THREE talented Limerick portrait artists will appear on the Sky Arts TV show ‘Portrait Artist Of The Year’ next Tuesday, all of them hoping to win a £10,000 commission for the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Mark Heng, Enda Griffin and Charlotte Lee were among the 12 artists selected at the Dublin heat and are among the final 72 chosen to appear on the series, with more than 1,400 aspiring artists entering the contest.
The semi-finalists will be required to paint a portrait of a celebrity within four hours, with four competitors being selected for the grand final at the UK National Portrait Gallery.
For Mark and Enda, the challenge of painting a top class portrait within a narrow time constraint on satellite TV was nervy but quite enjoyable.
Mark said: “There was both [excitement and apprehension]. I definitely tried to play it up a little bit, but at the same time I realised that I could come off like a complete idiot if I played it wrong.”
Enda added: “The camera is on you all the time and people will be interviewing you and asking you questions every 20 minutes or so. The hosts of the show, Frank Skinner and Joan Bakewell, are asking questions and they might ask you the same question a few times while you’re trying to paint, which you’re usually doing in the privacy of your own home, so it is very intense. There’s also the time constraint – four hours is not long.”
The 72 semi-finalists were given VIP-style treatment by the producers of the programme, with each of them having their own ‘green room’ and programme staff attending to the needs of the contestants.
Mark and Enda stated that there was a healthy sense of competition between the semi-finalists, and while each of them ultimately aims to be the overall winner, there is no sense of rivalry between the contestants.
According to Mark, “you’re not really competing against one another. You’re competing against yourself and trying to do the best job that you can. Everyone is feeling the pressure in the same boat and most people look at it as an opportunity to have fun and meet cool people.”
Enda said: “Obviously everyone who turns up wants to win. You’re trying to do the best you can do on the canvas or board in front of you. You are competing at the end of it, but for those four hours you’re just trying to compete with yourself, keep calm and do some work that you’d be happy with.”
‘Portrait Artist of the Year’ airs on Sky Arts every Tuesday at 8pm. Mark, Enda and Charlotte will appear on the show this Tuesday December 9.
LIMERICK’S PORTRAIT ARTISTS
Mark Heng is an artist specialising in quick sketch portrait caricatures for weddings, parties, events, and promotions. He came to Limerick from Boston in 2006 and runs the Limerick Figure Drawing Society. www.markheng.com
Charlotte Lee is a Kerry-born artist now based in Limerick city. She recently graduated from the Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD) with a First Class Honours Degree in Fine Art Printmaking and Contemporary Practice. Her current artistic practice deals with varying identities that utilise her own personal experiences. www.iamcharlottelee.com
Enda Griffin graduated from LSAD in the early 1990s. Since then he has worked in the community and voluntary sector. Now a stay at home Dad, he has time to concentrate on portrait painting and teaching drawing and painting. If you are interested in getting a portrait painted contact Enda at endagriffin@hotmail.com.
