Wendy Bowman, an 86-year-old farmer from the Upper Hunter and renowned environmentalist, proved the perfect portrait subject for the Murrurundi artist.

Mr Darcy's portrait of Ms Bowman has been awarded the prestigious People's Choice Award for the National Portrait Gallery's Darling Portrait Prize.

"Wendy has spoken to the audience, there is something about her that has touched people," Mr Darcy said.

"She inspired me to do the best I could, and when she's sitting there you want to make it the best painting it can be for that person."

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Mr Darcy said he was shocked when he heard the good news, because of the "mind-blowing" standard of the portraits entered in the national competition.

"I feel so honoured that the public love what I do and are willing to vote for what I do," he said.

Mr Darcy lives in the Upper Hunter town of Murrurundi, and said he feels a certain responsibility to portray local people living in regional communities.

"There are so many interesting people doing amazing things in regional Australia and I feel a real sense of responsibility to capture that," he said.

The painting took about five or six weeks to create.

"I sought out Wendy last year to meet and get to know her, and she astounded me. It was an absolute privilege to hear her life story," Mr Darcy said.

"She's got incredible character."

Ms Bowman was awarded the international Goldman Environmental Prize for her tireless work battling multinational mining companies, and has been an environmental activist for the past four decades.

The National Portrait Gallery in Canberra has reopened to the public after the COVID-19 shutdown, and the exhibition displaying Mr Darcy's portrait has been extended to July 26.

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