Being a Wild Card on LAOTY........
Last year I took the plunge and applied to take part in Sky Landscape Artist of the Year! My friend Ophelia won the competition last year and she encouraged me to have a go at applying. It was a bit scary but I just thought I didn't have anything to lose and it would be a great experience to take part. I was very chuffed to get into the Wild Card Competition. There are many hundreds of artists that apply and it was great to feel I could be small part of the show. Filming took place last July and it was only on the telly last night, so I have had to keep it a secret for all that time! The session I was at was at Compton Verney and it was the chance to have another visit there and see the beautiful gardens.
You can see me in this little photo walking as part of the wild cards on my telly at home. We all had to walk down a hill so that the filming crew could show us all arriving and setting up. There were some really lovely people there and you could tell we were all a bit nervous, partly chattering and partly silent. Some of the artist taking part were professional, others were amateurs having only taken up painting a couple of years ago. So there was a really big mix of abilities and backgrounds. We all noticed the artists in the pods and knew we would be quite separate to them. That meant there was less pressure on us really! I would have loved the views from the pods as they were facing the beautiful bridge but we were all gathered in an area looking over the lake and another bridge so all was good!
The wild cards walking to their spots to draw.......
My gouache and pencil drawing......
And here is the finished drawing/painting. I think I over worked it a bit in the end but it's the largest piece I have made outside and I feel a real sense of achievement making it. I generally can be a bit tight with my work and this time to draw at the competition and the fact that so much ran in the rain, really did me good to relax and just let it all happen. It totally encapsulates an experience of the day and I will love remembering the day each time I look at it.
All the judges came round and looked at the work as it was being made, and Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan came round too. They really friendly and noticeably generous with their time, talking to pretty much all of the wild cards which was really appreciated. My lovely husband Mark grabbed a photo of Stephen Mangan and me.
After the winner of the wild cards was announced, we all slowly packed up and headed home. It wasn't too far for me - a drive of an hour and a half-ish. Other artists had travelled much further, from Scotland and Ireland. As a wild card there isn't any money paid to take part so the artists that had travelled that far had made such an effort in every way to be present. So when you next watch the show, do look up the winners in the pods, but also think of all the other wild card artists and wish them well too.
