0:00:03 > 0:00:06Britain's top artists make big money.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Their works can go for millions.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Six million five, seven million.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15So how do you get a slice of the action?
0:00:16 > 0:00:21Now's your chance to find out, as we offered all-comers the opportunity
0:00:21 > 0:00:25to fight for a spot at the hottest exhibition in town.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28- Bring it on, please, open the door. - Art really matters to me.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30This is something I want to do for the rest of my life.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33They could stand to make some serious cash.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Could you tell us what price you'd put on your piece?
0:00:36 > 0:00:3830 grand.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41- 30,000?- I'd like £100,000 for it. - Wow.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46But first, they need the seal of approval from three of the art world's toughest critics.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49I think it looks like it's from the centrefold of a men's magazine.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53My first impression when I saw the picture was...was actual disgust.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Their hopes and dreams are in the hands of the hanging committee.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01I think you need to go back to the drawing board...literally.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04It's time to Show Me The Monet.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11Hello and welcome to the Show Me The Monet exhibition here at the Royal College of Art in Central London.
0:01:11 > 0:01:17This institution has played a pivotal role in British art for over 150 years.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22Well, over the last couple of months, ambitious British artists, both amateur and professional
0:01:22 > 0:01:25have been facing our hanging committee
0:01:25 > 0:01:29in the hope that they'll get their work exhibited on these walls.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32David Lee is the bad boy of the art world.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35He's the scourge of the art establishment in general,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38and the Turner Prize in particular.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40I want somebody to come in and surprise me, to shock me.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Roy Bolton is an expert in Old Masters, who's valued art
0:01:44 > 0:01:48for some of the world's most exclusive auction houses.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51I really hate fashionability for its own sake.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55And contemporary specialist Charlotte Mullins has applied her critical eye
0:01:55 > 0:01:58to some of the industry's most prestigious competitions.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Art should speak to you. It should have an emotional charge.
0:02:01 > 0:02:08Only art which shows originality, technical skill and emotional impact will get past them.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13These experts are the gatekeepers to our exhibition,
0:02:13 > 0:02:18where a spot in the limelight and the chance to sell for big bucks awaits.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24We've held hanging committee sessions in London,
0:02:24 > 0:02:29Liverpool and Glasgow in our hunt for the best of British talent.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34One place we set up shop was the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.
0:02:34 > 0:02:40Against the backdrop of seven centuries of fine and decorative art,
0:02:40 > 0:02:44hopeful artists brave the judges in a bid to achieve their dreams.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51They needed two votes to get through to the Royal College of Art, but only the best made the grade.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56School caretaker Frank Meaney impressed the judges with his photographic talent.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59I would have put you down as a professional photographer.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Technically, it looks very well done.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06The whole idea of it was to show Liverpool in a good light.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09It doesn't get the best of press at times.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12It's amazing that the reflections on the water are so crisp.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14There's a huge amount of skill in there.
0:03:14 > 0:03:20You've done it so well, you've completely deceived me into thinking it was one panoramic image.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23But it wasn't original enough to get him through to the sale.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27It's a classic skyline I've seen a thousand times. It's no, I'm sorry.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31It's very difficult to make a well known subject matter new and interesting.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32I'm afraid it's a no from me.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36I'm not sure it's much more than a really good photograph of Liverpool.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39- Thanks so much for showing it to us. - Thank you.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41It's great, and you're very talented.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46Poet Lauren Paige wanted to see if she could use the paintbrush
0:03:46 > 0:03:48as well as the pen.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52My painting is called Journey. I completed it
0:03:52 > 0:03:56a year into my career as a painter.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00It was originally a photograph that I took sailing along the River Nile.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05But, despite some flair, inexperience let her down.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09You've called it Journey. You're not really giving us the Nile.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12You're obviously naturally gifted.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16- OK.- But you're still at a kind of beginner's, juvenile stage.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Radiologist Dr Huw Lewis-Jones hoped his Snowdonia painting
0:04:21 > 0:04:25would win him a life-changing ticket to the exhibition.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28This is a very personal image to me.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32I'm absolutely committed to Welsh landscape painting in particular.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34He won over one of the judges.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40There's nothing wrong with traditionalism and you've made a good stab. Yes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43But his hopes were crushed by Charlotte and Roy.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46The foreground seems like it's done from a photograph.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51You're trying too many different things in the painting. So it's a no from me. I'm very sorry.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54We won't be taking your painting to the exhibition.
0:04:59 > 0:05:05Before she met the panel. I met with mother of two, Caroline Thatcher. She could hardly stop shaking!
0:05:05 > 0:05:10Caroline, welcome to the hanging committee.
0:05:10 > 0:05:16- Thank you.- How are you feeling? - It's a borderline terrified and quite looking forward to it.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18How long have you been painting?
0:05:18 > 0:05:23Oh, gosh, I suppose intensively for the last four years while I've been at university,
0:05:23 > 0:05:28and then I had a massive gap between then and when I was at school. So this is the real world now.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30What do you want to achieve?
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Well, the opportunity to have an exhibition,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36or be part of an exhibition in London is just fantastic.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41There are only three people standing in our way though - the judges.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45And they can be quite tough, quite critical, and I suppose with art, it's very personal.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- It can be. You try and distance yourself.- Are you ready for that?
0:05:48 > 0:05:51I think you have to try and distance yourself from it.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Well, I wish you the best of luck.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55- Thank you. - Go and meet the judges.
0:05:58 > 0:06:04The chance to exhibit at the Royal College of Art would mean the world to Caroline.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08She's pinning her hopes on this oil on canvas painting, Growing Pains.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Would you hang this on your wall?
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Caroline, welcome to the hanging committee.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Would you tell us about your work please?
0:06:21 > 0:06:29Yes. This painting was the first of a series of three that I did in my final year of university last year.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31The series was entitled Growing Pains.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36The inspiration for the piece was an old black and white photograph
0:06:36 > 0:06:41of myself as a child of about three at a children's Christmas party.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Wwhat captivated me about it really was the body language -
0:06:44 > 0:06:49the tucked-in chin, the rabbit caught in headlights stare.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52This painting means a lot to Caroline,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56and if it goes on sale at the RCA, she could stand to make some serious cash.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Well, what's your valuation, the price of this picture?
0:07:00 > 0:07:07We were advised at university, because of the size, it would be sort of in the region of £500-£600.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11It seems too small to me, by a long way.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15OK. For somebody who's unknown?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18£500, you can barely buy a framed poster for that now.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21True. Well, a frame of that size anyway.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24OK. We'd like to have a close look at it.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27OK.
0:07:27 > 0:07:34It's a very modest valuation, but the exhibition could launch Caroline on the path to fame and fortune.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37If she impresses these three.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43Well, Caroline was shaking here when I was chatting to her, and you can probably see
0:07:43 > 0:07:47she's still shaking in front of the judges, not surprisingly.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56- You finished this when you were at university?- Hmm.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Did you paint before you went to university?
0:07:58 > 0:08:04Not for a huge number of years - probably about 30 years.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- Life got in the way...- Yes. - And now you finally...
0:08:07 > 0:08:08I was married at 20, two children.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11You know, lots and lots of things have happened in between.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Are you going to carry on painting, Caroline?
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- Oh, definitely, yes.- Full time?
0:08:16 > 0:08:21Unfortunately not at the moment, so, you know, it's quite a slow process,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24getting going and making a living out of your work,
0:08:24 > 0:08:30so I'm teaching an art class once a week and I've also worked in an art gallery as well.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- But it would be nice to think I could.- Yeah, it's perfectly obvious
0:08:34 > 0:08:37that you're very knowledgeable about art...
0:08:37 > 0:08:42Having chosen to follow her dream late in life, the judges' opinion means all the more to Caroline.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44I love the bottom half.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48It's like a ghostly presence at the bottom, which when you've explained
0:08:48 > 0:08:51it's from a photograph from the past, that makes perfect sense.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54But you don't need to know that to love the painting.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57You've taken a lot of chances in that picture and I admire you for that.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02There's no back legs on the chair, for example, to sit it down.
0:09:02 > 0:09:08How many painters would be brave enough to put the whole of the subject on one side?
0:09:08 > 0:09:10- Hmm.- That's very interesting.
0:09:10 > 0:09:16As you said about the chair not being drawn, it was all, it was all to make it a little bit off-kilter.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18I think you very clearly have a natural eye,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21from my point of view from this, just viewing this one picture.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26I wish you'd have continued drawing, you know, 15 minutes a day
0:09:26 > 0:09:30in the 30 years when you weren't painting, because...
0:09:30 > 0:09:35- So do I.- If I have any problem with it, the child's left hand looks a little bit like a trotter.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Lots of pluses, but a minus for technique from David.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Remember, they're also looking for originality and emotional impact.
0:09:43 > 0:09:49Yeah, I was worried when I first saw it, I might think this was slightly winsome or sentimental because...
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- No.- ..I immediately saw the flower. And then I started looking at it,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55and I think the way you've painted this is quite exceptional.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It gives a vulnerability that makes me almost cry.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00You did this at university, this is incredible.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Thank you very much.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Roy.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09Everything you've done with the technique I think is, is superb and very advanced.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Yes. Originality.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13I think you've got your own voice.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Technique.
0:10:16 > 0:10:22Yeah, keep, keep, keep drawing, so that you can make those - everything stick and everything convincing.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28Emotional response. Yeah, I find that, I find that a really absorbing picture.
0:10:28 > 0:10:35I don't think there's any collection of contemporary art which wouldn't
0:10:35 > 0:10:38be proud to have that picture in it.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Oh!
0:10:41 > 0:10:45Thank you very much. It was in my garage.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48My goodness. This is the most incredible praise.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50It's looking pretty positive.
0:10:50 > 0:10:55But Caroline's place at the exhibition isn't safe until she's had two yes votes.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58- Charlotte.- Absolutely yes.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- Roy.- Absolutely yes.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05- Absolutely.- Oh, thank you very much, I'm overwhelmed.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- Well done.- Smashing picture, that.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- Thank you.- Three yes's. No, three absolutely yes's.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- She doesn't know how good she is, does she?- She doesn't have a clue.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- Incredibly surprising. - It's very good indeed.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Caroline's past the first hurdle.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26But what will happen at the exhibition?
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Could she make a life-changing sale?
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Caroline's made it to the exhibition, and her husband Neil is by her side.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45And he's not the only one who thinks she's got talent.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50It's not cluttered up, it's not trying too hard.
0:11:50 > 0:11:55It's modern, it's contemporary. You can get a sense of what it's about.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58And I think I could come back tomorrow or in a month's time
0:11:58 > 0:12:01and still think about that same painting.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06But can Caroline convert the compliments into cash?
0:12:06 > 0:12:12She's taken David's advice and upped the guide price to £1,000.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15The dealers, collectors and members of the public
0:12:15 > 0:12:17are free to make offers on
0:12:17 > 0:12:20as many works as they like, but they won't be haggling with the artists.
0:12:20 > 0:12:26They must make a sealed offer to an independent sales agent,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30which won't be opened until after the sale's over.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32So there's been interest?
0:12:32 > 0:12:38Yes, yeah. A gallery owner and several people have just come up to me and said how much they love it.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40It's just been, you know, wonderful.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Caroline's enjoyed her chance to mingle with the art A-list.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49But will Growing Pains be her ticket to turning professional
0:12:49 > 0:12:51and making her dream come true?
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Caroline's been nervously waiting to learn if anyone wanted to buy her painting.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02If she gets an offer above her asking price of £1,000,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04she must sell to the highest bidder.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09The independent agent will take a cut of 10%.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13It's now time to reveal if Caroline's made a sale.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15- Hi, Caroline.- Hello.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- You did get three offers.- Did I?
0:13:19 > 0:13:21- Three offers.- Ooh.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Shall I tell you what the lowest one was?
0:13:23 > 0:13:24Go on then.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29- £1,050.- Yeah, quite happy with that.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Shall we settle for that? Do you want to settle for that now?
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Well, no, you've got to tell me the other two, haven't you?
0:13:34 > 0:13:38OK. Well, the second highest offer...
0:13:38 > 0:13:43- was £1,300.- OK, yeah.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Right, I can tell you that the highest offer for
0:13:47 > 0:13:49your little painting here...
0:13:49 > 0:13:54was £3,000.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Wow. That's fantastic.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Are you thinking of doing this full time?
0:13:59 > 0:14:01- For a living?- Yeah.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04If only. Yes, I would like to, yes.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08At £3,000 Caroline has sold her painting
0:14:08 > 0:14:12for an incredible three times the asking price.
0:14:12 > 0:14:18Not bad for someone who went 30 years without picking up a paintbrush.
0:14:18 > 0:14:25- Well done.- It's a life-changing moment for Caroline, whose future as a painter seems assured.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Still to come on today's show...
0:14:32 > 0:14:38A young artist reaches for the stars with a bid to change the face of Scottish art.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42I didn't want it to be in your face with tartan or shortbread or anything tacky.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46I wanted to prove that Scottish art could be really cool.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49And David dishes out some strong criticism.
0:14:49 > 0:14:57It looks to me like an icon for some weird religious cult worshipping ladles.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02And we'll be catching up with all those who made the grade and won a place here at the exhibition.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Who knows, they might meet a VIP guest and even make a sale.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09For every single artist that's made it here tonight,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11it's been a gruelling journey.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19We asked all comers to send us their drawings, sculpture, paintings and photographs
0:15:19 > 0:15:22and the best of the entries were sent through to the hanging committees.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27But to get to the exhibition, they had to get past the judges.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34London's Foundling Museum is home to an impressive collection
0:15:34 > 0:15:38of 18th century art by British giants from Gainsborough to Hogarth.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45I caught up with roofer Karl Terry before he went up in front of the judges.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Now he dreams of making some serious cash from his boyhood passion
0:15:49 > 0:15:53and maybe turning painting into a full-time profession.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Karl, nice to meet you. How are you feeling about this?
0:15:59 > 0:16:00I'm feeling great, yeah.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03More relaxed than I thought I was going to be, yeah.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- You look comfortable and relaxed. Tell me where you're from. - Rye in East Sussex.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10- I'm married and I've got two young children.- Busy boy then. - I'm a busy boy, yes.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14- So, are you a full-time artist? - No, I'm not. I wish I was. I'm a roofing contractor.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16I wanted to be a painter when I left school,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18but I ended up doing the same job as my dad.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22But now obviously with the painting, it's consumed me, it's taken over.
0:16:22 > 0:16:23That's what I like to hear.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Is there any moment in your life where you said,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29- "I've got to get back to that painting?"- Yes. It's a funny story
0:16:29 > 0:16:32because I was phoned one day about six years ago
0:16:32 > 0:16:35by my former art teacher and he had a leak in his roof,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38so I fixed the leak and I didn't charge him
0:16:38 > 0:16:41because he was the only teacher I really liked at school.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43I came home one day and he'd left a painting
0:16:43 > 0:16:47on my doorstep and it sort of rekindled all those thoughts about painting.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49What are your ambitions now, then?
0:16:49 > 0:16:52My ambitions ultimately are to paint full time
0:16:52 > 0:16:54and now the painting has taken over
0:16:54 > 0:16:57and it's a complete new challenge, I love it.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00We've got another big challenge for you today. You've got three judges.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03They are nice, in part. But they can be harsh.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05- OK.- I mean, I suspect you've...
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- I was expecting that.- Yeah. How do you expect to deal with that?
0:17:08 > 0:17:11I don't mind rejection. I'd like to get some critique
0:17:11 > 0:17:14because the only time I see my pictures on the wall,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18they're in a gallery where they've been accepted, so I'm interested to see what they think.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22In a way, I'm worried that maybe my works a bit too traditional, but let's wait and see.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Let's wait and see. Don't put words into their mouths.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28I wish you the very best of luck. Just two yes's from the judges.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- Away you go through those doors. - Thank you very much.- Good luck.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Karl's hoping to impress the Hanging Judges
0:17:34 > 0:17:37with his oil-on-board landscape.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39But will the judges give him their seal of approval
0:17:39 > 0:17:43or tell him to stick to the day job?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- Karl, welcome to the Hanging Committee.- Hello.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Would you like to take a moment to tell us about your painting?
0:17:55 > 0:17:59My paintings called Rising Tide Rye and it's fairly typical
0:17:59 > 0:18:00of the work that I produce
0:18:00 > 0:18:02and was painted entirely on location.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06It's a challenge to paint because the light changed quickly,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09the water was rising up so I had to work very, very fast.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12After an hour and a half, I had water lapping around my feet,
0:18:12 > 0:18:16so I was forced to stop. I'm quite pleased with this painting.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I think I captured the essence of the subject,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21and without getting too bogged down with too much detail.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Would you like to give us a valuation for this painting?
0:18:25 > 0:18:28I would value my painting at £750.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30What's that based on? Have you sold work?
0:18:30 > 0:18:32That's based on paintings that I've sold in the past.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34I'm only part-time, I only paint two days a week,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38and I exhibit in several galleries throughout England
0:18:38 > 0:18:40and that's the sort of price that they make. Yeah.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43- Do you mind if we have a closer look?- Please do.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48To be sure of a spot at the Royal College exhibition,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52and maybe make some cash doing the thing he loves most,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55roofer Karl needs to sway at least two of the three judges.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08- Hi, Karl.- Hi, hello.- You mention you paint two days a week?
0:19:08 > 0:19:13I try and paint every Wednesday and I paint on Saturdays, yeah, or whenever my wife lets me!
0:19:14 > 0:19:18When Van Gogh painted out of doors he complained bitterly
0:19:18 > 0:19:21about how difficult it was with the wind, the flies,
0:19:21 > 0:19:25the sand getting everywhere. Didn't you have difficulty with that?
0:19:25 > 0:19:27I can't see any evidence of flies or sand.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30That day was quite lucky, really, because it wasn't so windy,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33but a lot of time I'm trying to hang onto my easel with one hand
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and paint with the other. But the good thing about painting outside
0:19:36 > 0:19:38is it forces you to make quick decisions and work quickly,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41and you do get used to it, but, yeah, it's hard work.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44The worst is the snow and the rain and that's really difficult.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47It's great fun, I wouldn't do anything else.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48How long did this take?
0:19:48 > 0:19:51A painting like this, any more than an hour and a half or two hours
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- and I've painted the life out of it.- Really?
0:19:54 > 0:19:57The light changes so quickly you've got a window of opportunity
0:19:57 > 0:20:01for about an hour and a half. Sometimes they look better after ten minutes than after three hours!
0:20:01 > 0:20:04You learn to leave it alone and walk away. OK, thanks very much.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06They seem intrigued by Karl's methods,
0:20:06 > 0:20:10but the panel must judge the painting by three criteria -
0:20:10 > 0:20:14originality, technical skill, and emotional impact.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18If it has all three, then Karl's dream could come true.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22I am so torn on this painting,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24because I think you have a lovely touch.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28It really has something. I love the colours you've got in the mud.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31I have a few technical issues with the cloud that floats,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34the white cloud that floats above and the reflection is too heavy.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38I feel like I've seen scenes like this many times before
0:20:38 > 0:20:40and that's the problem is the originality.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44For me, a work of art has to communicate beyond the memories
0:20:44 > 0:20:47perhaps it invokes in people. People will look at this
0:20:47 > 0:20:49and go, "Oh, I know that view in Rye."
0:20:49 > 0:20:53It's got to go beyond that for me and I'm not really sure it does.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56It's very well done, a very good landscape.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00I'm not sure it really has... that extra edge.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03It's a very fresh, competent oil sketch...
0:21:04 > 0:21:07..so technically you're doing well.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13Karl, I think this is a highly commercial painting.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I can see this for sale in 1,000 galleries up and down the country
0:21:16 > 0:21:19and you've captured this scene very quickly and very well.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22However, we don't choose on a commercial basis here.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28It comes down to originality. I have seen very similar pictures
0:21:28 > 0:21:31a thousand times, from mid 19th-century France onwards.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Skill. I think to produce this
0:21:34 > 0:21:37this well, this quickly, shows a great deal of skill.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Emotional connection.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43I think because I've seen something similar so often it's a tricky one.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47The judges don't seem sure Karl ticks every box.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51Can he pull the two yes votes he needs out the bag?
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Charlotte, what have you got to say?
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Sticking to our criteria I have to say no,
0:21:59 > 0:22:00I'm sorry.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01David.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07I'm full of admiration for you. But I too must say no, I'm sorry.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12It's a wonderful open air sketch,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15but I'm afraid on the criteria, I think I need to say no as well.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19I understand. Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- I appreciate your comments.- Great to meet you.- Thank you. Lovely.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25So for now, Karl's chances of getting to our exhibition,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29and maybe making some cash, have been dashed, but he's taking it
0:22:29 > 0:22:30all in his stride.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34I was pleased with their critique. I understand what they said about not being original,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37but you'd have to be an amazing innovator to reinvent the wheel
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and what I try to... You know,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43I just do what I love doing and I do it as best as I can. That's all I can say.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47What will you take away from that experience and maybe use in your work?
0:22:47 > 0:22:48I'm going to carry on doing what I love,
0:22:48 > 0:22:53and learning, try to get to be as good a painter as I can possibly be.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Getting through to the exhibition is really tough going.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Remember, the judges are putting their reputations on the line.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06The work that they put through to this exhibition will be
0:23:06 > 0:23:10seen by their peers and collectors who may be looking to invest.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15So let's remind ourselves exactly what the Hanging Committee are looking for.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22First and foremost, it's got be original - derivative or copycat works are an absolute no no.
0:23:23 > 0:23:29Secondly, technique is key - our judges know their stuff when it comes to wielding a brush.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31And finally, it's that elusive X-factor -
0:23:31 > 0:23:35does the piece send shivers down your spine, or just leave you cold?
0:23:43 > 0:23:49One brave artist who risked the judges' wrath in London was Rob McPartland.
0:23:49 > 0:23:5318 months ago, Rob jacked in his job as an art teacher
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and took the plunge to paint full time.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Getting his work on show at the Royal College of Art
0:24:01 > 0:24:03would be a dream come true,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05as well as a chance to make some money.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09He's pinning his hopes on this still life of a ladle,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11which he's called Argo.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Rob, welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20I'm fascinated to hear more about your work.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23The painting is oil on canvas
0:24:23 > 0:24:28and is a meditation on a small silver ladle, about that big,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31on a piece of silk fabric.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Would you like to give us a valuation for your work?
0:24:34 > 0:24:36The valuation I put on the picture was £5,500.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41- £5,500. Do you mind if we have a closer look?- Oh, please, please do.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51For an artist craving recognition, it's a difficult moment.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Rob's fate depends on the subjective judgment
0:24:54 > 0:24:56of three opinionated critics.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12Rob, are we looking at that ladle lying on crumpled paper
0:25:12 > 0:25:15or a crumpled sheet, or are we looking at it suspended?
0:25:17 > 0:25:18Well, that's great.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24The ambiguity is deliberate.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26It was actually laid
0:25:26 > 0:25:29on a piece of fabric.
0:25:30 > 0:25:31That's it.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- That's the fabric.- So it was actually viewed from above.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40But of course here, it has a feeling of being vertical as well.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42I'm seduced by the background surface,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46particularly the top half and the bottom left-hand side.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49For a white background, there are some beautiful colours in there -
0:25:49 > 0:25:52lilacs and peaches and greys and whites.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55It's almost like looking down on mountains from above or something.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59And the ladle in itself is well painted, the reflections are good.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01I don't feel the relationship between the fabric
0:26:01 > 0:26:05and I know that you said, Rob, that you like that ambiguity
0:26:05 > 0:26:09but for me, looking at this work, I find that a bit of a problem.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11I think I disagree with you.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13I don't think the highlight on the handle particularly
0:26:13 > 0:26:17is that well painted.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19It's kind of reduced to a pattern in a way.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I accept what you say about the quality of the painting.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27I did have particular trouble with the handle, but I felt that
0:26:27 > 0:26:31it...worked well enough at the time.
0:26:31 > 0:26:37It looks to me like an icon for some weird religious cult worshipping ladles.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41I mean, I saw it connected to a tradition of still life.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Childlike wonder is a great thing in art and there's a lot, for my eyes of that in this.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49I don't see any childlike wonder in that. It's a beautifully painted background.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51I'm less interested in the ladle.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55I don't get the relationship between the two, but there's nothing childlike in...
0:26:55 > 0:26:59I find the realistic but not imagery of the background, which could be water,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02it could be some sort of opaque fabric and then
0:27:02 > 0:27:06the completely contrasting sort of globular form of this ladle.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09- I think that's stunning. - I think it's Rob showing...
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Rob's painting has provoked a lively debate,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14but has it got what it takes?
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Is it original? Um...
0:27:17 > 0:27:21I have never seen such a large picture of a ladle before
0:27:21 > 0:27:24so the answer to that is obviously, yes, it is.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Technique, it's OK. Emotional involvement?
0:27:29 > 0:27:35I'm a big fan of ladles when I'm serving out soup at Christmas, but not generally.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Right, I think that's enough from David.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42The imagery, I think, is very, very gripping.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46For me this is giving everything I need from a picture.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Rob hopes to make thousands from his artwork at the Exhibition.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54For the chance of making a sale, he needs the judges' seal of approval.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01I find this really difficult, Rob.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06Charlotte's had both praise and criticism for Rob's ladle so will she be a yes, or a no?
0:28:06 > 0:28:09I'm going to have to say no, I'm sorry.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13That's a real blow for Rob. To get through he needs two yes's
0:28:13 > 0:28:17and although Roy's been supportive, David's far from a fan.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22I find it difficult despite my remarks because it's a very contemporary picture...
0:28:23 > 0:28:25..but no.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Well, I'm very, very sorry
0:28:32 > 0:28:35to hear that from my fellow judges
0:28:35 > 0:28:37because it's a resounding yes, from me.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42- I'm very sorry, Rob. Thank you very much for bringing it in. - Thank you.- Thank you.- Bye-bye.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45It's dashed the chances of the former art teacher
0:28:45 > 0:28:49whose career change could have been fast tracked at the Exhibition.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52But he's still got one champion.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54What were you both thinking?!
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Seriously, what are we doing sitting here if this isn't coming with us?
0:28:57 > 0:29:01He's a good painter, but he's not connecting those two materials together.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03That's really, really fundamental.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Bad luck, sir. Is there anything you wanted to say to David
0:29:07 > 0:29:11because I could see visually when he gave his analysis, it hurt.
0:29:11 > 0:29:12Of course it hurt.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16I was disappointed that he couldn't read the painting
0:29:16 > 0:29:22in any other way than that really superficial, literal manner.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24There we are, that's the world, you know.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28You put stuff out there and you have to take what comes back.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- Thank you for coming in. I'm sorry it didn't happen this time.- Not at all.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34It's been a great experience, and it was a pleasure to meet you.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38- I wish you the very best of luck in the future.- Thank you, Chris. - Bye, nice to meet you.- Bye-bye.
0:29:48 > 0:29:53All our Hanging Committees have been held in spectacular art galleries.
0:29:53 > 0:29:59And I, for one, enjoyed the chance to nose around Liverpool's wonderful Walker Art Gallery.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02It's a pretty imposing building and for good reason,
0:30:02 > 0:30:08because it holds some of the best and biggest pieces of art in the UK.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Just have a look at this.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15That chap is Samson and the painting itself is by Solomon J Solomon
0:30:15 > 0:30:22and he produced it when he was only 27 years of age, and apparently he used his brother as a model.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25It weighs nearly two tonnes
0:30:25 > 0:30:28and it's been hanging here since 1887.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33It's an incredible achievement for an artist so young, but we've met
0:30:33 > 0:30:36plenty more ambitious young artists at our Hanging Committees.
0:30:36 > 0:30:42One young hopeful who went before the judges in Liverpool was Barbara-Sally Humphries from Galway.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47Barbara-Sally, nice to meet you. How are you?
0:30:47 > 0:30:51A bit awkward. This is so far out of my comfort zone, but, you know, I'll be all right.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54I've got a feeling you'll be able to handle it.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56You're only 21, so one of our younger competitors.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59- Yes.- But fiercely ambitious I hear.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Yeah, well...
0:31:01 > 0:31:04I don't know if it's youth speaking, but this is what I want to do with my life.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07It's not something that I want to do as a hobby.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09You've got to impress three judges.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12What are you looking for from today's experience? What are you hoping for from them?
0:31:12 > 0:31:17More than anything, I'm hoping for some really good constructive criticism.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19- I wish you the very best of luck. - Thank you very much.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22- Go for it.- Ha!
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Hmm.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31Barbara-Sally's bid for the exhibition spot where she could sell
0:31:31 > 0:31:35for some serious cash rests on her hand-crafted rag doll.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Barbara-Sally, welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51Would you like to tell us something about your work?
0:31:51 > 0:31:54The first thing I'd like to talk about is the fact that it's from a series.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57There's about eight dolls in total.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01They all deal with very strong emotions for me
0:32:01 > 0:32:06and moments in time where I felt something that's just uncomfortable,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09and, having felt like that, I felt like I'd never move on
0:32:09 > 0:32:13from that moment without creating something that embodied it,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16so I didn't have to carry it with myself any more.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18There's pieces of myself inside it.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21There's my own hair. It's an embodiment
0:32:21 > 0:32:23of a part of myself that I now wish to move on from.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26That's very intense, Barbara-Sally.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Can you give us a price for your work?
0:32:29 > 0:32:32I've put quite a high price on it because I feel anyone who did
0:32:32 > 0:32:36wish to purchase it, it would be an investment in my future,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38so I've priced it at £6,000.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42- OK. Do you mind if we have a close look at it?- No, not at all.
0:32:42 > 0:32:43Thank you very much.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Barbara-Sally, do you mind if we touch it?
0:32:47 > 0:32:51No, I don't mind if you touch it. It's quite a tactile piece, so...
0:32:53 > 0:32:56- It does have a form of itself.- Yeah.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00It's light, but it's weighted in all the right ways.
0:33:00 > 0:33:06It's clearly a personal piece for Barbara-Sally and the judges' scrutiny could be hard to take.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12You talked about this coming from a series of eight.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15- Yeah.- Are they all personal moments to your childhood?- Yes.
0:33:15 > 0:33:20They're not all from my childhood, but they are all from my life.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24But I just felt that this one was the strongest for me.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28What are your ambitions? Where do you think you'll end, if there is an end?
0:33:28 > 0:33:32I don't want there to be an end. I feel very passionately
0:33:32 > 0:33:37about this and about what I do, and about expressing to others.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41I know that it may come across as being a bit vain only dealing with myself.
0:33:41 > 0:33:48I don't think you need to apologise about talking, working with your own experiences.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51- It's what all of us do. - Exactly, yeah.- It's all we've got.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Exactly, ourselves as human beings.
0:33:53 > 0:33:58My worry is the work is not communicating the emotion you want it to communicate.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03And I'm going to be very honest, when I saw it, just before you came in, I found it quite funny.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06So MY concern is that,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08- emotionally...- Yeah.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13- ..you're not communicating to the viewer what you deeply feel this piece communicates to you.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17- So maybe that's not a problem. - I agree with Charlotte on that.
0:34:17 > 0:34:22For me, the emotional importance was in making it, not in conveying that emotion to others.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25It feels like this is a piece of installation art.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28I feel that this fits with your other dolls.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33And possibly this would work better with a group of them or as a time-based piece.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Some constructive criticism from the panel. But today it's the judges votes
0:34:37 > 0:34:42that count if Barbara-Sally's dream of kick starting her career can come true.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Her rag doll needs to be original,
0:34:44 > 0:34:48technically strong and emotionally moving.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53In terms of originality, there's only one you and this is your memory.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Technically, I don't think this piece is about how you've made it.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58It communicates what you want it to communicate.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01- Emotionally, I think it's very strong for you.- Yeah.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03I feel that I'm reading it wrong.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06That mixture of deep and difficult emotion
0:35:06 > 0:35:10and memory is not transmitted through a very amusing object.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16But, you know, is it something that I would like to see in my home as a piece of art?
0:35:16 > 0:35:18- I think it probably is.- Emotion.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22I'm moved by what you say, but I'm not moved by the object.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24Hmm.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28OK, decision time. It's quite a difficult one to predict here.
0:35:29 > 0:35:35Barbara-Sally only needs two votes to get a place in the exhibition, but will things go her way?
0:35:35 > 0:35:36Charlotte?
0:35:36 > 0:35:38For this piece, no.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42I think in the right context, yes. But for this piece, no.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48It's not quite expressive enough. It's not quite there yet.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51You're still getting there. Just keep working hard at it.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- No, I'm afraid.- OK.
0:35:54 > 0:35:59- But it's very kind of you. I've enjoyed talking to you. Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:36:02 > 0:36:08Well, it's not the result Barbara-Sally was looking for, but she's far from downbeat.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11I think my piece got three no's, but I got three yes's.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14I was just about to say, they were captivated.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16So it's not all bad news, is it?
0:36:16 > 0:36:19No, not at all. I thought they were going to tear chunks out of me.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23But they were... They were quite respectful, actually.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26I think it was a good experience apart from anything else.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30Thank you for joining us. We wish you the very best of luck in the future.
0:36:30 > 0:36:31- Thank you.- See you soon.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45For those lucky artists who have made it here to the Exhibition they're having a great time,
0:36:45 > 0:36:50because there are art dealers and connoisseurs everywhere you look.
0:36:50 > 0:36:55I think we've got just enough time to have one more trip to the Hanging Committee.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Today's final contender met the judges in Glasgow
0:37:02 > 0:37:09at the appropriately named House for an Art Lover, which was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
0:37:09 > 0:37:1326-year-old Fiona Cockburn is fresh out of art school
0:37:13 > 0:37:16and has her sights set on the big prize.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19And are you used to criticism?
0:37:19 > 0:37:21As long as it's constructive, I don't have a problem with it.
0:37:21 > 0:37:26- If they start being malicious, I might have something to say about it. - Are you going to bite back?
0:37:26 > 0:37:29- Oh, indeed!- Is that how you deal with it?- We're from Glasgow. You've got to bite back!
0:37:29 > 0:37:33- I'm looking forward to this one! I wish you the very best of luck. - Thank you.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37- Cheers.- Your destiny is there. - Thank you.- Go for it, grab it.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42Fiona's presenting this triptych of Perspex panels,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45showing three iconic Scottish lochs.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Getting her work on show in London would be a real coup
0:37:47 > 0:37:51for such a young artist and a chance to make some cash.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Fiona, welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58Would you like to introduce your piece, please?
0:37:58 > 0:37:59This is The Lochs -
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Loch Lomond, Loch Ness and Ffion.
0:38:02 > 0:38:07I wanted it to be contemporary and Scottish and I wanted it to be cool.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11I didn't want it to be in your face with tartan or shortbread or anything tacky.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15I wanted to prove that Scottish art could be really cool.
0:38:15 > 0:38:16Price?
0:38:16 > 0:38:20I wouldn't accept anything less than £750 for a private sale.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24- Can we have a closer look? - Yes, you may, of course.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33Fiona's confident her work could fetch hundreds, but she'll only
0:38:33 > 0:38:37get the chance to sell in London if she wins the judges' approval.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45The judges have made their close inspection.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Now, Fiona looks quite cool and calm.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50But now it's question time.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Fiona, just explain...
0:38:53 > 0:38:55how you did it. Are they on ceramic?
0:38:55 > 0:38:57It's Perspex.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01Two sheets of Perspex, a layer of coloured transparency in the middle,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04which is then sandwiched together and sealed.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07The areas that I want to leave and let you look through
0:39:07 > 0:39:09are then masked off.
0:39:09 > 0:39:14- The paint is then applied, the mask removed, touched up and then...- OK.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18The three dimensionality and the glazes you've used...
0:39:18 > 0:39:21- Yes.- ..that looks phenomenally difficult and very new to me.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25- How did you manage that? - The ultra high gloss was,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27when you look at water when it's still
0:39:27 > 0:39:31it has this gorgeous sheen to it and I wanted to try and recreate that.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35And the only way I knew how to do that was to do a super-gloss finish on the paint job,
0:39:35 > 0:39:39which involves hours and hours and hours of hand sanding, but there is
0:39:39 > 0:39:43no doubt about it, it is just elbow grease, really, and a lot of work.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47I'm fascinated by these, but I think it does come down to that question
0:39:47 > 0:39:51of the boundary between decoration design and art.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53That is the biggest question I have.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58- Are they interior decorations or art?- Like you're talking about.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02There is a very fine line, we have to tread very carefully about that.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05I mean, my initial reaction to these was that they're design.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07You could have them replacing the three ducks
0:40:07 > 0:40:10over the mantelpiece, couldn't you? The three lochs.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12You could have a full set and change them around.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16- But they're more interesting than that.- That's more facetious than your last comment!
0:40:16 > 0:40:20- Spot the loch. - I find them quite beguiling. - I find them very beguiling as well.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22I like the stillness that you capture of...
0:40:22 > 0:40:25- Thank you.- ..when you look at a loch in the early morning,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28that real stillness, you get a sense of the water.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30They fit very well together as a composition,
0:40:30 > 0:40:32working the one on the left like that and that...
0:40:32 > 0:40:35Fiona's work has perplexed the judges.
0:40:35 > 0:40:40Is it fine art or simply a stylish piece of decorative design?
0:40:40 > 0:40:46Their final decision must be based on originality, technical skill and emotional impact.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Fiona, I think you've made the Scottish landscape look sexy.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Thank you.
0:40:51 > 0:40:56The colours are fantastic, it really works, it looks great, it has a lot to say for itself.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58They are quite original as...
0:40:58 > 0:41:01ornamental stunts.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Technique...
0:41:03 > 0:41:05I've seen cut outs before,
0:41:05 > 0:41:10as we all have like this. Emotional involvement.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13I might want to play a game and say,
0:41:13 > 0:41:16"Can I identify a loch?",
0:41:16 > 0:41:18but...
0:41:18 > 0:41:20nothing more, I'm afraid.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23It's time for the vote. Remember, she needs two out of three to get
0:41:23 > 0:41:28through to the Exhibition and the chance to sell her Perspex panels.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31- Roy?- Fiona, they're beautiful and that's enough for me. Yes.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33- Thank you very much.- Charlotte.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40Fiona, I'm going to surprise myself and say yes.
0:41:40 > 0:41:41Thank you.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46It would have been a no from me, Fiona, because I don't think there's any art there.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49But you'll be included in the Exhibition. Thank you for showing them to us.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53- Thank you for your time.- Thank you. - It's been an absolute pleasure.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55See you again soon. Thank you.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03Fiona's survived her ordeal and got the judges' seal of approval,
0:42:03 > 0:42:08but will the buyers at the Exhibition be tempted by her Perspex panels?
0:42:14 > 0:42:19Fiona's triptych is in pride of place at the Royal College Exhibition
0:42:19 > 0:42:22and in the light of her success, she's gone for a bold guide price
0:42:22 > 0:42:24of £1,100.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30- So, how's it going? Has it been worth the trip down from Scotland? - Definitely worth the trip.
0:42:30 > 0:42:35There's been a lot of interest in it and a lot of people making comments and saying they like it.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39- That's fantastic.- Fingers crossed someone buys it.- Excellent.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42You put £1,100 on it, but you said you might take less.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44I might take less. Might.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48Does this feel like quite a big step up from what you've been doing before?
0:42:48 > 0:42:51I couldn't ask for anything better for my first exhibition
0:42:51 > 0:42:54since leaving university. I think I'm doing OK.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57That's fantastic. You ARE doing very well!
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Well, Fiona she didn't receive any offers this time,
0:43:04 > 0:43:07but for such a young artist fresh out of university,
0:43:07 > 0:43:11this launch on the London art scene has been an incredible way to start.
0:43:12 > 0:43:17That's it for today, but join us next time on Show Me The Monet when those judges will be meeting
0:43:17 > 0:43:20more budding artists. But for now, bye-bye.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
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