It was time for a tough decision this week when the Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay had to choose his favourite portrait from a selection of works by three of the region’s finest artists for the conclusion of the Painting the Speaker documentary. 

A group of dedicated young filmmakers from the TAFE Armidale Film and Television School (AFTS) were on hand to film the unveiling as the finale of their planned documentary. 
Mr Torbay said he was pleased to be involved in the project and was impressed by the level of professionalism displayed by the TAFE students and their director, teacher Ben Davies. 
“It is a fascinating process and it was a terrific honour to see these artists at work, both the portrait painters and AFTS students,” Mr Torbay said.  “Although, the final unveiling of the three paintings was a nervous few minutes, the quality of the work, not so much the subject, was amazing, I was left speechless. 
“Selecting just one portrait out of the three by artists Jenny Hegarty, Geoff Lonergan and Nerida Boessler was one of the more difficult duties I’ve had to perform – they were all outstanding works. 
“However, I did make a final choice during filming and as
Ben Davies and his team of advanced diploma students are preparing the documentary for a fund-raising screening in the near future, the selection will be revealed then.” 
The idea for the Painting the Speaker exercise came from the Rolf Harris BBC television show Star Portraits where a celebrity sat for three recognised artists, the film crew followed developments in the artists’ studios and the subject finally chose one of the three works at a final unveiling – all on film.
The documentary director and TAFE Armidale Film and Television School teacher, Ben Davies, said the experience provided the students with a unique opportunity. 
“Generally, productions such as Painting the Speaker would have a large budget, big production team and lots of back up,” Mr Davies said.  “While the students working on this project didn’t have access to those things, they have produced something pretty special. 
“The artists and Richard have been tremendously generous to the Film and Television School with their time and access. We thank them and hope it was as positive an experience for them as it has been for the school.”
The documentary will now be edited and Painting the Speaker will be screened in Armidale later this year as a fundraising event and Mr Torbay will arrange for the three portraits to be displayed in Parliament House to promote the region’s artists.