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Portrait Artist of the Year Season 12 Episode 9
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00:00Hello today we're joined by eight remarkable artists who excelled at the
00:14heats and beat the unrelenting four-hour time limit will they once again rise to
00:19the occasion or will they crumble it's the semi-final of portrait artist of
00:25the year over eight thrilling weeks 72 brave artists have created
00:34unforgettable portraits of some of our best-loved personalities
00:44welcome thank you they're gonna take four hours it's four hours yeah you've got
00:49somewhere to be no no not anymore no I have a restless soul so you better be
00:54quick is all I'm saying turn your easels oh my gosh they are fantastic three of you
01:07that's a lot in it one of me's too much if I may say so you've made me look kind of
01:12miserable with inventive techniques and dynamic painting styles eight artists
01:19earn their place in the next round crazy I didn't expect that at all it meant a
01:25lot and it's quite overwhelming at stake is a ten thousand pound commission to paint
01:30award-winning mathematician and broadcaster professor Hannah Fry for the Royal
01:35Society to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first women elected to its
01:39fellowship professor Kathleen Lonsdale and professor Marjorie Stevenson observing their
01:47every move are our judges well open you really racing ahead here you're on a
01:53mission yeah I'm on a mission to enjoy myself but only three can go through I'm
02:01having a great time I just wish it was like six hours or something so the artists
02:06must maintain their focus I am definitely feeling a pressure I'm just trying to stay
02:11calm and not let it kind of maybe tighten after all and deliver a portrait deserving of a place in the
02:17final so you're kind of down the end here yeah everyone rolled over you'd be the one who fell out
02:23the boat
02:25the artists who triumphed in their heats to claim a spot in the semi-final are
02:41London-based gallery production and studio manager Chloe Barnes Courtney Bay a creative marketer residing
02:50in Surrey Nigerian artist Uthman Wahab living in Kent and Lauren Ross an art tutor and painter
02:59from Edinburgh I'm so excited to be in the semi-finals I honestly never expected it so
03:05yeah I'm really excited to see who the sitter is and what the day brings joining them in today's
03:12semi-final are Paulina Krytnievska a painter living between London and Poland from Wiltshire full-time
03:20artist Edie Bound librarian Vincent Stokes from Birmingham and full-time artist Katie Jones from Somerset I
03:29just want to crack on and hopefully do a painting of someone that looks like a person that's my main
03:37aim today
03:38wow interesting we've gone for quite a different feel with the set this year I think what we're
03:53giving them actually is an opportunity to navigate the space and bend it to their will all right what
03:59do you think a Baker for sure but it's quite traditional isn't it it looks like going to be
04:05like a middle-aged person to me you know with the rolling pin oh my gosh there's a lot of objects but
04:11there's a lot of room to play do we get like him baked goods in the break
04:23today I'm looking for the holy grail and what I'd love is an artist who can get a really good likeness
04:27but at the same time has enough of the quirk or something slightly unusual that makes me feel like
04:34we're moving things on a little bit we want blood sweat and tears we want our semi-finalists to show
04:41us their range of their artistic skills we want them to show us that they understand what makes great
04:46art what makes great portraiture it's a lot to ask but it is a semi-final I think the artists are
04:56gonna have a shock when they see our sister today this is somebody who everybody knows and not only
05:02everybody knows but everybody loves and so you've got a national treasure you've got to do them justice
05:06artists congratulations on making it this far in the competition and as it's the semi-final we thought
05:15we'd invite along a true television icon to be your sitter today known for her culinary expertise as well as
05:23for inspiring millions in the kitchen as a judge on the great British Bake Off please welcome Dame Mary Berry
05:45well we have to start with who's this this is Freddie hello Freddie quite
06:15excited to be here well considering that that was about 20 minutes of applause I think Freddie
06:20handled it pretty well well I think it was for Freddie it wasn't for me so welcome this is your home for
06:26the day do you have a space for a portrait of yourself on your wall of space will be named space will be
06:32made right Mary we asked you to bring along an object that has some significance for you what did you
06:38bring along with you I thought one or two things actually William our son sadly is no longer with us he
06:46he died in a car crash and so anything of Williams means a lot to me so I bought a box when he was 10 in
06:53his woodwork class he made a box for shoe cleaning and when you lift the lid he wrote happy birthday and the date and then he also made a valentine card and he drew three elephants and he drew three
07:07elephants and the biggest one he called his brother Thomas and then there was William and then there was Annabelle I thought it was so sweet put it in a frame and I've kept that yeah we were so lucky to have him and he was 19 when he died and I have nothing but good memories of him quite right and in your portrait would you like Freddie would you like the object it's really up to you but it would be nice to have Freddie in he's a good chap he's a lovely dog and he loves it's a good
07:35he's a good chap he's a lovely dog and he loves everybody and he's fairly biddable unless a rabbit comes by nobody's got a rabbit to have next because he does like chasing a rabbit
07:50artists you have all the ingredients here to create a masterpiece so it's time to put your skills to the test you have four hours on your marks get set paint
08:02do you mind looking at the dog I'm gonna wait until he looks up at you ready
08:15there we go such a pose there
08:20would you be able to face forward but look at me that would be really great
08:25with the prospect of a double portrait on their hands our semi-finalists waste no time
08:39so
09:04Mary Berry has a presence right so I think that's why I went for this square canvas
09:08which maybe wouldn't have been my natural approach it just didn't seem right to confine her to this
09:16Courtney Bay is a creative marketer for a charity she demonstrated a strong relationship with her heat
09:22sitter ballet dancer Rhys Clark and her dynamic portrait cemented her place in the next stage
09:31Courtney you put a lot of paint down very quickly in comparison to the heat you've chosen quite a conventional
09:37a pose
09:39we're expecting to see Mary lying on the floor doing something interesting
09:43I want to share that I can still do something that is traditional
09:45but mainly Mary doesn't lend herself to anything but this
09:49but you've undermined that quite traditional pose by having the dog sort of
09:53yeah
09:55appearing but not appearing
09:57I don't like doing animals
09:59oh I see
10:01because they're automatically sweet
10:03and we all draw our eyes to the animal
10:05and we go oh and there's no real way to cut through an animal
10:07oh man
10:09I've gone a bit too low down
10:13you've gone what too low down?
10:15gone too low
10:17what do you mean Katie? what do you mean?
10:19well because the composition that I wanted to have was the hand
10:21oh I see
10:23but I feel happy that I've got them both looking the same way
10:25have you just realised about the hand?
10:27no I realised almost instantly
10:29right
10:31Katie Jones is a professional artist
10:33she gained her place in the semi-final
10:35with a sensitive portrait of broadcaster James May
10:37why have you gone landscape?
10:39it just gives a sense of space and I quite like that
10:41you do
10:43are we going to see a stark white background today?
10:45yeah
10:46there's a lot of colour up there
10:47well from where I'm sat
10:48I can't see anything
10:49I can't see anything
10:50I can't see anything
10:51I can't see anything
10:52I can't see anything
10:53that I've got them both looking the same way
10:55have you just realised about the hand?
10:57no I realised almost instantly
10:58right
10:59Katie Jones is a professional artist
11:01she gained her place in the semi-final
11:03with a sensitive portrait of broadcaster James May
11:05well from where I'm sat
11:07I can't see any of the background
11:08but in your photo
11:09there's a sort of blue wall
11:10oh that is very true
11:11yeah
11:12that is a blue wall
11:13actually I think you've actually helped me out here
11:15alright
11:16that would be a first
11:17if I add in that background
11:19it works quite well
11:20oh ok
11:21yeah so thanks for that
11:22yeah no problem
11:23yeah
11:24if you win I want to cut
11:25just saying that
11:26on the front of the record
11:35the medium I've chosen today is oil paint
11:41and I might end up using acrylic and oil bar with it
11:45it depends on the kind of texture
11:47and the kind of vibrancy I want to achieve
11:49so I'll get my design right
11:51then we call it a day
11:52Nigerian artist Uthman Wahab took an instinctive approach
11:58when he painted political journalist and presenter Beth Rigby
12:02his resulting insightful portrait secured his semi-final spot
12:07wow Uthman you really racing ahead here aren't you?
12:11you're on a mission?
12:12yeah
12:13I'm on a mission to enjoy myself
12:14to enjoy yourself
12:15not to win
12:16if I win it's gonna be a bonus
12:18a bonus
12:19yeah
12:20oh that's interesting
12:21and you've gone pretty big
12:22I mean you did the same with Beth
12:23is this your sort of go-to scale?
12:25ah naturally I do bigger scale
12:28this is like one of the smallest
12:30wow
12:31you know so it's still not like my
12:33my usual
12:34do you feel charged?
12:35but do you feel like contained or?
12:36no no no no
12:37because I just agree to this moment and um
12:39it's fine
12:40you're a great believer in faith aren't you?
12:42yeah
12:43do you always wear gloves when you paint?
12:58yeah so it's a very inky process that I'm doing
13:01and so you've taken off your shoes
13:03you're taking it very very seriously
13:06yeah so in my studio I don't normally wear my shoes
13:09I normally have music blasting
13:11and kind of dancing around and painting at the same time
13:14so I thought I'd just do the same here
13:16Chloe Barnes is a monoprinter
13:18who paints with etching ink on aluminium
13:21the judges praised her inventive mark making
13:24in capturing broadcaster Clara Ampho
13:26who loved the portrait so much she kept it
13:29today just as in the heats
13:31Chloe will present her work on a plate instead of paper
13:36morning Chloe
13:37hello
13:38what's the plan?
13:39so I've got a bit bigger this time
13:40so I really wanted to push myself
13:41I really like the way you position Mary's head
13:43you know it's not where you might traditionally expect it
13:45it's not in the centre
13:46in fact it's down to the left
13:47yeah
13:48so Freddie's kind of looking off towards the right
13:50and is that because Freddie's going to make it in the picture then?
13:52he's going to make it
13:53of course he's going to make it
13:54double portrait
13:55double portrait
13:56I mean it's Dame Mary Berry
13:57she brought her dog
13:58you can't ignore it
13:59of course
14:00the artists have been concentrating on their portraits for nearly an hour
14:11this is sort of like the boring stuff before I can play
14:15I will definitely work in more detail in some parts
14:19but I just sort of have to balance it out
14:21and that wouldn't feel like my style
14:22I'm really happy that I got the drawing done in the first hour
14:32because that was my plan
14:33and now I feel like I can just get into the flow of it
14:36and just paint which is the fun bit
14:38I've been able to put almost all the objects you came with today
14:48the plants, the box and of course the dog
14:51so literally it's all are in this little canvas
14:57for the past hour our eight semi-finalists have been racing the clock
15:09to capture the unmistakable charm of culinary legend Dame Mary Berry
15:22How's it going for you?
15:23It's quite a lot of pressure
15:25but I'm very excited that it's both of you
15:28Oh good, you're doing the dog as well
15:30Yes, definitely
15:31You've even got a little dog round your neck
15:33I do have my little dog round my neck, yeah
15:35I just love, I love dogs
15:37but I want to kind of capture you interacting
15:40is really my aim
15:41so it's quite exciting that I get the chance to do that with you both
15:48Artist Edie Bound created a striking portrait of rock star Youngblood
15:52and won over the judges with her lightness of touch
15:55securing her spot in the semi-final
15:59Edie, you've chosen a photograph of Mary where
16:03although she's smiling beatifically
16:05Yeah
16:06Her eyes are closed
16:07I mean it felt like a bit of a risk
16:08but it felt more like a moment
16:10I think the dog kind of tells you a lot about Mary
16:13so even if her eyes are closed or she's looking down at him
16:16You still get something
16:18Unless the fact the dog is looking at us
16:19So we are having a relationship with the dog
16:21Yeah
16:22And sort of Mary vicariously is having
16:24Yeah
16:25So you're setting up a very complex psychological drama here
16:28Yeah I know, you've got him, he knows exactly what's going on
16:30What's going on
16:31What's going on, I see
16:43I'm still kind of working on my composition
16:45and making sure everything's right proportion
16:48but I know that it's well worth spending the time on this stage
16:51because if it's not right then there's not really any point in doing
16:54the other steps after
16:56now is to just get a little bit more down
16:58and make decisions faster
17:02At the heats, art teacher and painter Lauren Ross
17:05captured DJ Melvin O'Doom
17:07with a portrait the judges praised for its storytelling and vibrancy
17:11earning her a well-deserved place in the semi-final
17:17Lauren, I love this fantastic yellow colour that you've gone in with
17:21I can see there that that palette knife is loaded
17:23Yeah, it is
17:24I'm getting ready to do the background now
17:26And you're obviously quite important for you to get in some of the set
17:29I mean I can see the flowers are in there
17:31Freddie of course
17:32Freddie
17:33I really like painting hair so he's got plenty of hair
17:35and I definitely want to try and get the card in somewhere
17:38You've gone larger than we've seen before
17:40Yeah
17:41Is it strategically larger?
17:42I kind of wanted to show my range
17:43but also I've got the direct gaze in this one
17:46Listen, I think as an underpainting, this is spectacular
17:48Thank you very much
17:49Very good looking, so really nice start
17:53So a much-loved TV personality with a sweet little dog perched on her lap
18:04What are you after? Something saccharine and cuddly in a portrait?
18:08Exactly
18:09You know us so well
18:10She wants to be seen, you know, happy
18:13It is a cliché minefield
18:15Cliché minefield
18:16It's a semi-final, we're really testing our artists by laying a track
18:19Yes
18:20We want to see artists grappling with that
18:23Because Mary is also a 90-year-old person who's lived a full life touched by tragedy
18:28She's sharp, there's a steeniness to her
18:31That is also there
18:32And the artists need to tease it out
18:35And some of them have gone headlong into cliché
18:39Right
18:40It could be early days
18:42But if they don't balance that, it will be very one-dimensional
18:46And it will be disappointing
18:48So the object stays curious because the story behind it is heartbreaking
18:52Yeah
18:53It's full of meaning
18:54Yeah
18:55And it's important to Mary
18:56Yeah
18:57It's not all soggy bottoms and apple turnovers
19:00No
19:01There is a proper life that's been left
19:03Absolutely
19:04Yeah
19:05So we need to see that they can deal with something like this
19:07But it is, it's a tough one to do
19:21I really like the set this time
19:22I think it's very inspiring
19:23There's a lot of elements that I can play with
19:25I think the judges might expect me to do something interesting with my composition again
19:30Just because I did that last time
19:32But I can't promise that
19:34Professional artist Paulina Krytnievska forged a powerful connection with award-winning novelist Alif Shafak
19:42The sensitive portrait she produced won over both her sitter and the judges
19:50Wow, Paulina, you've got a beautiful canvas
19:52I feel like this one is perfect for Mary
19:55I can see she's quite a traditional person
19:57And I feel like this aligns nicely
20:00Like, you know, natural linen
20:01And that sort of traditional
20:03Does that make you feel more that you have to make something that's closer to a formal portrait?
20:07Yes, I feel like this will reflect the sitter best
20:10Yes
20:11Well, you've got a very noble dog head there in Freddy as well
20:14It's a real sort of conversation going on between those two, isn't it?
20:17I was thinking about that
20:18I think what I want to capture here is the strength
20:22Yeah
20:23But also the really nice relationship of them
20:25Exciting
20:26Yeah
20:27Very excited
20:28So today I'm working with a range of mechanical pencils and rubbers and protractors
20:46A lot of dry media
20:47Quite a limited range of materials
20:49But I will compensate for the limited range with my technical abilities
20:54So I think that will make up for my lack of colour palette and lack of scale
21:00At the heats, librarian Vincent Stokes drew writer and comedian Fatia El Ghori
21:06Who chose his work to take home with her
21:08The judges were impressed by the restraint he used to create a quiet and considered portrait
21:15Hello Vincent, talk me through the low in the frame Mary Berry
21:19Why not just a big Mary and a big dog?
21:22I think there's quite a few big Marys around
21:25Okay
21:26I'm thinking of spending the latter half of the day focusing solely on the objects
21:30So we have the lovely table and the box with the card in
21:34Hopefully a rolling pin
21:35Yeah
21:36I had a plan for composition and as soon as I saw the set it all just went out the window
21:41Yeah
21:42So you mean you thought I've got this plan for whoever it is I can slot them into
21:45Pretty much yeah that was my idea
21:47And then you were like oh no it's Berry
21:49It's Berry
21:50What?
21:51Yeah it's Berry I can't conceptualise Mary Berry
21:54Everything's changed
21:55Although I think some people are
21:58Do you think so?
21:59Are they?
22:00Oh I've not really seen other people
22:02So you're kind of down the end here you're kind of slightly
22:05Yeah I'm away from everyone
22:06You know if everyone rolled over you'd be the one who fell out of the vault
22:10Will it be the first time though?
22:11Will it be the first time?
22:12Have you done dogs before?
22:13Yes I actually get commissioned quite a lot to paint dog portraits but I've never done one of a person with a dog
22:18I'm so looking forward to seeing
22:19Because I haven't seen anything have you?
22:20It's very frustrating being this side I can't see what's going on
22:21I think other sitters guess by reactions of the crowd what paintings look like so
22:25We shall see will we?
22:26The artists are nearly at the halfway point so as Mary prepares for a lunch break
22:27Lunch did you hear that?
22:28Lunch did you hear that?
22:29The artists assess their game plans
22:33Getting Mary's face in is definitely the priority at the moment and a
22:38I should be on track to kind of get that done and then start looking elsewhere so I'm going to
22:41see what's going on
22:42I'm going to see what's going on
22:43I'm going to see what's going on
22:44The artists are nearly at the halfway point so as Mary prepares for a lunch break
22:50Lunch did you hear that?
22:53The artists assess their game plans
22:59Getting Mary's face in is definitely the priority at the moment and I should be on track to kind of get that done and then start looking elsewhere soon
23:14My aim was to try and get everything but Mary painted before halfway through
23:21I'm speeding up to try and get as close to that as possible
23:23And that will put me at ease to then spend all the rest of time on Mary's face so that's the plan
23:33Currently it all looks like it's going to plan so I'm not worried
23:36I'm not worried this is good and even if I was I wouldn't say so because
23:39You know thinking makes it so doesn't it?
23:52It's the semi-final and for the past two hours our artists have been capturing baking legend Dame Mary Berry
24:00Although some have been getting a bit of help from our audience
24:03Do you want to paint?
24:04You've got paint on your brush so you can go here
24:07Okay, it's a huge help. Thank you
24:13Thank you. That's great. I'm living that brush from there. I think it is. Yeah, thank you. I hope that doesn't count as cheating
24:24Have you had a chance to have a look at the art on the back wall yet?
24:27I have and they're all so different, aren't they?
24:29Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
24:30Well, we'll give you an idea of what's in store for you later
24:32See Mary you must be used to the rhythm of the day like this
24:35I mean doing bake off all those years
24:37Watching people at work and judging them
24:39I loved being a judge because you feel you can help people just like the judges here
24:46Talk to all the artists and sort of bring the best out of them and add to their skills
24:52You want people to do well?
24:54I want people to do well. I want them to be proud
24:56And I don't want them to cry
24:58Yeah, well, we don't always manage with that
25:11Semi-final day cooking up nicely
25:13Are they rising to the challenge?
25:15I knew he was going to say that
25:17I think this is a bit of a tricky day because there's a set which they could really trip up with it
25:23We've got two sets of artists. We've got the more traditional ones and then we've got the more experimental artists
25:28So there's a weird Venn diagram that quite a lot of them are falling off the edges
25:32There are traps and the artists have to compromise
25:34I mean Mary's the biggest trap of all don't you think?
25:37Because she's quite fragile and delicate
25:39But she's also strong
25:41So I mean some of these artists who are taking slightly more risks
25:44I fear for their lives if they don't get Mary Mary quite right
25:47Don't mess with Mary too much
25:49Yeah, I think what Katie's really good at is she keeps it very clean
25:53And it works very well with the lovely blue that Mary's got in the background
25:56Katie of all the traditionalists here is making the best painting somehow
26:01I think that coolness and the clearness makes it feel very modern
26:05Edie on the other hand with the closed eyes
26:07The most beautiful most sensitive pose
26:10I love it, but of course that's not how we're used to seeing Mary
26:14For me, it's still too sweet
26:15Because Mary looks happy, isn't it?
26:18I don't like portraits of people looking happy
26:20Well, I think maybe what will save it from being too sweet is that it is a bit wonky
26:24There's a kind of quirky qualities with all of the pictures that we've seen from Edie
26:28And so I think she's a real contender for me today
26:30Courtney, we saw what she did with Rhys, giving it an interesting twist
26:35Yeah, I think muscular painting is what Courtney is good at
26:39How do you bring muscular painting and the delicate Mary Berry together?
26:44She's not giving us an attractive Mary
26:46But she's taken a very particular hold of the mouth
26:50And that is what's informed the painting
26:53Uthman spent a lot of the morning feeling his way through
26:57He was like that with Beth though
26:59It felt really sketchy
27:00And then suddenly all sort of came together
27:02It's a bit messy
27:03But I've got a confidence in him putting it all together
27:06I mean, we did see Uthman do it before, you're right
27:08Maybe likeness is something he does at the end
27:10Just to satisfy us and the great painting is what he does all day
27:13Because he's clearly enjoying himself
27:14Chloe working on that large piece of metal
27:16Yeah, I think that it's a radiant material and it's a really radiant portrait
27:20My concern for Chloe is that she's already got quite a lot on there
27:23And I think she doesn't need much more
27:26We've never seen somebody work in this material in all the years we've done the show
27:30To set up a composition which has a dynamic to it which is not sweet in any way
27:35I mean, that's the sweet spot
27:36Lauren's painted everything but Mary so far
27:39I love what Lauren does
27:41And I love the way in which she makes the decisions about which things are going to be treated in the more abstract way
27:46And what I want to see come in now is just make Mary come alive
27:49It's like when a child eats their dinner and they save the sausages to last
27:52That's exactly what I was going to say
27:53They've just done all the veggies
27:54That one last bite that's got all the bits that they love the most on it
27:57Yeah, exactly
27:58Now, Paulina, is she setting your traditional sweet tooth on edge?
28:03Yeah
28:04It is
28:05It's the light coming through the hair
28:06I mean, I think she could do an awful lot if she changed the hair
28:09Is that interesting?
28:10It's very backlit
28:11Like a vision
28:12Yeah
28:13Because Paulina's got a great facility
28:15Yeah, and she's cool
28:16She's a cool artist
28:17You know, so she's definitely someone who's gone a bit close to these traps that we've set
28:22Yeah, what saved the heat painting was, of course, bringing the object
28:25Yeah
28:26And she's not playing with any of the elements today
28:28Has anyone caught a glimpse of Vincent's artwork?
28:31You've got to elbow him away, have you?
28:33You've got to drag him off here
28:34Mary's Louise
28:36She's right down at the bottom
28:37And it's partly, I think, because he wants to include everything that's around her
28:40But I mean, I don't know how it's going to work once everything else has gone in
28:43Is it going to be enough?
28:45What I loved about his heat drawing was the singularity of the line
28:49I find this drawing of Mary a bit softer
28:51But I guess since the man knows what he's doing
28:53So we'll have to just wait till the end
28:55Or he doesn't want us to know what he's doing
28:57Yeah, exactly
29:04It's very frustrating being this side of all the portraits
29:08I'm dying to know what's the other side
29:10They peek around to look at me and Freddie
29:13But they just keep going
29:15This one, what's going on?
29:21I'm trying to decide how I want the dog to be part of this composition
29:26Should the dog look directly to me?
29:28Ah!
29:29You know, to be part of the gaze
29:30Okay
29:31Or he should look away
29:32So he's a constant sort of re-balancing
29:34Yes, yes
29:35Okay
29:42Katie, it's exciting seeing the colours coming in
29:45Yeah, I mean, I've just sketched in Freddie
29:48He's looking a bit sketchy to me
29:50That's your idea of sketchy
29:52There'll be a lot of other people's idea of very proficient painting
29:55Well, I think compared to Mary, he feels quite sketchy
29:58Well, listen, I think he already feels like Freddie
30:00Okay, then that's it
30:02And he feels like Mary
30:03That's the danger now
30:04I've got time to mess it up and fiddle and...
30:06Overbake
30:07Yeah, yeah, overbake
30:08Sorry
30:20Courtney, it's so difficult, isn't it, working with someone whose face is so well-known
30:24It is really tough
30:25Yeah
30:26And she's, like, beautiful and feminine and pink
30:28Yeah, it is tricky
30:29So, I mean, have you been wrestling with your own way in which you like to sort of stylise?
30:33Definitely, yeah
30:34Trying to find places to make it more whimsical is a bit trickier
30:46Lauren, you painted everything but the face
30:48Yeah, it's the hardest part
30:49Yeah, it's the hardest part
30:50It's thinking about the more it making, it's colour mixing
30:52So, I always leave it to last
30:54And now I'm a bit worried about time
30:56So, you sort of warm up on the rest of the painting
30:58Yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah
30:59It's not like a child who will leave the broccoli till the end
31:02Because there's the stuff they don't like doing
31:03Kind of
31:04Is that what it is?
31:05Basically, it's that
31:06I'm just being really childish
31:07Okay
31:08With just half an hour to go, it's tools up and heads down
31:15I am flitting all over the place now
31:20I'm making adjustments and changing anything that I feel needs changing
31:26I think I'm just going to polish up areas back to metal to add some highlights and a bit more depth
31:37And just leave it, I'm happy with it, I think
31:45I'm working on the dog at the moment
31:47I'm not entirely happy with myself
31:50I mean, I'm having a great time
31:52I just wish it was like six hours or something
31:55Or two days
32:05The eight semi-finalists have only moments left of their four-hour challenge
32:09To make some final adjustments to their portraits of Dame Mary Berry
32:16Vince, have you gone back to Mary's face?
32:18Yeah, I wasn't going to do that
32:20But obviously, because we've only got a little bit of time left
32:22If we make a mistake
32:23And the face
32:24Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm asking
32:26It's kind of a question
32:27Why on earth would you do that?
32:28Have you just put it in
32:29Now you're rubbing it
32:30With the tiniest rubber I've ever seen
32:32Yeah
32:33Happy?
32:34I don't know
32:35I don't want to talk about happy or unhappy
32:36Oh, I'm sorry, artists and happiness
32:38Okay
32:39I hate pink and red
32:48And I'm having a hard time with the jacket because of it
32:51So I'm coming back to work on it now in hopes that I can fix it
32:55I think I'm going to go right to the last minute
33:00I still want to add folds into the jacket so it doesn't look too flat
33:04So there's lots of things on my to-do list
33:06There's a suggestion of the hair and I quickly put a suggestion of the finger in
33:12And a suggestion of the necklace
33:15A suggestion of the dog
33:16Mary's a suggestion somewhere in there
33:19Artists, you have five minutes left
33:21Five minutes
33:22I am definitely feeling a pressure
33:27I'm just trying to stay calm and not let it kind of make me tighten after all
33:34Nothing can go wrong at this point
33:37I'll just leave it and call it a day
33:45Artists, your semi-final challenge is over
33:48Please stop what you're doing and step away from your artwork
33:52Thank you
33:53Thank you
33:54Thank you
33:55Thank you
33:56Thank you
33:57Thank you
33:58Thank you
33:59Thank you
34:00Thank you
34:01Thank you
34:02Thank you
34:03Thank you
34:04Thank you
34:05Thank you
34:06Thank you
34:07Wow
34:08I'm glad it's over
34:09Thank you
34:10Thank you
34:11Mary Berry and her faithful companion Freddie have sat stoically for four hours
34:16And it's time to reward their patience
34:18You survived?
34:19I've survived
34:21How was it?
34:22It was absolutely wonderful but I'm just waiting for that reveal
34:27Well luckily we're absolving you of judging duty today
34:30I know
34:31Yeah
34:32I can't wait for that turnaround
34:34You're about to be confronted by eight Mary Berries I just need to warn you
34:38It's a peculiar thing
34:39It is
34:40But it's a wonderful thing
34:41Right
34:42Artists, can I ask you please
34:44To turn your easels
34:45To turn your easels
34:46I'm overwhelmed they're all so different
34:51I'm overwhelmed they're all so different
35:06How amazing colourful fun
35:12And lots of freddies
35:13Lots of freddies
35:14Lots of freddies
35:16Each one has something special about it
35:18Yeah
35:19Should we have a closer look
35:20Right
35:21Vincent's been hunched over his artwork all day
35:27I was really worried about you
35:28I was really worried about you
35:29You were about that much away
35:31I rather like the idea that I'm looking calm
35:34And I can see Will's little Valentine card
35:36Indeed
35:37Indeed
35:38And it's lovely
35:39Thank you Vincent
35:40No problem
35:41Paulina
35:43I think that you enjoyed doing the dog more than me
35:47That's not true
35:49Well no but you like dogs don't you
35:51I do like dogs
35:52He looks very content leaning on me
35:55I think he's looking at the audience out there you know
35:58And thinking perhaps somebody will take me for a run
36:01It tells the story
36:03Thank you Paulina
36:04Thank you
36:05Thank you
36:06Lauren
36:07Well you've got the Valentine in the background
36:10With a little heart in three elephants
36:12And Freddie
36:13I think he looks a bit bored there
36:15Don't you Freddie
36:16But you've certainly got my look
36:18Quite cheerful
36:19Thank you Lauren
36:20Thank you
36:21Thank you
36:22Chloe
36:24Oh I think that is really
36:26So different from anything I've ever seen
36:28I was wondering what was happening
36:30Because suddenly you got a roller out
36:32But it's so different
36:34I like it
36:35Thank you
36:38Uffman
36:39You use so much paint
36:41It seemed to go everywhere
36:43Yeah
36:44It's really rather fun
36:45It looks as though I'm in charge there
36:48Which I like to be
36:49Thank you
36:51Thank you
36:52Thank you
36:53Courtney
36:54Thank you
36:55Thank you
36:56Thank you
36:57It's very bold
36:58Now Freddie's
36:59He's gone off to the side
37:00But why not
37:01Everybody else has got him
37:02You certainly got me
37:04And it's very flamboyant
37:05It is
37:06And quite different isn't it
37:07Really
37:08Thank you Courtney
37:09E.D.
37:10You like dogs don't you
37:14I love dogs
37:15I think you've done him well
37:17Aww
37:18You've got me sort of looking and thinking
37:20Everything's alright
37:21Yeah
37:22Thank you E.D.
37:25Katie
37:26You've done the eyes very well
37:28I think the eyelashes are even better than mine
37:30Oh really?
37:31I know
37:32And a good smile
37:33And you certainly got Freddie
37:35I think you've captured it jolly well
37:37Thank you
37:38Thank you
37:39Right, thank you Katie
37:40Thank you
37:41So
37:42Normally our sitters get to choose one of three
37:44But there are eight portraits of you
37:47You get to take one home with you
37:48I have chosen one
37:50I think I look contented and happy
37:53And I've fallen in love with it
37:55I haven't got room for it
37:57But I'm going to make room
37:59And I think it'll be the talk of the town
38:02I have chosen the one that is painted on aluminium
38:05Chloe
38:24Dame Mary Berry has made her choice
38:26But now it's the judges who have a difficult decision
38:29Who makes it to the final three?
38:34So eight artists you all had high hopes for
38:37Inevitably some deliver and some don't on the day
38:40Would that be fair?
38:41Yeah, I mean I think the semi-finals tough
38:43I think we've got a group of artists here
38:44Some of whom got it just right
38:46Some of them might be on the side of playing it a bit too safe
38:48And some of them on the side of maybe a little bit too risky
38:50I think Courtney pushed her own style slightly too heavily upon Mary
38:54You know, Mary's very delicate
38:56And when you impose a more muscular style on top of that
38:59It doesn't work
39:00But I think if you want to paint like this
39:02You need to collaborate with the sitter
39:04But she did very well in the heat
39:05And instead she went for this quite conventional pose
39:07And she left herself no space to soften it in any way
39:11Katie has given us these stark white backgrounds
39:14Slightly softened today by that stripe of green
39:17Yeah, I think this is something slightly different
39:19So it's exciting to see an artist who actually shows us more
39:22And pulls it off in the time
39:24I mean, that's a proper bit of painting in a day
39:26Edie would have said today was a perfect sitter for her
39:30And she'd have been talking about the dog
39:32She's absolutely dog mad
39:33And this painting is pretty much all about the dog, isn't it?
39:36I love the bravery of an artist to be like Dame Mary Berry
39:39Okay, but Freddie, it's really Freddie
39:41I think there's a slight likeness issue in the mouth
39:44It doesn't feel as pretty as Mary was
39:46But that said, I think that she did something very ambitious
39:49What I like about Edie's double portrait is
39:51It's about a human's relationship with the dog
39:53And how close they are
39:55You get a sense that relationships between humans and dogs
39:58It's full of life
39:59Hoffman talked about wanting to find the strength
40:02And the sadness that he saw in Mary
40:04I mean, Hoffman was having such a great time today
40:07I was absolutely convinced that he would pull Mary out of that face by the end of today
40:13But he didn't
40:14No, I think with Hoffman it's always a sort of a balancing act
40:17Between what the painting was dictating to him
40:19And I think the painting won today in a funny way
40:22Yeah, that Mary looks like she's about to kick my head in
40:25Chloe works on this extraordinary surface
40:29And it's the painting Mary chose to take home
40:32I can understand why she chose this painting
40:34I mean, look at Freddie
40:35But I think Chloe really paid attention
40:37I mean, she was really wanting to make a strong likeness
40:41We're entering a different world and I think it's beautifully set up
40:44It's just such a great composition
40:45And all done in this weird green monochrome
40:48As a piece of art, I think it's spectacular
40:51Lauren left the face till last
40:55Yeah
40:56Partly out of nerves, she said
40:57But the problem then if you leave it to the last moment
40:59Is the language has got to fit in, you know
41:02And it's an odd language
41:04It's a pop kind of flatness to it
41:06And it suits the way she's painted everything else
41:08You know, Lauren is so interesting, isn't she?
41:10The way she combines these different styles
41:12Really interesting way of applying paint
41:15Fabulous composition
41:16But she should have got to that face sooner
41:18Paulina's portrait
41:20I'm looking at that thinking
41:22Is it too soft?
41:23Is it too backlit?
41:24Is it for you all of those things?
41:26Objectively, it's just a beautiful painting of Freddie
41:29For me, it feels at odds with the Paulina that I've seen before
41:32Who just feels a bit more contemporary than this
41:34It's one of the best Freddies in the room, isn't it?
41:36But I think there's an issue with the likeness
41:38If you look at Freddie, he's pretty much spot on
41:40Why is Mary not spot on?
41:42I don't know, Freddie was looking at it thinking
41:43Am I that fat?
41:46Vincent was hunched over that desk
41:48I saw rulers protract as pencils
41:50He could have been doing maths homework
41:52But this is what he was doing
41:54What did you make of it?
41:55It's a crazy fairytale, isn't it?
41:57Where this tiny woman and her dog is overwhelmed by cooking stuff
42:02And remember his submission
42:04Yes, okay
42:05A man is overwhelmed by all the various things in his life
42:08This composition maybe is just a bit too straightforward
42:11But there's something really peculiar about the submission
42:13Unfortunately, I just don't think this has got a strong enough narrative quality
42:16I think he could have been a bit weirder
42:18Right, well, I've just realised, of course, that the one advantage Bake Off has over us
42:22Because at this point, I'd be able to eat eight cakes
42:26But I can't
42:27We have eight artists, we need three for the final, please
42:31And if you can't make a decision, Paul Hollywood's waiting outside
42:42Some people just had a better day, made better choices early on
42:46And were able to execute a portrait by avoiding the sort of saccharine
42:49I mean, some things don't have enough weight, this is too sweet
42:52Yeah, yeah
42:53I'm happy with those three
42:54I really am
42:55Yeah, they're clear and strong
42:56That's got real sort of painterly quality to it
42:58That's got a sort of silent sort of colour majesty to it
43:01No, good choice
43:02And I'm sort of dying to see their commission
43:04I'm sort of ready for the next chapter
43:06Artists, well done to all of you for making it this far in the competition
43:12Thank you for your hard work
43:14It's been an absolute pleasure watching your talents at work
43:17However, as you know, only three of you can go through to the final
43:21And the judges have made their decision
43:24The first artist they have chosen is
43:30Katie Jones
43:36The second finalist is
43:50Lauren Ross
44:01And the third finalist is
44:02Chloe Barnes
44:06I can't believe I'm the finalist
44:19It's really exciting
44:21And I almost just can't believe it
44:23I feel like what I'm doing is
44:24Kind of a risk
44:25But it seems to be paying off
44:27You've got to go all over again
44:30In a couple of weeks
44:32Thank you
44:33Yeah
44:34I don't know what just happened
44:35But I wasn't expecting that
44:37At all
44:38There's so many great artists
44:39I know everyone probably says that
44:41But there were
44:42So that was a real shock
44:43Thanks so much
44:44Well done
44:45Thank you so much
44:46I can't quite believe that
44:48I'm in the finalist
44:49But for a moment I was thinking
44:51Did I hear that right?
44:52And was I mishearing the name?
44:54So it's so exciting
44:56All three of these artists
44:58Really developed their practice
45:00Chloe's developed a way
45:02Of sort of making sure
45:03That the aluminium in the background
45:04Is now part of the painting as a whole
45:06Katie's got a very particular style
45:08And today she was really pushing
45:10On what she could actually give us
45:12And then with Lauren
45:13We have beautiful tonalities
45:15A real understanding of composition
45:17Just a luscious painting
45:19I also am very very confident
45:21That all three of these artists
45:23Can make fantastic commissions
45:25So that has me tingling at the fingertips
45:27If you'd like to know more
45:29About the competition
45:30And the work of the artists
45:31Featured in it
45:32Please go to skyartsartistoftheyear.tv
45:49To be continued...
45:53To be continued...
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