Sky Arts Landscape Artists of the Year

On 14 June I took part in the Sky Arts TV Landscape Artist of the Year as a Wildcard in Liverpool, Albert Docks.

I arrived at 7am to check in and have my canvas stamped. There was a buzz of excitement. I struggled to carry everything that I might need, but some people had a huge cart of materials and equipment. After registration the cameras were put in place and we were filmed as we processed to the designated Wild Card area on a cobbled area near a huge anchor. In one direction we faced the Tate Gallery and in the opposite direction we could see layers of buildings, old and new.

We were based at the docks on a very hot day! Painting in the heat was challenging and I was very happy to have a parasol. In retrospect I wish I had used oil paints. I used Open Acrylics which dried more slowly than classic acrylics but oil paint would have given more time to work.

I made a quick start to sketch a possible composition but soon decided that it wasn’t what I wanted and chose to paint the old Great Western railway building with slices of modern architecture behind it. I had just started painting when Tai Shan Schierenberg came round and stood looking at my artwork. Much to my surprise, I froze and couldn’t paint any more until he had moved on. What an opportunity missed! I would have loved to have spoken to him.

I did managed a conversation with Stephen Mangan, the presenter of the programme. He was very charming and humorous and I felt quite relaxed.

As the morning progressed, so did the heat - it was about 30C. I was very lucky that my husband was there bringing me cold drinks and minding my things while I went into the Museum of Liverpool briefly. I am usually quite a slow painter compared to other plein air painting friends but on this occasion I finished in three hours, quicker than the allotted 4. I am used to working outdoors and the public and cameras milling about didn’t upset my concentration unduly. It was fascinating to see how others tackled the view, the heat and the changing light. If you work outdoors regularly then the weather and the variations in light are not a surprise - you just have to make a decision as to what moment and atmosphere you are capturing and stick to it. I am more used to colder and wetter weather when painting outdoors in the UK but it’s good to be prepared for anything. I don’t think I could have lasted 3 hours without a parasol.

It was interesting to listen to the judges discussing the work of the artists in the pod. Of course they say a great deal more than you see on TV as it is edited. The pod artists had a very difficult view, I think . They were looking through a gap between modern buildings towards more distant Victorian architecture and it was interesting to see how they tackled it.

When I emerged from under my parasol Kathleen Soriano came by and made positive comments about my artwork which was sitting proudly on my easel. My husband brought me a celebratory ice cream.

The programme was broadcast on Sky Arts on 17 January and I appear briefly in a few shots.