Instead he was telling those gathered about the 44,000 bricks it had taken to build his dream home in the New South Wales Southern Highlands.

``I had a dream that I would build a home on the land that we had chosen specially in the Southern Highlands and I became the owner-builder with a lot of help from friends,'' he said. ``I designed it into the landscape to complement it and make the best of the landscape rather than dominate it.''

Mr Mulvaney planned his conversation with a difference as the first in the new series designed to entice more people to enjoy the reopened Royal Park site as part of his director responsibilities.

``I'm very happy to be part of an impressive group of directors over 120 years who have led public talks in this building so I felt that I should lead by example,'' he said.

Mr Mulvaney said that the conversations to be followed by a gallery guide talk would take place at the Royal Park site once a month. ``We wanted to provide something new to give the opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at the art scene in the region,'' he said.

Museum visual arts and design manager Glenda King said the As I See It and Conversations about Art series was a celebration of the talents of people who lived in the community.

``It will focus on their ability to achieve their vision in whatever creative field they work,'' she said.

The next in the series will be on Thursday, April 19, with the museum's Dr Moira Simpson talking about bark paintings from Arnhem Land.