor and artist Anh Do is on the list again while several works feature some well-known Australians.

Ms Winch will find out on Friday whether she has won, but is pleased that after winning many other major art prizes, has finally cracked it among the Archibald elite and is being displayed.

“It’s happening already,” she said.

“I’m just thankful to be hung.”

Ms Winch said Stuart Town was an important part of her life.

“Stuart Town is my second home.

“I spend more time in Sydney of course than I do in Stuart Town.

“We bought the old general store in Stuart Town, and the house attached, in 1981.”

She has exhibited at the Orange Regional Gallery and has at least one work in the gallery’s collection.

Being a finalist means her work will form part of the Archibald’s travelling exhibition however it won’t be coming to the Central West.

The nearest venue is Goulburn art gallery next year – or you could venture to the Art Gallery of NSW now, where the work is already hanging.