Want to watch Landscape Artist of the Year 2027 being filmed?

Are you interested in watching Series 12 of Landscape Artist of the Year being filmed? This is the series which will be broadcast in early 2027.

This post is about:

• where 5 of the locations are and the day they are being filmed
• useful info about how to get there

You will recall from earlier posts that this series has 

• The ten artists for this new series have been selected (see Call for Entries: Landscape Artist of the Year (Series 12). This new format means they all travel the length and breadth of the country visiting different locations - with one artist dropping out after every heat.
• a new judge Landscape Artist of the Year: A Celebrity Twist!

Series 12: An invitation to watch

Every year, SKY Arts and Storyvault Films allow people to watch various of the heats of Landscape Artist of the Year as they are filmed. 

They are welcoming people to come and watch SOME of the heats on specific dates this summer. 

BUT only some as they cannot accommodate audiences at the remaining heats and the final this year, due to the lack of parking and facilities. (I also suspect that some of those turning up to the Final last year were a few too many / maybe blabbed online before the episode aired?)

They're calling them Episodes, I'm calling them Heats as the Heats often change order when they work out how to air them. As in they usually want a really good one up front to hook viewers - and yoiu don't know what that is until after it's been filmed!

On the Day

The competition will start at approximately 9:30am and finish around 6pm. You do not need to contact us to reserve a place, but please note that some locations may charge a fee for parking. We hope to see you there!

Please note that posting of photos or videos of any artists or artwork will NOT be permitted until after the show has broadcast. This is to help us avoid spoilers ahead of the show's transmission. (They also keep their eyes peeled for such posting in advance of the broadcast!) 

Series 12 LAOTY Locations

HEAT 1: Richmond Riverside, London – Monday 15th June 

Richmond Riverside in background

Richmond boathouse and boats in middle ground

Richmond Bridge on right

Credit: Jim Linwood (Wikimedia Commons)

Richmond Riverside is not a generic term, it's a very specific place/development in Richmond in South West London near to Richmond Bridge. It also offers 

• a large flat space where they can erect the pods so that the artists can paint the oft painted view of the bridge and/or Corporation Island.
• Plus lots of services nearby. 
• Accessible by public transport (eg Richmond Station is a 9 minute short walk). Limited parking (you're competing with the workers and shoppers of this very popular place)

Richmond Riverside: the Red pin is located near the large flat terraces

There is very likely to be a second heat close by on the following day or more likely Wednesday - depending on the time needed to strike the set and set up again.

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

Call for Entries: Landscape Artist of the Year (Series 12)

This is about the CALL FOR ENTRIES for the NEW FORMAT for Series 12 of Landscape Artist of the Year see 

• SEE my previous blog post announcing the change in the way it works BRAND NEW FORMAT for Landscape Artist of the Year Series 12 (2027) announced!
• the deadline for submissions is Monday 23rd March 2026 - so basically you've got three more weeks.

There are lots of pros and cons below. I suggest that, in my opinion, you need to be both experienced and committed to landscape art and camera happy to do well.

Given the MAJOR change in the way the programme will be delivered, you can expect that scrutiny of entries will become MUCH more intensive.

In summary, the changes are as follows:

• 10 artists will be chosen for the whole series (rather than the 8 different artists for each heat episode - so 10 artists NOT 48 artists). Similar to number chosen for other competitions such as Throwdown or Bakeoff.
• One artist leaves each week (similar to the format used by the BBC ten years ago for The Big Painting Challenge - but this time with a focus solely on landscape and apparently without any small challenges or learning activities)

This televised art competition gives artists four hours to paint a UK landscape. One artist is eliminated each episode, and one finalist is ultimately crowned the winner. Landscape Artist of the Year website

• ALL the (remaining) artists create artworks at ALL the locations - which means every artist needs to be able to guarantee that they can make themselves available for filming.  (Don't forget locations far from home may involve two travel says as well either side). This of itself will rule out a lot of artists. More comments below

If you want to take part in the show, you’ll need to confirm that you are available for seven filming dates on weekdays in June and July, plus one in September.

• More scope for:
• showing what you can do in terms of range and consistency
• getting used to being filmed so you perform better (that's not what they say but it is what will happen) 
• Artists can still turn up to paint as "Wildcards" BUT there is NO Wildcard competition
• If you apply, your work will be reviewed by prominent judges from the art world - BUT no word as yet as to who Judges will be. (I'm doubtful as to whether they are experienced landscape artists)
• Appearance Money! If selected for the show, you will receive 
• £500 for each episode you take part in, 
• plus reimbursement for travel, accommodation, and meal expenses.
• Commission: An additional £10,000 commission will be awarded to the winner.
• The deadline for entries has been brought forward to Monday 23rd March 2026. (It was originally advertised as a date in the middle of May)

At the end of the series, the Judges will determine who becomes Landscape Artist of the Year on a MUCH larger group of paintings produced in all the different locations before the Final. i.e. 

• three to apply
• six in the heats
• one in the semifinal 
• = 10 paintings BEFORE THE FINAL!

Which can only be positive for the programme, the artists and the viewers.

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A post shared by Sky Arts Artist Of The Year (@artistoftheyear)

More information

• This is the page about the change
• This is the CASTING PAGE page which sets out how it all works in 2026 - in more detail.

Frankly, I think the information provided is less than is needed. Hence why this blog post continues as it does.

What sort of artist are they trying to recruit for the PODS?

Having just ten artists for the entire series would, I expect, mean a different approach to selection.

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.

LAOTY Semi Final 2026 - The Heat Winners

This is about all the Heat Winners who will be participating in the Semi Finals of Series 11 of Landscape Artist of the Year 2026 - to be broadcast on Wednesday.

Which basically cuts down on what I need to write in the review of the Semi Finals - plus gives you a bit of a challenge to try and work out who might be the Finalists!

The focus for the semi-finals is The Ouse Valley Viaduct, West Sussex - see below. So reminiscent of a mountain in Ireland! 

The Ouse Valley Viaduct

Who's Who in the LAOTY Semi Finals 2026

Below is a reminder of the pod artists in the Semi Finals

• all the heat winners + their profiles
• all their submissions + heat paintings

Who do you think will be in the Final of Landscape Artist of the Year 2026?

See if you can work out in advance who might advance to the Finals.

Heat 1: Derwent Water, Lake District

Kim Day was the winner. I think she's got to be one of the favourites for the Final - but it all essentially depends on how good she is at making something out a boring large brick viaduct!

Kim Day with her submission

My profile of her was as follows

Kim Day (Instagram) - She lives on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset and works as a freelance concept artist for the film and television industry. She has a BA Hons Fine Arts painting degree and a Masters from the NFTS | Royal College of Art in Design for Film. She works on Saunders Waterford 638gsm papers or stretched Linen with Acrylics, compressed charcoals and pastels pencils and pens, combining each medium to add variation to her mark making and colour quality.

My review commented as follows:

In essence, she starts with the big shapes as tonal colours and then adds smaller marks (using I think acrylic markers) which lend and suggest detail

• Tai was very impressed by her artwork seen together. He thought it was brilliant.
• Eva liked the overall harmonious colour palettes of both artworks. She also picked up on the fact that Kim had identified and used the purple and pink undertones on the fells.
• Generally they were all very impressed by her use of colour and the way she filled her paper with landscape. Her subject didn't drop off or peter out.

Submission and Heat Art work by Kim Day

Her artworks were described as

• having a delicious sense of colour.
• providing a sense of place
• responded to the majesty and statute of the place while interpreting it according to her own way of seeing things

Which to me sounds like a very likely candidate for the Final - but we are, of course, at a very early stage if we think what the commission is about.

This was my Review: Episode 1 of Landscape Artist of the Year Series 11 (2026)

I find it useful to see what she has said - in a guarded limited way - on Instagram. You can often find a bit of a hint. See what you think.....

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A post shared by Kimberley Day (@day.finearts)

Episode 2: St James Park, London

Nigel Glaze was the winner of the heat located in St James Park - looking at Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial across the lake.

Review: Episode 6 of Landscape Artist of the Year Series 11 (2026) - Dover Castle

This is my sixth and final review of the Heats in Series 11 of Landscape Artist of the Year. This episode apparently was the first heat of the series - and the view was of Dover Castle and its ramparts

Drone View of the location with LAOTY Pods, wildcard artists and Dover castle

As always my review provides:

• more detail than the programme about each of the artists
• overview of the location for the day and how this worked for the artists and programme
• comments on themes which cropped during the programme
• details of the artists who were shortlisted and who won the Wildcard and this heat.

My next review will be about the semi final - which is in Sussex (see end).

Episode 6: Dover Castle

Location and Weather

The location for this heat was an exposed hill across a wooded valley opposite Dover Castle. The pods were set up at the top of the slop and the wildcards were located further down the slope - in the eyeline of the pod artists.

DOVER CASTLE

Dover Castle:
a classic 11th century motte and bailey castle built by William the Conqueror
transformed by Henry II in the 12th century with a massive stone keep and curtain walls

Dover Castle is cared for by English Heritage and is VERY important in UK History. 

It was originally built to overlook the shortest passage between the south east of England and the continent. As such it has played a crucial role in the "defence of the realm" for over nine centuries. As such it ranks alongside the Tower of London and Windsor Castle.

The history of the castle includes:

• The massive earth ramparts and ditches surrounding the castle were thought to have been originally constructed about 800 years BC!
• The Romans constructed a lighthouse (Pharos) to guide ships into the harbour 
• Churches were built in the 7th and 10-11th centuries
• 1066: William the Conqueror builds a castle there after he has defeated King Harold
• 1180-89: King Henry II rebuilds the Castle and constructs a huge Keep. This was the most expensive castle building project in England ever!
• 1215: King John constructs the important outer defences which hold when the castle is besieged the following year by the Prince of France
• 1217-56: over the next 30 years, enormous sums are spent strengthening Dover, making it one of the largest and most strategically important castles in England.
• 1793-1815: huge sums are spent during the French Revolution and the Napoelanic wars to make the castle safe
• 1939-45: The naval and later combined services headquarters were located in the Napoleonic tunnels and masterminded the invasion of France.
• 1956: the gun batteries were removed.

I didn't have the sense from the programme that ANY of this was explained to the artists before they started their paintings.  I don't know any serious landscape painters of major important structures who wouldn't do a bit of research before they started painting - so they can make sure they include critical bits or because they need to know what they're painting - and which bits are where!

From a painting perspective, the earth ramparts (which are entirely artificial) are at least as important as the stone structure - and yet few really showed what they were there for or what they looked like.

One artist - the winner - did. Hence why I've explained the location in so much detail.

NOTE: Incidentally, I know that drones are fabulous things that allow filmmakers to get views they could never get before. 

• For me they are good for locating the venue and the nature of its vicinity. 
• However, the film-making of this series seems to have fallen prey to using the drone as much as possible.
• what WE DO NOT SEE ENOUGH OF is what the view looks like from each artist's pod.

That view is the only one we need to know about to do an armchair judgement of whether or not an artist has captured a good likeness of what a place looks like.

All we got a was a very few seconds near the beginning as the artists began to prep their artwork. 

All we needed was for Stephen and Tai to do their double act explaining the view from inside a pod - BEFORE the artists got into them. How difficult is that.  Instead they talked about it from a place where all we saw was them talking rather than the view!

The (very) quick view from an Artist's Pod

Bottom line, it's exactly the same as portraiture - if you choose to make a portrait of a place then it must look like the place as well as being interesting as a painting.

i.e. what it looks like is the view from the pod - NOT the view from the sky!

Weather

Yet another very warm and sunny day - but apparently a great deal of gusty wind from time to time also. Easels, artwork, paint, water - all went flying! I'm not surprised there was a wind because I think the location for the pods was absolutely crackers!

Wind is normal. Artists normally avoid windy spots for all sorts of very practical reasons - the main one being lightweight plein air easels falling over. Which means Storyvault Films MUST  project manage the set up for wind - and that might include (VERY serious suggestion):

• having a VERY big think about the wisdom of some locations 
• where wind is VERY predictable 
• eg near the coast, on top of a hill!!
• thinking about / finding out what the PREVAILING WIND DIRECTION  is likely to be and how this might affect the pods i.e. 
• it looked to me like they'd pitched the pods right in the path of every (PREVAILING) south west wind coming up the channel! 
• I then checked on Google Maps and that is precisely what they had done!
• HOW can a Location Manager not understand about prevailing winds - and hence why some locations are NOT a good idea? I am just gobsmacked.

The prevailing wind direction in Dover is primarily from the west and south-west for most of the year, particularly from mid-May to mid-April. 

Strong winds (force 5 or greater) occur frequently, with higher, more dangerous gusts often coming from the South-South-West (SSW) to West-South-West (WSW) directions, affecting the port's operating safety limits. (Google)

  

The Artists in the Pods

Episode 5 artists are listed BELOW in the alphabetical order of their surnames.

• including a synopsis of their background
• Links to their websites (if they have one) are embedded in their names.
• Social media platforms are also referenced - but typically only one

Review: Episode 5 of Landscape Artist of the Year Series 11 (2026) - HMS Wellington & the South Bank

There are no pods in this week's episode 5 of Landscape Artist of the Year - because all the artists are created their art while rocking and swaying to the waves of the River Thames with their easels on the decks of HMS Wellington.

LAOTY 2025 - Episode 5 Artists with their paintings

This review follows the same format of my other reviews and considers.

• the location and weather
• the artists' profiles
• themes arising during the episode
• who was shortlisted and who won

See my review of Episode 1 for how these reviews and my commentary works.

At the end, in the Reference Section, you can see listings for all previous reviews of this series and most of the previous LAOTY series - which ALL have lots of tips on my Art on Television page.

 

Episode 5: HMS Wellington and the South Bank

Location and Weather

A drone image of HMS Wellington - on the right
and the brutalist architecture of the South Bank Centre (National Theatre etc) on the left

The artists were based for the day on HMS Wellington which is a historic Royal Navy Grimsby Class Sloop moored on the Victoria Embankment - which runs between the Palace of Westminster and Blackfriars Bridge - near Temple Tube Station.

An iconic feature on the River Thames since 1948, HMS WELLINGTON provides a unique and charming venue with unrivalled views of the Thames riverscape that includes Big Ben and the London Eye to the West, and the Shard and the City of London to the East.

Group #1 seemed to be around about the middle of the ship

Group #2 seemed to be a slightly different place - towards the bow

HMS Wellington can be hired out in part or as a whole for the day.

 

HMS Wellington - moored at the Victoria Embankment

The location is one I know extremely well - having spent 

• three years working for KPMG at Puddle Dock (next to Blackfriars Bridge) and 
• four years working for my professional institute which used to be located nearby, adjacent to Embankment Gardens. 
• This stretch of the Thames is in between the two. 

Plus I have walked along the South Bank - from Embankment to Tate Modern - at least twice a year for the last 20 years.

The set-up minus pods on the deck of HMS Wellington
The only people with shelter are those who brought their own umbrellas

The view of the South Bank across the River Thames included everything from the Shard to the East (left) to the London Eye to the west (right).

It's probably the most panoramic landscape they've ever had in an urban environment. That is a genuine first.

Interestingly, you normally find the artists on the other side of the river painting the City of London - as I have done. This is also because, if you locate on the North bank of the Thames you're looking into the sun all day - which can be very wearing. I'd be interested to hear how the artists found it on the day. I was surprised not to see more sunglasses! (of which more later).

The weather was dry and very sunny in the morning, lots of high cloud in the afternoon and VERY windy rather a lot of the time. (At least they didn't have a rain problem)

On HMS Wellington

• the artists were located along the side of the ship - on the fore deck - at the mercy of the wind and experiencing wash from the other boats and the rising tide
• the wildcards were all under an awning in "steerage"!

We were on a boat! Out in the elements, buffeted by the wind, swaying with the rising tide, we emerged after a long day ruddy-cheeked & still smiling thanks to the team @storyvaultfilms Nicola Tremain

"Isn't TV Art Mad" Tai Shan Shierenberg 

The Artists on HMS Wellington

Episode 5 artists are listed BELOW in the alphabetical order of their surnames.

• including a synopsis of their background
• Links to their websites (if they have one) are embedded in their names.
• Social media platforms are also referenced - but typically only one

Review: Episode 3 of Landscape Artist of the Year Series 11 (2026) - Dover Ferry Port

This is my review of Episode 3 of Series 11 of Landscape Artist of the Year (2026) aka known as LAOTY

• At the bottom of this post you find links to previous episodes in Series 11.
• Plus you can find all my reviews of previous LAOTY Series from Series 4 (2018) onwards which ALL have lots of tips on my Art on Television page.

Episode 3: Dover Ferry Port

Tai commented towards the end of the episode

It became an interesting exercise to see how an artist who is not used this kind of landscape would adapt.

Location and Weather

Artists enjoyed another good day, but maybe rather more breezy and with lots of sea air this week. The pods were perched right at the top of the white cliffs of Dover - overlooking Dover Ferry Port - with the wildcard artists further down the cliff - right next to the edge.....

Pods above Dover Ferry Port
The little dots to their right are the wildcards further down the slope

Given the commission is a mountain, I'm left wondering whether the original idea was to be down at sea level - maybe in the harbour somewhere - painting the white cliffs of Dover. 

But that message got garbled somehow......??

Apparently though a main aim of the programme is to explore the stories and heritage behind some of the most recognisable locations in the UK. 

There was me thinking that was an "add on" not the reason behind the programme!

The episode sees artists capturing the iconic landscape of the Port of Dover, one of the UK’s most historic and strategically important gateways. The programme celebrates landscape painting while exploring the stories and heritage behind some of Britain’s most recognisable locations.

Incidentally, the port of Dover sees 2 MILLION trucks go therough annually through what is the main connection between the UK and Europe.

The Artists in the Pods

Episode 3 pod artists are listed BELOW in the alphabetical order of their surnames.

• Including a synopsis of their background
• Links to their websites (if they have one) are embedded in their names.
• Social media platforms are also referenced - but typically only one

Before you yelp and screech about who gets shortlisted, I recommend you take a VERY CLOSE LOOK at the profiles below - because 

• I provide a lot more info than the programme does and 
• I know the credentials which make a Judge sit up and pay attention.
• Maybe it's not just down to the paintings...??

the artists after they finished painting

The artists are

• Charmaine Alexander (Instagram) - an artist and retired photographer from Epping Forest. She aims to create expressive landscapes using distinctive mark-making and patterns. She uses strong, defining lines. These “mass lines” are used to connect areas of visual mass, such as clouds, shadows, and reflections; directing the viewers gaze through the composition reinforcing elements such as motion, or silence.Her work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and also at her recent solo exhibition “On The Edge” in Hertfordshire.

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A post shared by Charmaine Alexander (@charmainealexander24)

• Prasad Beaven (Instagram) - Prasad Beaven is a visual artist whose practice explores inner and outer landscapes through spiritual and intuitive processes. A graduate of the Kings’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts (MA, 2021) and the University of Brighton (BA Illustration, 2017), he has recently been elected as a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour. He has exhibited internationally, including a solo presentation at the Saatchi Gallery and he is the recipient of the Ciclitira Prize (2021), presented by HRH King Charles III. He works primarily in water-based media, combining ink marbling with drawing and painting. His artwork develops through a slow, meditative process of layering light washes of ink and allowing the image to take shape gradually. He spent six years of his childhood in northern India, in the foothills of the Himalayas which informs his meditative approach to art. 
• He has taught a number of watercolour landscape courses  at The King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts in Shoreditch. eg last November he taught a "Landscape Painting in Watercolour: Turner, Cotman, Seago and Beyond" course. 
• Next month he's also teaching a course on Ink Landscapes: Discovering Form Through Chance (16 – 20 February 2026). 
• Alison Clarke (Instagram) - A semi-abstract landscape painter based in Wimbledon. She comes from an artistic background, all her life she has been involved in various forms of art expression. She moved to Canterbury to study Fine Art and then spent many years working in photography. She returned to painting in 2019 and likes painting in large gestural strokes and also painting skies. She has had paintings shortlisted for shortlisted for both the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and the Royal West of England Academy Autumn Exhibition. She has a page on her website about her experience LAOTY. 

"painting outside in the sunshine sounds like a holiday to me!"

• Chris Odgers (Instagram) - a UK based artist and an urban designer with over 20 years of experience in master planning, regeneration and design strategies. He has exhibited with the Royal Society of Marine Artists in 2024 and 2025. His aim is to portray light, weather, and place through bold brushwork and atmospheric colour.
• Pauline Patrick (Instagram) - A Glasgow School of Art graduate with postgraduate and doctoral studies in art. Pauline lives in Pittenweem, a fishing village on the east coast of Fife. She is a contemporary still life and landscape painter, influenced by the Scottish Colourist tradition, whose work balances realism and abstraction and is typically painted in oils on linen. She also exhibits at the Pittenweem Arts Festival and with Scotland Art, a leading contemporary art gallery in the centre of Glasgow.

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A post shared by Pauline Patrick Artist (@paulinepatrickfineartist)

• Katie Sims (Instagram) - a nature lover and artist from Taunton in Somerset. She has been collaborating with The Thousand Year Trust (TYT), based at Cabilla Woods on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall and creating artwork to raise awareness of the temperate rain forests in the UK.

I had the most incredible experience taking part. From the nerves to the joy, the creativity and the community — it’s a day I’ll never forget.

• Carmen Tsui (Instagram) - a former banker from Hong Kong who now lives in Hindhead in Surrey.
• Steve Vanstone  (Instagram) - a professional artist, working both plein air and in the studion and based in Stroud in Gloucestershire. 

NOTE: Three artists in this heat do not have a live website.  

Dear Artists - if you want a nice profile from me, I need to be able to find a website which tells me about you! 

The Wildcard Artists