Painting Under Pressure: My Day on Landscape Artist of the Year

Backstory: The Phone Call I Almost Ignored

Back in May 2024, whilst I was travelling in Spain, I kept receiving phone calls from a number I didn’t recognise. I thought it was spam, so I ignored them.

However, right at the final deadline, they got through to me. I found out that I had been selected out of a huge number of candidates to appear as a pod artist on Landscape Artist of the Year.

At that point, I didn’t know what a big deal it was being on the show. I hadn’t even watched any of the programme yet! From being told I was selected to the filming day, I had about five weeks to prepare.

I was in the middle of one holiday after another; I was in Spain, and then I had flights booked to Budapest just three weeks before the filming day. I tried not to think about the competition too much, and focus on having a good holiday before it all…

(You can read about my Budapest sketches here).

Preparation: Practising Plein-Air

June in 2025 was a very hot month in the UK. When I wasn’t working my day job, I took my outdoor sketching gear to a nearby park to practice painting trees and greenery.

I don't usually do much plein-air painting. I'm much more used to my studio, so I spent about 10–15 hours per week practising outdoors until the filming date, trying to get used to the changing light and the pressure of a ticking clock.

Filming Day at St James’s Park

The schedule for the day started at 6:45 am at St James’s Park. I live in Oxford, so I stayed at a friend’s house in London and took the earliest Underground of my life to Green Park, carrying my carefully curated backpack for the contest.

I didn’t feel "special" until I saw the pod ——— The famous pod that people who know the show always mentioned to me.
I hadn’t realised there would be so many wildcard artists, and I felt so lucky to be selected straight into a pod for my first time.

Meeting the other pod artists was a highlight. We were all in the same boat, and we had a great time sharing that incredible experience together.

We all felt a bit awkward being filmed and interviewed, not quite knowing what to do next, but I believe we all did an amazing job getting a painting done during such a stressful time!

The Competition: View of Buckingham Palace

We were given four hours to complete a painting of the View of Buckingham Palace. I thought it would not be too hard, as I usually finish an architectural painting in one to four hours. Perhaps that was a bit cocky of me...

The judges and filming team came in and out constantly while I was painting. The conversations with the judges affected my choices a lot at the beginning, but nothing was as challenging as the weather. It was a "blizzard" of conditions, from toasty sun to sudden showers and clouds. It was not easy to decide on what tones suited the day best.

I panicked and changed the colours a lot. Being interviewed while painting also made me so nervous.

My usual loose, expressive painting style became more detailed and realistic, minute by minute, as the competition went on.

I also felt more self-conscious than ever. Not being a native speaker, I already felt a bit bad about my accent, but when the mic was on me, my English level felt like it dropped to zero! It was embarrassing at the time, and I truly hoped no one noticed. But I told myself: what’s done is done. Having this experience in a country that isn't my home country is truly something I should be proud of.

"Time Up!"

Honestly, I don’t think I performed my absolute best. During the last two hours, I was very frustrated with myself, but I told myself that whatever happens, I need to finish this painting as a memory of the day. My mind wasn't in its usual "flow" state; I felt distracted and pressured, which is why the finished painting looks tight and lacks my usual loose markings.

When Stephen Mangan finally said "Time’s up," there was a moment of silence from the crowd, and then the crew directed us to leave the pods one by one. It was unbelievable, the audience clapped so loudly and cheered for us all.

Reflections

This was an incredible experience and an amazing opportunity to meet so many great people. I’m proud to say all the pod artists still chat in our WhatsApp group, we even joke about visiting each other’s big shows one day!

The lessons I learned will definitely help me grow as an artist. A special thanks to the production team for looking after me, and an extra special thanks to my supportive loved ones who stood by my pod from start to finish.

Want to see what’s next on my easel?

This experience has sparked so many new ideas for my work back home in Oxford. If you’d like to see my latest sketches, hear about upcoming exhibitions, or get a first look at new original pieces, join my studio newsletter. I only send updates seasonally.