Filming for Sky Arts Landscape Painter of the Year 2016

To be surrounded by such a vast array of painting styles and mediums.

Artists of all ages, locations and backgrounds.

Saying yes to this opportunity and others has been my motto for the past few months. I’ve been willing myself to get out there. To try new things, go down new avenues, experiment into the unknown. This was one of them. I was surprised to get the call from the film production company and sometimes its things like this, out of the blue, that catapults your progression beyond what you could have expected. My learning curve went up by 1000%. I
don’t know if it was the sheer intensity of the experience or the fact that I had to focus incredibly hard just to produce ‘something’.

I was abuzz with excitement on the day along with the other contestants as we were taken to the venue at Wray Castle, a National Trust property, via a lake cruise boat. It was stunning. So early that the mountains were shrouded with fog and the ducks were still resting on the edge of the lakeside, not quite ready for the gentle lapping of waves made by the boat’s journey.

Everything was smooth and all the film crew were very helpful. Most of our painting equipment was taken up the hill for us so at least I wasn’t completely tired by the time we actually arrived at the painting location. It didn’t take long to pick a spot. Nestled with the castle on my right and a glimpse of the lake on my left. Mountains dotted all around me. The other participants similarly chose their favourite spot and before you knew it there were fifty or so painters spread over the rolling gardens.

Even though we were told to have breaks throughout the day, it was hard to do this. So engrossed we were with the task at hand and the excitement of being filmed and interviewed, all whilst manically trying to paint. Some started off fast. Some a little slower (like me).

Towards the end I noticed a lot of artists had finished a lot earlier than the allocated time and I now I know this is because the judges come round continuously throughout the day and have made up their minds well before the end. Next time I’ll know. Poor me still painting right to the very last minute!

There were mixed results with the artists. Some liked what they had done. Others hated it. I was in the middle. Pleased to have finished something okay but annoyed that I did so much detail at the beginning only to panic and rush applying too much paint which lost of lot of my early momentum. As I said… a learning curve 🙂

Keep an eye out for me on tv… I featured briefly in last weeks episode see below!

Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2016
Sky Arts channel

www.skyartsartistoftheyear.tv/landscape

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