Landscape Artist of The Year 2022
'It's an excellent way to network, push your creative abilities and achieve your dreams'
Have you ever been inspired by a show or competition and felt determined to participate someday? For me, that inspiration came in the form of Landscape Artist of the Year (LAOTY) and Portrait Artist of the Year (PAOTY) art competition. I vividly remember watching artist Christian Hook win PAOTY in 2014 when I was just seventeen years old and from that moment, I was determined to participate in one of the shows. Fast forward eight years, and that determination paid off.
I was selected as one of fifty wildcard artists to participate in LAOTY 2022 at Eden Project in Cornwall. The day of the competition was a glorious summer day, with an average temperature of 22 degrees. All of the wildcard contestants met at one of the entrances to Eden Project and were briefed on the day's events. We made our way down the paved quarry slopes, carrying bags of art equipment, including awkwardly held easels. Once we arrived at our designated plots, we prepared our spaces.
Presenter Joan Bakewell kicked off the competition, announcing that we had only four hours to complete our outcome to the landscape, a calm and contemporary site with the biomes dominating the landscape. Camera crew and production members floated around all day, taking camera shots and interviewing us. It was hard not to feel like a movie star. Even presenter Stephen Mangan conducted a humorous on-camera interview with me, though unfortunately, it didn't make the final cut.
One of the most exciting aspects of the day was the opportunity to speak with the judges: Kate Bryan, Kathleen Soriano, and Tai-Shan Schierenberg. I had idealised them since watching them judge in LAOTY and PAOTY, so it was an honor to meet them. I also met a group of wonderful and supportive creative people on the day, including Veronica Mclain de Vera, a talented creator and traveler who became a close friend.
The day concluded with a huge grin on my face and a massive sense of achievement, which I still reflect on in my art practice today. The experience was an enormous confidence boost, which encouraged me to exhibit all of my Cornish paintings at Inspire Markers in Falmouth, Cornwall, before relocating to Taunton to teach Art & Photography at King's College.
The episode of LAOTY featuring Eden Project and my appearance opened the show's seventh season, which aired on January 12, 2022, on Sky Arts at 8 pm. This was just a few days before my twenty-fifth birthday, which made it an especially happy and memorable time for me.
Since then, I have continued to push myself in my artwork, creating landscapes inspired by my new surroundings in Somerset, as well as human and animal portraiture. I am always on the lookout for new opportunities, and I encourage all creatives to apply to LAOTY and/or PAOTY. It's an excellent way to network, push your creative abilities, and maybe even achieve a dream you've had since you were seventeen, like I did.