The icing on the cake of 2023 was the wonderful experience of being a contestant on my favourite TV show, Sky Arts Portrait Artist Of The Year. This is my account of how the whole day went. If you haven’t watched this heat (aired on October 18th 2023), then you may want to NOT scroll down!

For an objective view of the competition, follow the fantastic Making A Mark blog by Katherine Tyrell. Katherine is a veteran reporter of the show (amongst other great artworld content), and applies her artistic eye and statistical head to give very fair reflection and advice.

OK, buckle up, it’s a long one!

We came as a family, Marcus (my husband, on the extreme left of this photo), Izzi (taking the day off A level revision), Leon (studying Media, so in his element with the crew and cameras), and Tom (11, aspiring PAOTY presenter from my process demo video). We stayed up the road having travelled from Bristol the previous day. It’s a really early start, so I left the family asleep and tiptoed out, walking to the Battersea Arts Centre for the 7am call, laden with gear. For a list of my materials, see this blog post. I figured a walk would calm my nerves, which it didn’t, but then I met fellow contestants Maria and Drew at the crossing - what a tonic they are. Little did we know what lay ahead, but I can honestly say meeting the other artists, our subsequent friendships and mutual encouragement, were a huge unanticipated benefit of the show. Click on the images below for links to our instagram profiles:

Also in the audience were my dear friends Jon and Debbie (who’d egged me on to apply). And to my happy surprise, beaming in the audience, the wonderful abstract artist and my insta-friend Paula Kemp (who’d clearly got the ‘green dress’ email that Joan and Kate got!).

Contestants gathered in the [white] Green Room, and were welcomed by the very friendly Storyvault crew, who were all smart, vibrant, positive superstars throughout the day. We were fed (the breakfast we’d pre-ordered), mic’d up and briefed. The atmosphere amongst the contestants was wonderful all the way through: a few nerves, but all really happy to meet each other, and jump into the experience together.

Chairman Stuart Prebble and director David Buckley both said hello - I think it was David who gave us a really valuable gentle reminder that at the end of the day we were all part of a TV program, so to be prepared for interruptions, repetitions, and everything else… those words came back to me several times later!

So before long we were walking onto set, which involved lining up in THAT CORRIDOR, gently encouraged to be expressive in our awe and excitement as we walked in! This we dutifully did, twice (as per most things, including when I rotated my canvas in the painting process, multiple takes were required). Looking at our “cheese” (as they call the triangular sets), before our sitter came on, there was a cerise pink table (which filled me with dread about what their chosen object might be) and an uninspiring looking chair. Then mercifully, shortly before we started, the crew removed the table, and swapped the chair for something with far more character. Phew!

This was our first encounter with the production lynchpin, Linda <I think that is her name, please advise if you know so I can update this>. While we ‘dipped in’ to do a bit of painting, Linda made sure all the necessary footage was taken of us, the judges, presenters, celebrities, and audience. She was all over everything all day. An incredibly focussed, meticulous, calm, inspiring person. For example, you know how at various times the camera pans to a contestant looking pleasantly attentive, as they wait for results/listen to judges? Linda organised a two minute video shot, where we all stood in front of the wall (of our portraits), and simply looked towards her. With humour and authority, she commanded and held our attention to get the footage they needed. Having done quite a bit of video editing, I really appreciate the value of such B-roll footage, that can be cut in - it was just a tiny indicator of the incredibly slick machine that is Storyvault Films. Every single staff member was brilliant - an upbeat, cohesive, diverse team. So energetic and emotionally present - you’d never guess that they’d done it all the day before, and would be putting in another 14 hour shift the following day.

So, one of my worries was that I wouldn’t know the celebrity. I have a terrible memory, and hardly watch any TV. But I DO listen to Radio 5, so when Nihal Arthanayake came through the doors, I was relieved to be able to show authentic enthusiastic recognition! He’s my favourite person on the radio, I listen to him on the school run, and love his compassion, sensitivity, sharpness, and voice. To be honest I was a bit gutted he wasn’t on our ‘cheese’, looking mega-dapper in a checked suit. Until, that is, Jay Rayner came out! Even though I’m about the only person (living under a stone with potatoes in my ears) in the land not familiar with his writing and performance, I was absolutely delighted with what he described as ‘a lot of geography’ about his face. Honestly, he is like a mash-up of my teenage crush Gerard Depardieu, my husband (see previous picture), and (as Joan pointed out in my painting) Oscar Wilde. Plus a significant dash of his mum, Claire Rayner OBE, whose column I DID used to love. So that dates me then! Incidentally I think it was Joan who also noted the subtle traces of Claire’s likeness in Caroline de Peyrecave’s portrait of Jay.

And as Tai said, “every painting in art history… he would have been the ideal model for it”!

My mind went completely to mush, I totally forgot to congratulate Tai on his knockout show (that was on at the time of filming), but did at least remember to wish Joan happy birthday - she’d turned 90, four days earlier.

The next surprise was to witness how committed the judges and presenters are. On the show, they are portrayed as casually brilliant, but nothing could have prepared me for the serious professionalism that scaffolds their warmth. I didn’t even hear the judges come in, until I noticed it had gone very quiet, and turned to see them filming the ‘initial impressions’ of our self portraits. In a hushed studio, they paused by each portrait in a meticulously staggered line, angled towards the cameras. Of course, having done 9 previous series, they had it down to a tee, but it was a strangely eerie introduction to the craft of presentation, as they ad libbed (it appeared) a discussion, then stepped in unison from one to the next like Elizabethan dancers. They found really insightful things to say about each portrait, I was particularly touched to hear that Tai could identify with the studio situation I was evoking in my self portrait, and grateful Kathleen spotted the foreground details. I absolutely loved how they worked together as a team to create a good segway comment to lead the narrative into the start of the competition. And somewhere in the middle of everything they found time to make audience members and contestants feel a million dollars:

So, we were off! Jay was absolutely charming, entertaining without being too distracting. He put us all at our ease, and did a very decent job (for a celeb!) of sitting still. The sitters and the artists are interviewed several times during the painting process, which does reduce the 4 hour window, particularly for those who paint primarily from life. I stuck to my plan to wait until the end of the first hour, when Jay had ‘settled’ to take a reference shot - although intending to paint from life, the reference is insurance in case the sitter moves, and helpful to spot howlers/fine tune likeness. I always make sure to put the lens of my phone in the location of my eye as I stand at the painting, so the angle is as close as possible to my painting view.

So I started with a few quick sketches, enough to decide that I was going to go for a landscape format (see my process here).

I love this shot: Caroline nailing Jay’s likeness within seconds, Dale meticulous and focussed, cameraman filming me, my 3 kids comparing notes, with Caroline’s and Maria’s self portraits in the background.

You are allowed to paint through the breaks, which isn’t long once you take out lunch and interview/photography time. But without the sitters there, the general buzz is much diminished. I had a little breakthrough returning to my easel early after lunch when, looking at my reference photo, I spotted a purple hue in Jay’s clothing. My daughter Izzi (a very proficient oil painter) had advised me during preparation to look for ‘pops’ of colour, and I think that really helped the painting. In the final break we were given a delicious slice of cake, beautifully decorated with flowers, which I recognised from instagram was actually a slice of Joan’s birthday cake!

I was delighted that the ‘special object’ Jay had brought were his keyboard cufflinks, which gave me a perfect opportunity to use my dart to scratch into a dark background at the end.

It really helps to ask a sitter to choose something to look at (Jay chose a door?!). Towards the end, after putting in nearly four good hours of sitting, I had to get as firm as I dared, asking him to turn his attention back to the door… which he very obligingly did. So, here are a few shots of the stages:

So I don’t really remember what any of the judges said, only that Tai joked he didn’t want me to get too close to him, brandishing my handful of dirty brushes!

Having now watched the broadcast, I love Tai’s comment during progress: “I can feel Jay’s weight, and the size of his hands”.

Joan was lovely asking about my mirror, and commenting that she could see Oscar Wilde in the painting (which I tried to say I could also see in Jay, but as my mind was utter mush I couldn’t string a sentence together, so they’ll probably cut that out!). Kate was radiant as ever, but spent more time with other contestants (easy to forget they are a finite resource, those judges!). Here is a video to treasure…

A word about the interruptions. I thought the crew were amazing. They gave us a ‘main’ interview outside during breaks, but also had to stop us during the painting process, to interview us and to get footage of progress. We were also talked to by the judges and presenters. So as predicted it was very stop-start, and Jay too was entrancing with his chat, driven by an engaging, lively mind that was clearly not wired for rest! It is hustle and bustle from start to finish, and the crew remained smiley, helpful, professional, and positive throughout.

“Artists, you have one minute to go!”

“Artists, your time is up, please put down your equipment and step away from your artwork!”

So only then did I dare to go and have a look at what everyone else had done. What an incredible variety, and fantastic quality across the board. I think we all knew we could all do better with more time and/or less pressure. Looking in every series at the portraits the finalists do in their own time, it’s clear that the competition format often isn’t representative. I urge you to check out all contestants’ social media, using the links on their photos above. It is only by doing this that I realised the depth of the field. It takes a certain generosity of spirit to be prepared to put pride aside, and have a bash, and therein lay our solidarity. When I looked round I assumed the game was up… so much talent and variety, which is why I love watching this show. But as we all know those Judgementals are a law unto themselves.

Anyway, in the face of a very difficult decision, Jay plumped for mine, saying “That’s gorgeous, I love the use of colour, it’s really striking”.

I’d practiced so much (see my practice runs here), and was happy to have been very lucky with my sitter, and to have stayed on track throughout. My process is always fraught with risk (or, to quote Tai again, “chaos”!), but some paintings just go smoothly. When they don’t, I take comfort from knowing that even Sargent allegedly had to restart occasionally.

One of our last directions was that if our name was announced (because the sitter chose our painting/we were shortlisted/won), we were to be really visually enthusiastic. I was determined to play my part if the event arose. To my delight it did, but it’s one of those toe-curling moments to watch back… I worry that I overdid it, looking unseemingly triumphant, in my eagerness to please Linda! Oh well.

Tai’s words afterwards really touched me: “Gail opens up another sort of angle in portraiture. She can conjour up character and personality. That’s where she finds likeness. We’ve never seen that before.”

The winner is ushered away for more interviewing, the rest is a blur. I remember Jay kindly asking if I would sign his portrait, but the crew told me it had to be preserved untouched, ready for the semi final. Hopefully in the future I will get to meet Jay again, to sign and varnish his portrait... I would love to hear his Jazz Band play live too:

I am so grateful that we have a chat group of the heat artists, where we can compare notes, relive moments, and talk about our work and careers. This is one of the lasting unseen benefits of the show, just look at us:

I watched the broadcast with a few family and friends… they have witnessed my artistic journey from the start, purchasing dodgy early work, and recently sitting patiently for some spectacularly poor portraits, oblivious to why the 4 hour limit was so important. It has been SO hard to keep a lid on the experience and the result since April, and a great feeling to finally be able to share it with them.

Back to the drawing board…

It is really situations, rather than specifically people, that fascinate me (see current work). I welcome challenging commissions, and opportunities to exhibit a series along those lines in 2024.

My online shop includes a wide range of affordable art, available to buy direct.

I am honoured to be speaking at TEDx Bristol 2023 on ‘Body image through the eyes of an artist’.

My molluscs will be on show in November at The SWLA annual open exhibition, and my figures at the Body Dysmorphia Disorder Foundation 10th annual conference.

Are you joining the Guinness Book Of World Records attempt featuring Lenny Henry? I’m looking forward to participating in person on 28th October.

You are very welcome to my Open Studio event on November 25th and 26th - join my newsletter below for information.

Last but not least, on a personal note…

My kids have never seen evidence of my career in software development. Honestly, I am so old I started at Cobol, remember the big push for Y2K, and the Object Orientation revolution… if you know you know! We had kids quite late, and I stopped that job then. So I’m glad they get to see some results from my years doing soft toy portraits, market stalls, life drawing, event sketching, and night-classes, squeezed into family life. The same work and passion will be familiar to all the contestants, be they amateur or professional. Heat 2 was my lucky day, but looking round the room, and seeing what (and how) they produced on the day, it could have been any one of us.

I’m going to REALLY enjoy watching the other heats from the comfort of my sofa. If you’re commenting on social media, please remember contestants put a part of themselves into their artwork, and they often read the comments.

Finally, a huge thank you to the audience - it felt like all the artists shared the love from each others’ friends and family, they really were the 12th player. There was a lovely supportive buzz in the room, and encouraging words liberally scattered. The broadcast version we see on the TV is the result of a huge collective creative process. The audience witnessed something that just isn’t evident on screen: a wonderful boisterous journey.

What did you make of it all then? Please let me know in the comments, and enjoy the rest of Series 10!

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