Portrait Artist of the Year

[IcyPeas]

This a FANTASTIC show from the UK.

Also check out the Great Pottery showdown from the same channel.

[Joinfortmill]

1. Awesome

[Nay]

2. So cool. I'm going to look for more episodes. Thanks!

[lunatica]

3. I like looking at the art

but unfortunately the entire premise of making it all a competition of some sort with the inevitable “winner” at the end is something I abhor. Imposing false rules like saying the artist has 15 minutes to finish a portrait, is, to me, anathema to art. When you’re in your Right brain 15 minutes is a nanosecond of subjective time.

The art itself is great, but judging it on FALSE merits of any kind is a turn off to me. I won’t even vote on DU’s theme based photography competition, though I love looking at the pictures and I kick and recommend the threads. But would those photographers be comfortable if they had an audience of non photographers watching them work in the field with a team of judges looking over their shoulders commenting with ‘clever’ quips?

But that’s just me. I personally would never subject myself or anyone else to that kind of inspiration killing situation.

[appalachiablue]

4. The artists do some terrific work and I like the idea, but

the judges lurking, questioning and also the dominant 'competition' and 'voting' aspects as you said are too much. Lots of people work collaboratively and cooperatively to produce excellent intellectual and artistic work, and the same with individual effort.

The stereotypical combative 'male' element which pervades business and capitalism shouldn't be applied to every sphere of our lives as many would want. John Singer Sargent, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol would never have got involved in this.

But a lot of programming is being run this way nowadays, even the 'Great British Bakeoff' Show from the UK on PBS which is well done although the participants are constantly pressured with 'times up'!, as well as the standard 'contestants' on music and entertainment acts on TV.

[bif]

5. I totally agree.

It's not a competition. Someone put me in touch with an amazing painter. I gave him a call and he spent almost an hour on the phone with me, sharing his wisdom and giving me advice. I was so thankful for him spending the time with me. Not that I'm any competition for him, but he was so wiling to share what he'd learned. That's the true spirit of what we do. Anyway, enough of my yacking.

[lunatica]

6. I think all of us in the Artists forum should do much more yakking!

I do my fair share for sure. But I want everyone to do it. This place could be quite lively in the most positive ways. Art doesn’t exist well in a vacuum. It’s supposed to be viewed and reacted to and appreciated and loved.