Hartlepool artist set to appear on Sky Arts programme

Roy Carless will be on Sky Arts’ Landscape Artist of the Year programme later this month.

It will be the second series of the show, which follows on from the success of the channel’s Portrait Artist of the Year.

Both shows have been presented by comedian Frank Skinner and presenter and journalist Joan Bakewell.

The judges are artist Tai Shan Schierenberg and independent curators Kate Bryan and Kathleen Soriano.

Hundreds of entries were sent in for this year’s competition, with judges having the unenviable task of whittling them down to 48 artists who went on to take part in six heats over the summer at three National Trust locations: Scotney Castle in Kent, Wray Castle in Lake Windermere and Stowe in Buckinghamshire.

Roy, 68, who taught art for 39 years at English Martyrs School in Hartlepool, competed at Wray Castle, and said of the day: “I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed it.

“To be honest I was chuffed to bits to get through to the final eight.

“Getting to meet Frank Skinner was great, and some of the other artists who were there are very talented.”

Each heat was also open to a further 50 wildcard artists who were invited to compete for a potential slot in the semi-final.

The series grand finale, when the winning artist will be announced, was filmed at the stunning Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness in Scotland.

This episode is due to be aired on Tuesday, November 29, at 8pm.

The winning artist will receive a £10,000 commission to interpret Petworth House in West Sussex for the National Trust’s national art collection, and £500 to spend on CassArt materials.

Storyvault Films, the production company behind the series, will produce a further programme featuring the development of the final commissioned work and is due to air on Tuesday, December 6.

Episode one of Landscape Artist of the Year is on Sky Arts on Tuesday, October 11, at 8pm.

The episode featuring Roy will be shown the following week.