Nicholas Harding in his Camperdown studio in 2010. ‘From the start, his work was beautiful if rather gloomy.’ Photograph: Marco Del Grande

The talented painter, who passed away last week at age 66, will be missed

The passing of Nicholas Harding.

He was 66 years old when the cancer that they believed they had conquered struck again. We lost a fine guy and a talented, beloved artist.

He may paint a section of bush or an umbrella in the sand to give the impression that you were first seeing them. He performed beauty with the utmost arrogance. A flame tree of his in full bloom is a spectacular sight. Then, though, he painted a section of railroad tracks that is really breathtaking.

Nicholas Harding won the 2005 people’s choice award at the Archibald prize for his portrait of Bob Dickerson. Photograph: The Sydney Morning Herald/Fairfax Media/Getty Images

The top of his Sydney street is where the rails are. The locals do all in their power to keep the tracks, gates, and towering presence of Central station out of sight until an artist makes us see through his eyes and realize how lovely it is.

Back when Harding was learning to paint on his own, this was how he worked. He observed the excursion with the eye of a painter. "I was learning a new language. I was learning about the neighborhood's color. My flag was being planted.

He immigrated to Australia as a young child, settled in Sydney's bushland, dropped out of college, worked briefly in advertising, and then pursued training as an animator. He has references to Footrot Flats and Blinky Bill somewhere in his resume.

A member of the public views an oil on linen painting by Harding titled ‘Margaret Whitlam’. Photograph: Sergio Dionisio/Getty Images

He always had the intention of painting. He started to get modest rewards. He was compensated by a trader to end animation. He also met his unbeatable wife, Lynne Watkins. Sam was their son.

His painting was stunning, albeit rather dark, right away. He acknowledged that he had formerly been scared of color. I worried that too much would make a picture seem like fruit salad. But, he said, the light peaked through. They begin to create their own music.

Nicholas Harding’s portrait of Peter Weiss AO was an Archibald prize finalist. Photograph: Nick Kreisler/AGNSW

He often went back to sketching. He left his mark on the beaches of New South Wales' far north in enormous ink-on-paper works. He mastered the pandanus and discovered inexhaustible grace in those run-down trees. Nicholas Harding became pure in caravan parks.

He constantly praised aesthetics. With Eora, an exquisite four-meter panorama of the bush, he took home this year's Wynne Award from the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Naturally, a portrait by Nicholas Harding was among the works shown in the rooms next door as submissions for the Archibald award.

Nicholas Harding being awarded the $50,000 Wynne prize for the best landscape painting of Australian in May. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Nicholas Harding’s Wynne prize-winning work, Eora. Photograph: AGNSW

Nearly every year, his faces have been shown in the Archibald. He had a keen eye for personality. With an eerie image of actor John Bell, he won in 2001. The beauty and mystique in those faces throughout the years came with a hint of dread, like so much of his art.

His treatment fell short. He put up a brave fight. His creations live on. As does his perspective on his nation, which is sometimes askance but always full of color and beauty.

Thanks to David Marr at The Guardian whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.