But there are still a couple more elements to fall into place, like finding a way to ensure his portrait makes it across the New South Wales-Victoria border in time for judging early next month.

Preston had always wanted to enter the Archibald Prize - it was a bucket list kinda thing.

The Diggers Rest-based artist's trade was in hand-drawn portraits, including animals like Australian champion thoroughbred Winx. Only, Preston did not known any prominent enough human Australians to sit a portrait for her.

Preston did not know much about Paddy Payne or his family's horse racing legacy. Spending time in Payne's Ballarat stables she learned how, at the core of all he did, family was everything to Payne.

Family was how ultimately Preston came to painting Payne in the first place - a genuinely reserved man, known for his dry style.

Paddy Payne's daughter Bernadette, an older sister of Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne, first approached Preston.

Bernadette had seen her horse illustrations, mentioned the family was into horses, and after about a year Bernadette asked Preston if she had considered entering the Archibald Prize.

"She spoke to me about her father and how much she admired him. She gave me books about him," Preston said. "In meeting him, I got to learn more about him and his life experience. Paddy's had some real challenges and heartache but great success as well.

"He's a man, no matter how young he seems, who's done it on his own with 10 children and I got to know family is everything to him."

This was before Hollywood movie Ride Like a Girl was released last September, focusing on family dynamics in telling Michelle Payne's journey to becoming the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup.

Payne raised 10 children on his own in Ballarat when his wife Mary died in a car accident in 1986. Their eldest child Brigid died, age 36, from a heart attack following complications in a fall from a horse.

Eight of the 10 Payne siblings became jockeys, with youngest son Stevie becoming a Melbourne Cup-winning strapper, alongside sister Michelle, then earning a starring role in Ride Like A Girl playing himself.

Brigid's son Sam, now aged 27, became the Payne's first grandson to ride him a winner from a Ballarat meet in May.

"You could tell he was proud, but he didn't say too much," Sam told The Courier.

Preston said spending time with Payne on his property was how she got to know him best

Payne's dirty fingernails were the first feature he commented on to Preston in seeing his larger-than-life finished portrait for the first time.

Preston said she wanted to capture his hardworking hands. Just as the blue beanie depicted atop Payne's head was how Preston always found him for sittings.

Payne's hard-working nature on his farm was a feature Preston got to learn first-hand. He took her out to his dairy cows and put her to work a bit. The qualities Preston hoped to capture most were Payne's kindness and humbleness.

"He was happy to show me around and asked me a lot about my life and family too," Preston said.

"He's still passionate about this horses. He liked discussions about climate change, too."

The experience also pushed Preston clear out of her comfort zone.

To enter the Archibalds, the work must be a painting and Preston's body of works was predominantly drawn with a pencil.

"I'm really quite nervous about entering. This is my first oil-painted portrait," Preston said.

"After Bernadette approached me, it pushed me to try oil and I just threw myself into it. I've also found I've been getting a lot more work."

Art Gallery of New South Wales was forced to suspend initial entries for this year's Archibald Prize, due to restrictions with the COVID-19 pandemic. Revised dates mean entries can be for works completed between April 3, 2019 to August 14, 2020.

Preston aims to deliver the portrait in person in the August 10-14 window but courier could also be an option, depending on what state border restrictions might be.

Finalists will be announced in mid-September.

Preston said personally to be short-listed would be incredible but what she truly hoped was for more people to see Payne's portrait to learn a little about the man she found.

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