Review: UKCPS Silver Anniversary Annual Open Exhibition 2026

After 25 years, the UKCPS is celebrating its Silver Anniversary with its first exhibition at the Mall Galleries.

It's always been an ambition of the UK Coloured Pencil Society (UKCPS) to hold its Open Annual Exhibition at the Mall Galleries. Making it to its 25th Birthday seemed like an opportune time to spend some money and celebrate in style.

UKCPS Annual Open Exhibition
Part of the Hang in the West Gallery

For those UKCPS people not familiar with me or my blog (although I gathered from the PV on Tuesday night that a lot were), I am 

• a coloured pencil addict and a past signature member of UKCPS. I've written about its exhibitions a lot over the years (see the list of blog posts at the end which also give an insight into artwork in past exhibitions)
• somebody who reviews ALL the national art societies which exhibit at the Mall Galleries - and has done so for nearly 20 years. So I've got a very good basis for saying how this exhibition compares with the norm at the Mall Galleries.

History of the UKCPS Society

The Society was founded in 2001 by Bob Ebdon and Pat Heffer.

The UK Colour Pencil Society (UKCPS) was founded in 2001 by Bob Ebdon, spurred by a letter in A&I magazine from Pat Heffer (who became a founder member, enthusiastic supporter and finally President). A few people sharing their interest of colour pencil art, who had never met except via the Internet, started the Society and it was launched at Patchings Art Centre in Nottinghamshire. The Society has grown over the years: the second issue of the quarterly magazine (September 2001) reported they had just reached the 100 member mark, and now there are just over 750 members.

I was also a coloured pencil fan and found them online a little later and subsequently became a member and exhibited with them between 2007-2010. After that I gradually withdrew as a member from all national art societies I belonged to so as to be able to do better reviews of their exhibitions!

The society is different in some ways from other national art societies.

• anybody can become a member
• recognition of expertise and contribution is made through
• becoming a Signature Member (which I became in 2009 - see my blog post Signature membership)
• progressing to Silver Signature status (pictures accepted into 5 exhibitions within 10 years) and Gold status (pictures accepted into 10 exhibitions within 15 years.)
• it holds three exhibitions each year
• an open exhibition for all artists using coloured pencils - which is competitive
• an online exhibition for all members
• members only exhibition held at the Derwent Pencil Museum, Keswick. (This year it will be 31st August to 30th October 2026)

In June 2018 it was granted charitable status - with an objective of:

• promoting the art of drawing for the public benefit through the use of colour pencils
• holding a public exhibition at least once a year to showcase work and provide tuition
• help educate the public how to use colour pencils

The definition of a coloured pencil for the purposes of the exhibition is 

"wood-cased, wax- or oil-based colour pencil"

i.e. pastel pencils are excluded.

The 25th Annual Exhibition of the UK Coloured Pencil Society

Venue: Mall Galleries - West and North Galleries
Dates: Open from Tuesday 17 March 2026 - Saturday 21 March 2026,
Hours: 10am to 5pm

Workshops: click for more information

How the work was judged

• One member and two independent artists selected the artwork for the open exhibition.
• Another artist judges the selected artwork for awards. This year it was Curtis Holder - a leading exponent of coloured pencil artwork.

You can see all the artwork in the exhibition in two ways:

• In the albums of my pics that I've uploaded to Facebook - just click the link in the listing below. BTW, if I like a work I tend to take a photo of it on its own.
• UKCPS Annual Exhibition 2026 - West Gallery
• UKCPS Annual Exhibition 2026 - North Gallery
• Via the UKCPS website where all images of all the artwork are now uploaded

BEST PICTURE IN SHOW

Where ­Time ­Rests by Pauline Stuart

(which I had spotted as a "go back and look again" pic!)

Review: £10,000 Commission for Landscape Artist of the Year 2025

The Commission Prize comes right after the we find out who won Landscape Artist of the Year for 2026 - see my post Kim Day wins Landscape Artist of Year 2026

This post is about the Commission:

• the brief for the Landscape Artist of the Year commission
• the Commission Programme - what's involved in understanding the brief and the constraints on the artist
• the Commission Painting produced by the winner of Landscape Artist of the Year 2023.

Before the Unveiling of the Commissioned Painting of Croagh Patrick

The Commission

It's probably worth saying that this is not a prize in the sense that a nice tidy sum of £10,000 lands in your bank account. 

First you have to work for it!

What you get in effect as a prize is an opportunity to EARN £10K through creating a painting - which everybody will want to comment on (and have done!)

The Challenge

The Commission is both like and unlike a commission an artist usually receives.

Usually it's only illustrators who get a tight brief and an absolute deadline for delivery - and given her day job is being a scenic artist for film and television Kim will have been very used to working on commission.

However most artists have some flexibility about deadlines (i.e. you say whether to accept it or not and when you can do it / deliver it) and briefs when doing a commission. This one you have

• a very specific subject - it has to be a painting about Croagh Patrick, the holy mountain associated with St Patrick in County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland
• a very specific deadline - for delivery to the National Gallery of Ireland and the filming of the Winner's Commission programme
• considerable latitude as to what you do and how you do it - within the context of media allowed in the competition - and the constraints of being followed around by a film crew the whole time

The winner will receive a taxable fee of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) (“the Winner’s Prize Fee”) for creation, completion, and delivery of an artwork (“the Winner’s Prize Artwork”) of a landscape (“Winner’s Prize Location”) on dates and times and locations to be determined by the Producer at its absolute discretion. Extract from the Series 11 Terms and Conditions

The Brief

The first part of the Commission is a visit to the National Gallery of Ireland to meet Dr Brendan Rooney, Head Curator and Curator of Irish Art to:

• get the brief
• ask questions

Kim Day wins Landscape Artist of Year 2026

This review is about the Final of Series 11 of Landscape Artist of the Year 2026 which was won by Kim Day.

The Pods next to Falkirk Wheel

The Final of Series 11 of Landscape Artist of the Year (2026) was held at The Falkirk Wheel in Scotland last summer - and was broadcast on Sky Arts on Wednesday evening (followed straight afterwards by the programme about the commission for those wondering when that's on. My review of that will follow by Sunday).

Following this review of the Final, there are two more posts to go 

• Review of the Commission 
• Review of the Series as a whole.

About this post

As always the programme about the Final is always something of a bit of an odd show since

• 5 other participants are missing
• there is the need to recap the journey to the Final
• plus a more indepth profile of each artist AND
• the story of the three artists doing a commission between the semi-finals and the Final

Below you can read about

• Artists in the Final
• Venue: Where/when the Final was held plus observations about the subject
• Observations, Themes and Tips
• The Commissions
• The Final Painting
• The Winner

At the end you can find 

• all my reviews of previous programmes in this series at the end of this post. 
• how to read reviews of past series
• Plus how to apply for the NEXT series which will be filmed this summer in six heats in three places around the UK.

But before I begin.....

There's an aspect of this competition which is not explained well in the programme. I'm writing this now because I've noted a LOT of comments complaining about who won on FB.

• A lot of people appear to THINK that the winner is determined by the artwork they paint in the final (i.e. 4 hours). 
• This is not the case. 
• Unfortunately, what really happens seems to be spelt out less clearly than it needs to be given the number of people who think this.

To go back to the beginning, who wins a heat depends on:

• the submission AND
• the heat painting i.e. it is NEVER just about the heat painting.

Who wins the whole series depends on:

• the submission AND
• the heat painting AND
• the semi final painting AND
• the commission AND
• the painting in the Final i.e. it is NEVER just about the 4 hour painting in the Final.

Let me put it another way. WHY would they ask them to paint a commission - of what ever size they like - in however long they want to spend on it (within the time constraint of a week - I think) if it did not matter a LOT?!

Bottom line, the portfolio of paintings build up over the course of the series - from the application to the Final and provide a good insight into who an artist is and what they can do. 

One might characterise the programme as a long-running audition.

Almost without fail, I have observed almost all winners across many series as having a very clear style and proficiency in specific techniques and a range in terms of what they like to paint and how they like to paint - and a very stong portfolio built up over the course of the competition.

It's my strong belief that it is the OVERALL PORTFOLIO - with a particular emphasis on BOTH the commission and the heat painting which tells the Judges who is the best artist for the commission.

It's the most logical and best way to judge the overall competition.

I stand to be corrected, but that will involve the programme makers in providing a very simple and explicit explanation of the process that is used to judge the competition - and restate this in every episode for ALL the viewers as well as the participants.

It's just very sad that this is not communicated and explained simply and clearly to viewers. 

This approach is one of the principle reasons why I bang on and on and on about the importance of the submission.

Ditto same applies to the commission for the Final.  An outstanding commission will tip the balance and win the Final. I've seen it happen across both PAOTY and LAOTY a few times.

NOTE: My personal preference would be to skip the final painting of "something" which they all do together and make it a programme about three different commissions of a significant landscape similar to the commission - with no pod - as an audition. That way you can also keep the winner secret!

So - now we've got that straight - on with my review of THE FINAL AUDITION FOR THE COMMISSION and TWO ARTWORKS!

Artists in the Final

As if you need reminding, however this is relevant to all those think they know better than these artists

Review: Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition 2026

Last year I was rather tough on the Annual Exhibition 2026 of the Royal Society of British Artists. Principally because I thought they had hung far too many artworks and consequently it was difficult to "see" the art.

As a result I sent a four page critique of the exhibition to the President highlighting various aspects of the exhibition I thought needed addressing and suggestions as to how. I gathered from last week that he had used it as a checklist to review all the aspects I suggested could do with attention.

This year I'm very pleased to say that this year we have a much improved exhibition to view with fewer artworks hung. Plus a much nicer experience at the TWO PVs. The "payoff" seems to be that more artwork is selling.

The West Gallery on Monday

I've now visited it three times:

• at the NEW Private View for Art Collectors - which was very pleasant. We could all see the art properly and the red spots started appearing!
• at the Artists' Private View last Thursday evening when I got to meet a brand new first time exhibitor who I first met 11 years ago. She was so very pleased that her abstracted artwork had sold before the exhibition had even opened!
• Monday afternoon when I was able to get round the West Gallery and view all the artwork in more detail. Plus sat and chatted for ages with former President Mick Davies and printmaker Austin Cole about "exhibitions" which was again very enjoyable.

You can visit the exhibition 

• at the Mall Galleries
• until Saturday 7th March (10am to 5pm)

You can view the artworks online - and buy - via the online exhibition 

You can view the e-catalogue online 

BOTH give you an idea about media, size and price of artwork on display

RBA Annual Exhibition 2026 - view in the East Gallery

You can also see artworks hung on the walls in the three galleries in my Facebook Albums (after yesterdays' hiatus!)

• East Gallery
• North Gallery
• West Gallery 

Facts about the Exhibition

Artwork comprises paintings, fine art prints, drawings, sculpture, ceramics and other 3D work in all kinds of media and but mainly (but not exclusively) a figurative / representative style - and you can see them at the Mall Galleries until Saturday 7th March.

The Mall Wall in the East Gallery

There are 438 artworks hung in the show (compared to 554 last year) - which is still more than I would like to see (c.400 is the optimum number for me) split between:

•  244 artworks by members - nearly 60% (compared to 275 in 2025)
•  194 artworks by open entry artists - just over 40% (compared to 279 in 2025)

Consequently 

• a marginal reduction in members' artwork but a major reduction in the number of artworks selected from the open entry.
• Open artists might like to note that they had 2351 open entries so those selected represented about 8% of the open entry.  Hence you need your very best artwork to get selected!

As a result, this year it's an exhibition which is much easier to view. There is more space between artworks which enhances the individual artworks as well as preventing eye fatigue when viewing art - as happened to me last year.

As a result, they are selling more artwork. Just over half way through, they are one short of the sales for the whole exhibition last year. 

Review: Semi Finals of Landscape Artist of the Year Series 11 (2026) - Ouse Valley Viaduct

This is a formal Review of the Semi Finals of Landscape Artist of the Year 2026 (Series 11) which took place and was filmed at the Ouse Valley Viaduct in July 2024.

It starts with a preamble about past semi finals and their locations - and some tips which artists might like to bear in mind if they are participating.

Which artists reached the final of Landscape Artist of the Year 2026?

Location and Weather 

The very weird semi-finals locations to date

I will repeat what I said last year

All that the semi final location choices do is

• (typically) provide big structures - which won't be present in the commission locations
• provoke difficulty
• generate disappointing paintings
• guarantee that a talented artist(s) will mess up - and not make the final

In this instance, it also bears no relation whatsoever to the Commission and likely locations that the winning artist will visit

If you think "this can't be right", you can check it out below.

LAOTY Semi Final Locations

I started my reviews in Series 4 and the links in the list below are to my reviews of each semi-final - where you can see pics of all the structures.

YET AGAIN we got a BIG STRUCTURE for the Semi Final

• 2015 - Potters Fields Park in central London - painting Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and the City of London
• 2016 - Margate Harbour - painting views of the harbour
• 2017 - Castle Farm in Kent (the exception which proves the rule - given what happened the next year) - painting enormous fields of lavender
• 2018 - Felixstowe Docks - a container port with very big cranes and ships and stacks of containers - complete with an ocean going container ship turning up halfway through. (The eventual winner of the series knew it was coming as given a vague idea of where the semi finals were she'd had the foresight to look up both tide tables and arrivals and departures!)
• 2019 - Oil Rigs in the Cromarty Firth - extremely peculiar vertical structures sat in the middle of the Firth?
• 2020 - change of timing of broadcast (the year of two PAOTYs)
• 2021 - the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park at Stratford in East London (filmed under Covid constraints in 2020 and broadcast changed to Jan-March slot in 2021) - looking south down the River Lee - towards the Olympic Stadium and the ArcelorMittal Orbit in the distance.
• 2022 - Forth Bridge - a VERY meccano set over the Firth of Forth
• 2023 - Thames Barrier- next to the River Thames!
• 2024 - Bucklers Hard - in Hampshire
• 2025 - Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - with a view of the 19th century warship HMS Warrior

I think the theory might be, if you can make an attractive artwork from what are very typically unappealing big structures, you're probably going to be capable of portraying the commission subject. 

Except they will keep choosing natural landscape for the latter! e.g. Croagh Patrick - a very large holy mountain in Ireland - for this current series 11.

I absolutely disagree with my postulated theory. I can't think of a worse test. 

Natural landscape painters do not tend to respond well to big structures. In general, they're trying to get back to nature and away from big structures. I'm not quite sure why this thought has never occurred to whoever procures the locations.

TIPS For LAOTY Semi Finalists (and Pod artists)

Again I can do no better than repeat my previous advice for semi-finalists

• Expect a big structure at some point 
• polish your perspective chops
• A panoramic format might be a very useful option for your support
• Take suitable tools for drawing/painting structures e.g. take a ruler (for measuring)
• large pieces of stiff card (for very fast delivery of sharp edges)
• flexi curve or french curve for bends
• Binoculars - because sometimes the structure is a VERY long way away!
• Make sure you know how to paint effective water quickly and easily

The 2026 Semi Final Location

The location for the Semi Final is the Ouse Valley Viaduct on the Balcombe Estate in in the High Weald AONB of West Sussex. The viaduct opened in 1841 and is used by the trains which travel between London and Brighton. It has:

• got 37 arches and was built using 11 million bricks
• been described as the most elegant viaduct in Britain. 
• has an iconic infinity view when seen from inside the arches.

I can't help feeling the pods were the wrong side of the viaduct for capturing the shadows of the viaduct on the land. There again that would have meant looking into the sun.

The artists initially seemed to spend some time pondering what the sun might do - along with working out a composition and either drawing or blocking in.

Then it was down to the serious business of interpreting how to set about (what the Judges called) a "monolith".

View of the pods side on to the Viaduct.

The Weather

In a series of endless sunny days and hot weather, this was a semi-final on "an incredibly baking hot day on location" with absolutely no shadow.

I keep wondering how the pod artists cope in terms of being baked alive! I know I absolutely couldn't do it - I'd go all woozy and pass out! I "think" (as in "I'm not sure") that they had some sort of cover for the pods which maybe deflected the rays.

The Artists in the Semi Final

The artists after they finished painting - in a nice shady spot

We had two surprises not one!  There were eight artists in the Pods and they were:

• all the Heat Winners - as summarised in Tuesday's blog post LAOTY Semi Final 2026 - The Heat Winners
• PLUS the chosen wildcard from the Wildcard Winners in each heat. They chose Deborah Frank from Episode 3 at Dover Ferry Port (See Review and her Instagram post). She was rone who did the very impressive close cropped pic in oul paint of just one part of the harbour walls. 

Deborah Frank is a practicing artist living in West Essex, England. Currently completing a BA in contemporary portraiture, at The Art Academy London (her website)

• PLUS the best of the rest - in terms of pod artists - which actually makes some sense, because some heats definitely had more good artists than others.. The selected "best of the rest" was Tom Winter from Episode 5 on the Thames (see Review: Episode 5 of Landscape Artist of the Year Series 11 (2026) - HMS Wellington & the South Bank). He's the chap who is a whiz at buildings and perspective.

NOTE: from the comments on my Facebook Page there seem to be quite a lot of people who think there is an episode which is the showdown between the wildcard artists to select the best for the Semi Final. This is NOT the case. The Judges choose a Wildcard at their own discretion - on the basis of their wildcard painting on the day. I'm assuming they've probably got access to the digital version of their submission as well.

The Semi Final Paintings

Here they all are at the end of the day. As you can see there are:

• 3 x panoramic
• 3 x portrait
• 2 x landscape

The only two people who "went big" were "the wildcard" and "the best of the rest". Those who get a lucky break do tend to come out fighting to justify that decision!

At the end of the semi-final, they had eight similar paintings of the same subject, which were all different. I think the good ones stood out.

Call for Entries: Portrait Artist of the Year 2026

The deadline for entries for Series 13 of the televised art competition "Portrait Artist of the Year" is Friday 20th February 2026.

Good job I didn't write this any earlier - they've changed all the Judges since I did! More about the new Judges tomorrow.

This post is about:

• The nature of this art competition
• WHO can enter
• HOW to enter
• What the day of filming is like - and how long it lasts!
• Plus TIPS about this art competition
• AND TIPS about juried art exhibitions and art competitions generally (at the end).

Quotations below are from the Terms and Conditions of the competition or as indicated.

This is a televised competition. Artists enter with a self-portrait created within the last 5 years. They are selected on merit by our panel of expert judges. At the heats they are given four hours to paint a surprise celebrity sitter. The heat winners get to compete at the Semi-Final. Three of the Semi-Finalists go through to the Final but only one is selected as the overall winner.

Filming of Portrait Artist of the Year is planned to take place at Battersea Arts Centre in April 2026.

How this art competition works 

This is an art competition as a television show. 

Entries for the competition closes at 12:00pm (midday) on Friday 20th February 2026 (“the Closing Date”). Entries received after this date and time will not be considered. 

These are the Terms and Conditions

Filming of Series 13 of Portrait Artist of the Year is planned to take place at the Battersea Arts Centre in April 2026. (see below for dates in April)

• In effect this is a 'reality' show (i.e. real people/artists) as a knock-out competition for portrait artists.
• Nine artists compete in each heat - which are held between 14th and 23rd April

You agree to use Your best endeavors to be available for any alternative and/or additional dates requested in March, April, May, June, July, and August 2026.

• there are three surprise "celebrity" sitters (some you will know/ some you won't!)
• each sitter has three artists drawing / painting / printing their portrait - in various 2D media
• you have just four hours to complete a portrait - which is essentially 2 hours before the lunch break and 2 hours afterwards. (However artists can and do continue painting throughout the lunch break - when there is no sitter in front of them)
  
  The Shortlisted Artists will have a maximum of 4 hours over a 5-6 hour period (or such other period as the Producer at its discretion may determine) to complete their Heat Artwork.
  

The panel of Judges may take the Shortlisted Artists’ Portrait Entry(s) and their Additional Works of Art into consideration during this judging process, and all of the criteria for judging and the decisions of the Judges shall be at the discretion of the Judges and the Producer and shall not be not open to dispute or discussion 

- except by me "after the event"

• The Sitter gets to choose a portrait - and if it's your portrait this is gifted to the sitter. (Make sure you get a photo of yourself with the sitter and the portrait!)
• The Heat Winner - from a shortlist of three - goes through to the Semi-Finals

TIPS: Artists have just four hours to complete their portrait. HOWEVER:

• you will be interrupted by presenters and/or or Judges who will talk to you during the four hours
• people with cameras and sound recording equipment will be filming around you ALL THE TIME and sometimes you won't be able to see the sitter - or will need to move (see below)
• You will be at some distance from the sitter - much further than with normal portraits - and you can't move your setup in to get closer. (check the distance between artist and the sitter when you watch the programmes)
• It's a good idea to bring a digital device to take a photograph for when you can't see the sitter properly - or you can't see the details of the face clearly enough.

Filming of Series 9 Heat 1

• Eight heat winners get to compete at the Semi-Final on Wednesday 29th April 2026

If You are chosen as a Semi Finalist or Finalist and are asked to travel away from home or are invited to 8 attend the Final, the Producer shall supply and pay for Your reasonable and pre-agreed travel and hotel costs. (T&Cs para 41)

• Three people from the semi-finals are selected for the Final on Tuesday 19th May 2026 at a location in London (which may or may not be Battersea Arts Centre) which involves:
• a commission to be completed between the semi final and the final. (essentially in about two weeks)

A space of the contributor’s choice in which to complete this artwork, where a timelapse camera can be rigged, must be provided free of charge by the contributor to film any or all of this process.

• four hours to complete the portrait of the celebrity sitter in the final. I think the condition below is new. The second option has never been used before.

The Producer may ask

• all of the Finalists to depict the same Portrait of a Sitter at the Final Location,
• or each Finalist may be required to depict different Sitters at the Final Location.

The Prize

The winner is awarded a commission - worth a taxable fee of £10,000 - to create, complete and deliver a portrait of a notable person for a (usually) prestigious organisation - selected by the Producer - by a specified date.

If you want to know why the prize money is taxable see my page on my website Art Business Info for Artists about Tax on art awards and prize money

If You are chosen as the Winner, You must be available between the Final Date and the end of July 2026 to produce the Winner’s Prize Artwork on exact dates to be determined by the Producer.

 

Who / how / what to enter

Readers' Comments on The Great Pottery Throwdown

Yesterday I hoped my commentary How Pottery Throwdown is a better programme than Artist of the Year might have some resonance with readers of my blog.

I was surprised to see how very many thought 

• my analysis was spot on
• offered a few more views of their own.

So today is a READERS SPECIAL. Below you'll find comments left on my post when it was published on my Facebook Page yesterday

There were a number of themes - and I've organised the comments under the themes. Any emboldened comments are due to me highlighting them in bold.

Participating Potters in The Great Pottery Throwdown 2026
(Facebook 30 December 2025)

I highly recommend subscribing to The Great Pottery Throwdown Facebook Page. Always guaranteed to make you feel good!

What makes Throwdown special?

Totally agree-it’s a very skilfully put together programme, with an approach that seems very supportive and yes educational. The judges are very skilled in their field and respond with useful feedback and in a way that is positive and specific.
It’s thoughtful, gentle and actually about process and creativity and skill. Jo York Art

I totally agree with your assessment. There’s one more aspect of Throwdown that brings me joy, and that is how close the participants get to each other. There’s a real sense that they develop lifetime friendships and a community of likeminded people. And they help each other, whether it’s carrying things to the drying room, or flipping something heavy over. I remember an episode where one potter asked another for advice. The advice given was real advice, intended to really help. Diana Hume

Very much agree. I am a painter and art teacher but I prefer Throw Down to L/PAOTY. Much more interesting, educational and a pleasure to watch. Sue Bradley Artist

Plus a lot more in the section on the Judges..... 

Why the Format works

it’s mainly the format which lends itself to better showcasing the contestants’ skills (one big project which can be practiced and prepped plus a shorter test which is not revealed in advance) Hil Beavan 

The Great Pottery Throwdown is a gem! We get to know the potters over several weeks and care about them. As a group, they are so supportive of each other and the judges genuinely want them all to do well. I’m a painter, but this is my favourite programme to watch. Sarah Clark

Art versus Craft

I love the Pottery one, watch it religiously. Your comparison is spot on Katherine. I think the difference stems from the age old craft verses art problem that most people in the art world seem to suffer from, i.e. they seem to be afraid of the “craft” of art, the mastery of skills and techniques. It is almost like the magic circle, such a mysterious secret, that to really show and explain the process would not be good for the general public.  Sarah Wimperis 

The Judges

The Throwdown Judges 2026
Rich Miller and Keith Brymer Jones

Keith Brumer Jones 
25 March 2025

Last year, I had the good fortune to meet Keith Brymer Jones at Grayson Perry's exhibition at the Wallace Collection. I of course did the naff fan thing and introduced myself and said how much I enjoyed the show!

This is what you had to say.....

The warmth of the two Pottery judges of course makes a massive difference to setting the tone, and you never feel they look down their noses at anyone’s work even if it is not to their personal taste. This means that they can be straightforward about their comments, which always have a kind spin - even when something gets splatted in the Bucket of Doom! And of course they deliver their judgments directly to the contestants rather than behind the easels in a secret discussion. Hil Beavan

I love Pottery Throwdown! And how Keith gets so emotional when someone does good. He truly cares. Patty Henderson

Such kindness shown, and encouragement and I could go on….  Jane Duncan

The judges seem to care about the potters & their work &, yes, your comments about criteria for making & judging are spot on. Cath Allwood

Plus contrasting how the Judges behaved with the Judges in PAOTY/LAOTY

When they go around to each contestant during the makes, they often give helpful advice on what they see as the pitfalls to come. 

The po-faced inane utterances of the infamous trio from PAOTY and LAOTY are the very opposite. Kate Pearce

I wished that the PAOTY or LAOTY gets more detailed crit by the judges at the end. I found their cursory opinions often very vague and feels some of the artists were short changed for their efforts. I don’t see the points to show their discussion for the selections when the actual paintings were hidden from the viewers. It makes it look less serious about art than making a TV show. Yoriko Cole 

and my final word on the contrast with PAOTY/LAOTY 

You only have to read the comments on just about every review I write of every PAOTY / LAOTY episode to realise that very many viewers are very critical of the Judges. Mostly in relation to wiffle waffle language and the obscured way in which they talk about the judging.

What would be interesting is to change the judges and see if people were still critical i.e. is it the format or is it the judges? Making A Mark

About the Throwdown Judges

Here's a teeny bit about both of them. 

• They are, of course, THE REAL THING i.e. practising potters - except they make ceramics and tiles! 
• They've both been at it for a very long time - and they run their own businesses!

Keith Brymer Jones

Many people know me as the judge on the popular TV show, the Great Pottery Throw Down, but my real job, and my passion, is ceramics. I have been a ceramicist and design expert amassing both knowledge and experience for over four decades. Not only have I been successful with my own collection of ceramics, the award winning ‘Word Range’, I also work collaboratively with both British & International designers, artists illustrators & fashion houses. 

Rich Miller

Richard studied ceramics at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design, graduating in 2003 . For the last 19 years he’s been running Froyle Tiles, a handmade tile company based in Surrey. Specialising in the bespoke production of high fired stoneware tiles, they have to date carried out a range of commissions for a variety of notable architects and designers.

and should Love Productions be reading.....

At least one reader out there would like Love Productions to tackle Printmaking as well!

Although I watch all the programmes you mention TGPT is definitely my favourite. I’m not a potter but I am an artist and a printmaker and would love to see the firm behind the Pottery, Sewing Bee and Bake off tackle Printmaking- with a different technique each week and a technical challenge as well.. I think it would be interesting and informative- the general public have no idea of the work involved in producing print based artwork! Drusilla Cole, Former Senior lecturer at University of the Arts London 

How Pottery Throwdown is a better programme than Artist of the Year

There have been a number of television programmes over the years about creating/making things in a competitive context and I've commented on a lot of them (see my Art on Television page)

I've been writing reviews of the Portrait and Lansdscape Artist of the Year series (and others) since 2018 and I've been watching The Great Pottery Throwdown since it started - but never reviewed it.

However this year, I feel prompted to say why I think Pottery Throwdown is a better programme

This is in the context of the multiple criticisms over the years of PAOTY and LAOTY, many of which are shared by viewers.

The Love Productions pic for The Great Pottery Throwdown

So here goes

PAOTY - What are the winners doing now? (series 1-6)

This is about the first six artists who achieved the title of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year. (Series 1-6) The year at the end of each heading below relates to the year the series was broadcast and not the year it was filmed.

My previous post PAOTY - What are the winners doing now? (series 7- 11) covered the winners of Series 7-11. 

Portraits of Amir Khan and Sir Ian McKellen painted by Christian Hook

Today's post is about

• Series 1: Nick Lord
• Series 2: Christian Hook
• Series 3: Gareth Reid
• Series 4: Samira Addo
• Series 5: Duncan Shoosmith 
• Series 6: Christobel Blackburn

Links to their websites are embedded in their names.

Nick Lord - Series 1 (2013)

The very first series began with heats held in London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Dublin. 

Nick Lord (Instagram) won the very first series in 2013 by beating the 1,800 applicants to become the overall winner. 

He was born and raised in Cardiff. He studied for a BA in Fine Art at Kingston University and graduated in July 2011 with a BA in Fine Art First Class Honours from Kingston University  

Nick won with a portfolio of work done throughout the series

• He painted Gavin Henson in his Cardiff heat. 
• For the Final

• he was commissioned to paint Lance Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC
• and he painted Sophie Dahl in Paris - with the other artists

The unveiling of Nick Lord's commissioned portrait for the Final
of Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC

After winning the series, as his prize, he was then commissioned to paint a portrait of double-Booker author Hilary Mantel for The British Library

Nick Lord with Hilary Mantel at the unveiling at the British Library.

Oddly, I can identify an Instagram account but no website. He also did not participate in the Portrait Artist of the Decade programme to celebrate 10 series of Portrait Artist of the Year and there is no bio that I can find about his subsequent career.

Christian Hook - Series 2 (2014)

I find that Christian Hook is probably the artist who gets mentioned most by those thinking back to who was the artist that had the most impact on them or the one they liked the most.

He has an amazing ability to use contemporary texhnciques and yet get a good likeness every time. He combines accurate portraits which really look like the sitter with Gerhard Richter type swipes of paint.

For the final he painted

• Sir Ian McKellen in 4 hours
• a very large painting of Amir Khan for his commissioned portrait

Waiting to hear who has won Series 2 of PAOTY
Christian Hook in the middle has the two biggest portraits from
the 4 hour painting in the Final Session and the commission completed beforehand

Never ever underestimate the impact of very good portraits in the Final which are also very big!

His commission painting for the Scottish Portrait Gallery of Scottish Actor Alan Cuming.....

PAOTY - What are the winners doing now? (series 7- 11)

This started out as a review of what next for Portrait Artist of the Year. I pondered on what people had achieved from the various series. Which is how it turned into a review of what's happened to the artists who have won the various series.

This post is about the winners of Series 8 - 11 (Curtis Holder, Calum Stevenson, Morag Caister, Wendy Barratt and Brogen Bertie)

The next post is about the winners of Series 2 - 7 (Christian Hook, Gareth Reid, Samira Addo, Duncan Shoesmith, and Christobel Blackburn)

I'd say that what people achieve post PAOTY is a product of their:

• natural talent - and the artwork they produce
• application to the business side of art
• ability to communicate
• application of effort to getting things done and making things happen.

Curtis Holder Series 7 (Autumn 2020)

Curtis Holder has become a very regular feature of the art scene in the UK since he won in 2020 and gave up his teaching job.  He has an extremely extensive "things done since PAOTY" list of activities on his website.  

To my mind he has achieved the most through winning the PAOTY competition - by some margin.

Curtis Holder won the second series in 2020 (in the autumn slot on Sky Arts)

• Curtis Holder wins Portrait Artist of the Year (Series 7 Autumn 2020)
• PAOTY Commission: Curtis Holder draws Carlos Acosta

Sinec then:

• He's joined various national art societies 
• He has been a selector or Judge for 11 exhibitions since 2020.
• He's participated in a very large number of group exhibitions
• 14 in 2025
• 8 in 2024
• 16 in 2023
• 17 in 2022
• 6 in 2021
• He's also become an artist Ambassador for Derwent Pencils.

Educated at Kingston University and Central Saint Martins, Holder is a member of Contemporary British Portrait Painters, The Society of Graphic Fine Art, and The Pastel Society. He has served as a selector for major national and international art competitions and collaborates with institutions to engage diverse audiences, fostering creativity and discussions on identity and representation. 

I'm getting very used to seeing his large coloured pencil portraits in various annual exhibitions. I'm also seeing a lot of media coverage - check out his CV, it's very impressive

 

Curtis Holder - with two of his portraits
at The Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 2024 at the Mall Galleries

The exhibition of artwork selected by Curtis Holder
at the ING Discerning Eye Annual Exhibition 2025.

He's also had a number of solo exhibitions since 2020

2025

• Curtis Holder: Portraits of Brotherhood, RBSA Gallery (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), Birmingham, UK 

2024 - 2025

• Silent Echoes, Spoken Truths: Curtis Holder, Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds, UK 
• Curtis Holder: Drawing Carlos Acosta, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK 

2024

• Curtis Holder: Portraits of Brotherhood, Guildford House Gallery, Guildford, UK

2023

• The Makers: Portraits from Backstage, National Theatre, London, UK

2021 - 2022

• Something Unspoken, 45 Park Lane, Dorchester Collection, London, UK 

These are his awards going all the way back to winning PAOTY in 2020.

• Winner, ArtEvol Award, London Art Collective | 2025
• Winner, Audience Choice Award, London Art Collective | 2025
• Shortlist, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize | 2025
• Winner, President’s Award, Society of Graphic Fine Art | 2024
• Winner (First Prize), The John Ruskin Prize | 2024
• Longlist, The Aesthetica Art Prize | 2024
• Winner, The Tom Coates Memorial Prize, The Pastel Society | 2024
• Winner, Drawing with a Dry-Based Medium Award, The Gallery at Green & Stone and St Cuthberts Mill | 2024
• Winner, Guildford House Open | 2023
• Highly Commended, RBSA Drawing Prize | 2023
• Shortlist, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize | 2022
• Winner, St Cuthberts Mill Award, Wells Art Contemporary | 202
• Shortlist, The Derwent Art Prize | 2022
• Winner, The Anthony J Lester Art Critic Award, The Pastel Society | 2022
• Winner, The Frank Herring & Sons Award, The Pastel Society | 2022
• Highly Commended, UK Coloured Pencil Society | 2021
• Highly Commended Award, Society of Graphic Fine Art | 2021
• Longlist, The Self-Portrait Prize, Ruth Borchard Collection | 2021
• Highly Commended, The British Art Prize | 2021
• Longlist, Jackson’s Painting Prize | 2021
• Winner, Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year | 2020

Calum Stevenson Series 8 (2021)

Calum Stevenson won in 2021. 

• See Calum Stevenson wins Portrait Artist of the Year (Series 8 Autumn 2021). He was commissioned to paint the violinist Nicola Benedetti.

Call for Entries: UKCPS 25th Annual Exhibition 2026 - at the Mall Galleries.

Next year will be the 25th Annual Exhibition of the United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society - which will be held at the Mall Galleries in March 2026.

Below you can find out how to enter. The closing date for entries is 25th January 2025.

My post covers

• coloured pencils as a medium
• the UKCPS Annual Exhibition at the Mall Galleries 
• the Call for Entries
• what you can and cannot enter
• what subjects I suggest you focus on re entries (ie avoid "same old same old"!
• how to enter
• Practical matters
• images 
• framing 
• delivery
• for international artists: Regulations re VAT, Customs and money laundering 

Coloured pencils are a very contemporary art medium

In the last 25 years, the use of coloured pencils has become very sophisticated.  

There are now many professional coloured pencil artists - working on different subject matter and producing some amazing artwork using a variety of techniques and finish. I now encounter coloured pencil artwork:

• across many other exhibitions at the Mall Galleries and elsewhere 
• in art competitions - used by artists who win major art prizes eg Curtis Holder who won the Portrait Artist of the Year using coloured pencils (see Curtis Holder wins Portrait Artist of the Year (Series 7 Autumn 2020) and PAOTY Commission: Curtis Holder draws Carlos Acosta
• in the botanical artworld - all the time - CP is used extensively because of its scope for amazing control of tone and colour
• by wildlife artists - for reasons similar to the botanical artists

PAOTY Commission 2020: Carlos Acosta by Curtis Holder
(courtesy of Curis Holder)

I was once a member of UKCPS (I adore dry media and drawing) - and I used to exhibit in its annual exhibitions. This was one of my two exhibits selected for the UKCPS exhibition in 2010 (I like abstracting plants!)

Not Quite White
7.5" x 11.5", coloured pencils on Arches HP
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

The Silver 25th Anniversary Exhibition in 2026 

at the Mall Galleries

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, UKCPS has hired the Mall Galleries for their exhibition from 17 - 21 March at the Mall Galleries. 

This is a first for the society. It's been very good at holding its annual exhibition in different parts of the country. However, like a number of the more niche art societies, it wants to celebrate a very special annual exhibition by holding it where the major national art societies exhibit - at the Mall Galleries.

The entry to the Mall Galleries in The Mall

UKCPS Silver Exhibition - Call for Entries

This is an open exhibition; submission is open to all living artists, aged 18 or over. The artist must demonstrate compositional and drawing skills and the ability to use colour pencil.

There is a PDF explaining the Call for Entries and how to enter for this exhibition

This is the webpage which does the same thing.

What follows is my version of it, with notes and tips and recommendations. My version does not include all you need to know so make sure you read ALL of the Call for Entries and Terms and Conditions.

Who can Enter

Any artist working with coloured pencils - over the age of 18 years, living anywhere in the world

What you can enter