Landscape Artist of The Year

I think I’m not alone when I say that 2020 wasn’t the best of years!

Back in March 2020, the UK had gone into its first national lock-down and I found myself at home with my partner Jason having taken custody of my studio and 3 children to home school.

Now don’t get me wrong I love the little blighters but I’m no teacher and I have zero intention of becoming one. Nonetheless here we were Jason, working harder than I’d ever seen him do so from my artist studio, myself homeschooling, and endlessly cooking and cleaning and washing blooming clothes!

I’d long forgotten about the application I made to Landscape artist of the year. Roll forward a few months and I hadn’t made any meaningful art let alone really been into my studio. A few block prints whilst I was teaching the children how to linocut and some sketches was pretty much all I’d managed.

I figured that for now I was needed more as a mother and supplier of food (I actually love cooking and baking so this wasn’t a massive issue).

Anyone that knows me well knows that I often (all the time) don’t know where my phone is, or my iPad. There is also that time that I had misplaced my apple watch for several months, the boys found it in a chicken dust bath… it still worked so I didn’t see what the problem was. When the lovely Glen called me, I was kneading bread, covered in flour, answered the call with my apple watch, couldn’t find my phone, and then promptly hung up on him by mistake!

After some hunting about I found the blooming phone and called him back… and I did do some happy jumping and screeching and giggling quite loudly (sorry Glen) because I was delighted to find out that I was selected to take part as an artist in Landscape Artist of The Year.

We had a long telephone call whilst Glen explained the in and outs and legalities and checks that need to be done before they could confirm my place. Set up a long call and swapped details for various forms and checks to be set up with.

IT WAS JUST WHAT I NEEDED

I blooming love being an artist… most of the time but I’m also realistic and honest about what it’s like and sometimes it can feel like being lost. There’s a lot of rejection in the art world, something that I hadn’t been used to. Up until Landscape selecting me, I had a fair few rejections from open calls, galleries, and competitions. For balance and in the vein of transparency I have also had a solo exhibition and a fair few commissions as well as a gallery taking me on. I’ve found the art world takes a while to warm up and figure out (still working on that).

Jason and I discovered the wonderful world of Artist of the Year in 2017. Upon discovery, we practically binged watched all the series of both portrait and landscape. We absolutely love the programmes, the judges and the presenters. Back in 2017 I never imagined that I’d be part of it in any way, so to find out I was going to be made me very very happy.

I’ll be posting up a blog each week in the run up to the episode I’m featured in on the 17th Feb 8pm on Sky Arts