Review: Episode 1 of Landscape Artist of the Year
The Landscape Artist of the Year competition and television series hosted by Sky Arts television kicked off this week in a spectacular setting.
To round off what feels a bit like "Making A Mark does Plein Air Week" I've got below:
This is the fourth series of the show, which is produced for Sky Arts by London and Glasgow-based independent production company Storyvault Films. The audience for the programme has grown with every series to date.
You can view Season 4 and the episodes relating to the Heats, Semi-Final and Final each week
These involve eight artists - a mix of professional and amateur - and some 50 wildcard entries painting nearby
This comprises the winners of the Heats
The prize for the winner this year is a prestigious commission from the Imperial War Museum to create an artwork to tie in with the centenary of the 1918 armistice.
Some 1,600 artists entered for the 2018 competition - and they were whittled down to just 48 artists competing across six heats.
Want to compete next year? You might want to follow my reviews where I try to analyse:
I'd STRONGLY RECOMMEND you watch this series first - and read my blog posts!
I covered the judges, presenters and how to watch this programme in Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2018 starts tonight earlier this week - so I'm not going to repeat myself.
Instead we'll get straight into the episode
The location for Episode 1 is Fountains Abbey one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. I well remember being completely overwhelmed by it when I visited it. It's absolutely HUGE and it's surrounded by water and trees and a large expanses of flat ground. Making it an absolute ideal location for a competition like this!
You can read more about what happened in the four hundred years between it being founded and when it was ruined following the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII on Wikipedia
What it must have felt like to the competitors is anybody's guess. It's quite nerve-wracking enough painting live for a television show without also being confronted with such an imposing structure!
The key for me - in the context of a location like this - was about what they chose to do - which demonstrated their talent and provided them with a view which they could also finish in the four hours they have to paint.
In a sense you could tell very early on who might get to the end and win the heat - by how they started. If you don't know who won, just review those early profiles of the artists and see what they tell you about their ability to deliver.
For me, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that judging a competition like this is not unlike interview people for a job - where you can find yourself making early decisions about candidates based on what they wear and how they walk through the door and greet you. Early impressions count for a LOT!
In the listing below:
To round off what feels a bit like "Making A Mark does Plein Air Week" I've got below:
- an overview of how to view the series
- a note of how to enter next year's competition
- a review of Episode 1 - at glorious Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire - including mini profiles of the artists and links to their websites and LOTS of Learning Points!
- plus lots of references to past blog posts and tips about plein air painting at the end!
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| The landscape pods in front of the ruins of Fountains Abbey |
Episodes - Heats, Semi-Final and Final
This is the fourth series of the show, which is produced for Sky Arts by London and Glasgow-based independent production company Storyvault Films. The audience for the programme has grown with every series to date.
You can view Season 4 and the episodes relating to the Heats, Semi-Final and Final each week
- on Tuesday evening at 8pm on Sky Arts
- anytime you like using the NOW TV app to watch on a mobile device (which is what I do - see the post at the end about how to do this)
- PLUS if you get Now TV you can watch ALL the episodes from Seasons 1, 2 and 3!
The Heats
These involve eight artists - a mix of professional and amateur - and some 50 wildcard entries painting nearby
- Tuesday 23rd October - Viking Bay
- Tuesday 30th October - Loch Fyne
- Tuesday 6th November - Studley Royal
- Tuesday 13th November - Broadstairs Beach
- Tuesday 20th November - Inveraray Castle
Semi Final
This comprises the winners of the Heats
- Tuesday 27th November - (Semi Final) - Felixstowe Port
Final
If it sticks to the recipe, this should be the best three from the Semi-Final- Tuesday 4th December Double-bill - (Final) Greenwich Park and The Winner's Film
The prize for the winner this year is a prestigious commission from the Imperial War Museum to create an artwork to tie in with the centenary of the 1918 armistice.
Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2019
Some 1,600 artists entered for the 2018 competition - and they were whittled down to just 48 artists competing across six heats.
Want to compete next year? You might want to follow my reviews where I try to analyse:
- who got selected for the heats and why
- why people win a heat
- what created a barrier to winning a heat
I'd STRONGLY RECOMMEND you watch this series first - and read my blog posts!
Episode 1 - Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2018
I covered the judges, presenters and how to watch this programme in Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2018 starts tonight earlier this week - so I'm not going to repeat myself.
Instead we'll get straight into the episode
The Location
The location for Episode 1 is Fountains Abbey one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. I well remember being completely overwhelmed by it when I visited it. It's absolutely HUGE and it's surrounded by water and trees and a large expanses of flat ground. Making it an absolute ideal location for a competition like this!
 |
| Fountains Abbey |
What it must have felt like to the competitors is anybody's guess. It's quite nerve-wracking enough painting live for a television show without also being confronted with such an imposing structure!
Learning Points
The key for me - in the context of a location like this - was about what they chose to do - which demonstrated their talent and provided them with a view which they could also finish in the four hours they have to paint.
In a sense you could tell very early on who might get to the end and win the heat - by how they started. If you don't know who won, just review those early profiles of the artists and see what they tell you about their ability to deliver.
For me, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that judging a competition like this is not unlike interview people for a job - where you can find yourself making early decisions about candidates based on what they wear and how they walk through the door and greet you. Early impressions count for a LOT!
The Artists
In the listing below:
- a link to the the artist's website is embedded in their name - for those wanting to know the standard of work by artists who get selected
- links to their social media follows - should you wish to follow them
