'Landscape artist of the year'

[Simpo Two]

Put eight artists in front of the baroque east front of Hampton Court - but they all paint the garden instead. Why? 'Cos the building is too hard to paint... excessive amount of arty bks.

[Skyedriver]

We've watched and grumbled about LAOTY in the past.
Watched the first of the new series, the winner was poor, the rest were a bad, the judges looking for something just 'cos.
Said that's it, won't watch another.

[Regbuser]

It's all about the 'mark making'..

[SmithCorona]

It's enjoyable with a glass or two of wine, I always feel there is more variety and interest in the wildcards and wish they would dedicate an episode to these.

I rarely agree with the judges, apart from Tai-Shan who seems reasonable.

[Antony Moxey]

Portrait artist, landscape artist, the judges to my mind look at all wrong. They mainly base their views on the painting produced in the show, not their submission, but the winner will end up producing a piece more like the submission because they’ve got the time to do it exactly how they want rather than rushing out a four hour piece.

I know it’s all subjective, but rarely have the winners been the ones whose work I’d have hanging on my walls.

[SmithCorona]

Agreed fully. I find potrait artist less engaging overall too.

[Pitre]

New '2026' series started this evening.

All good except for the loss of Kate Bryan as a judge.
Fortunately she's apparently still doing the portrait version of the show...

[Milkyway]

Pitre said:

New '2026' series started this evening.

All good except for the loss of Kate Bryan as a judge.
Fortunately she's apparently still doing the portrait version of the show...

Agreed, miss KB's laugh...She has a young family now, so probably didn't want to travel around the country.

The new judge... Meh, too straight & difficult to understand.
(Reminds me of the Apprentice... where one guy talked utter BS, but sold a load of art.)

[Regbuser]

And the judges chose a painting of some scratty boathouses and foreshore, over the majesty of the water and fellscapes..

Mind you, even Tai was suppressing a guffaw at the strange poem and lace creation..

[Antony Moxey]

It’s becoming a caricature of itself now. When they show the submissions, my wife is uncannily accurate at predicting who will win each week: because it’s the crap one, is her usual reasoning, and I have to say she’s right! The portrait one is the best though, criticising one picture for being too accurate, praising one for showing the character of the sitter (in other words, it looks nothing like them), then moaning about another not having enough likeness. It genuinely is almost unwatchable now because of the absurdity of the judges’ decisions.

[Milkyway]

E2: A lot of arty waffle...from the contestants.

Final Three: Didn't like the winners at all... That young girl with her monochrome submission was much better.
(Tanya's for me).

NB: About time a wild card won the series.

[Castrol for a knave]

One of the contestants, Michael Lumb, is a good friend of mine..

I was gutted for him, but he is fine about it, he just loved the experience.

You couldn't meet a nicer, more genuine bloke and he is a superb artist.

[Pitre]

Castrol for a knave said:

One of the contestants, Michael Lumb, is a good friend of mine..

I was gutted for him, but he is fine about it, he just loved the experience.

You couldn't meet a nicer, more genuine bloke and he is a superb artist.

You can tell him from me that I thought he should have won! Best by far imho...

[Simpo Two]

It seems that the programme should be called 'Worst Landscape Artist of the Year'!

[Milkyway]

Simpo Two said:

It seems that the programme should be called 'Worst Landscape Artist of the Year'!

One contestant has only been painting for a year...Deffo been some dodgy efforts in these first two episodes.
(I prefer Portrait... & miss KB).

NB: Perhaps they need to start looking at the Wildcards more closely.
("Sorry, today the judges have chosen three wildcards... thank you for trying though".

Edited by Milkyway on Friday 23 January 11:02

[Castrol for a knave]

Pitre said:

Castrol for a knave said:

One of the contestants, Michael Lumb, is a good friend of mine..

I was gutted for him, but he is fine about it, he just loved the experience.

You couldn't meet a nicer, more genuine bloke and he is a superb artist.

You can tell him from me that I thought he should have won! Best by far imho...

That's kind - I will tell him. He's a genuinely lovely modest man and he'll be chuffed by that.

[Geoff391]

Today’s episode at port of Dover , I must have no taste in paintings as I would not have picked any of the three selected by the Experts. The wildcard was better.

[Antony Moxey]

None of tonight’s efforts were worthy of the commission. The new judge manages to out-ponce by some margin the others without actually managing to see what she’s looking at. I’m looking forward to the day when the gallery looks at the winner’s painting and says I’m not having that ste on our walls!

[Ladders]

We weren’t a fan of any of the final paintings really. Did like some of the contestants entries, but most seemed different to what they did on the day.

Feel like they pick finalists who have a different style a lot of the time.

[Simpo Two]

Antony Moxey said:

I m looking forward to the day when the gallery looks at the winner s painting and says I m not having that ste on our walls!

I fear the gallery will announce it proudly as 'Winner of BBC Landscape Artist of the Year!' and so the st will become entrenched as wondrous...