I am a huge fan of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year and was thrilled to be chosen as a contestant for this year’s competition.
In the heat, we were given four hours to paint Smeaton’s Tower and its surrounding area. This was a challenging composition as we were placed close to the subject making it very dominant, while the short amount of allotted time required quick decisions as to the canvas size and detailing. When painting a scene, I love that there are often many ways to interpret and represent the same setting, and I could have chosen a landscape format that showed more of the sea and carried round to the port to the left of Smeaton’s Tower. However, I decided to go for portrait, as this would allow me to show the Lighthouse in its full glory.
It was difficult working to such a demanding timeframe, but I am proud of my composition and feel I have produced a good piece of work that celebrates the Tower while reflecting the atmosphere of the surroundings.