Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Sketchbook

Sketchbook

c1965
Pencil, ink, crayon, chalk and wash drawings on paper
Purchased January 1979
DGA 62

Thea Proctor continued working up until her death in 1966. Writing to her friend and patron Jim McGregor that same year, she reported, ‘I am still able to do portraits at eighty-six and I am told by people whose opinions I respect that my latest portraits are my best’ [1].

One commission was by Barry Humphries for a portrait of his wife and daughter. Visiting Proctor at her flat in Double Bay in 1966, he recalled: ‘As she greeted us she stroked a large marmalade cat called Calico’ [2]. As evidenced in her sketchbooks, Calico was also one of Proctor’s favourite subjects.

Close friends

Proctor’s sketchbook is displayed next to George Lambert’s. Despite the subject matter being very different, the two artists were close friends. Lambert had studied with Proctor at art school and he became a mentor and great friend. She had modelled for him and Lambert produced several beautiful portraits of her. These are in the Art Gallery of NSW’s collection.’