Episode 3 Show Me the Monet


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Britain's top artists make big money.

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Their works can go for millions.

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Six million five, seven million.

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So how do you get a slice of the action?

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Now's your chance to find out, as we offered all-comers the opportunity

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to fight for a spot at the hottest exhibition in town.

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-Bring it on, please, open the door.

-Art really matters to me.

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This is something I want to do for the rest of my life.

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They could stand to make some serious cash.

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Could you tell us what price you'd put on your piece?

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30 grand.

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-30,000?

-I'd like £100,000 for it.

-Wow.

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But first, they need the seal of approval from three of the art world's toughest critics.

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I think it looks like it's from the centrefold of a men's magazine.

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My first impression when I saw the picture was...was actual disgust.

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Their hopes and dreams are in the hands of the hanging committee.

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I think you need to go back to the drawing board...literally.

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It's time to Show Me The Monet.

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Hello and welcome to the Show Me The Monet exhibition here at the Royal College of Art in Central London.

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This institution has played a pivotal role in British art for over 150 years.

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Well, over the last couple of months, ambitious British artists, both amateur and professional

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have been facing our hanging committee

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in the hope that they'll get their work exhibited on these walls.

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David Lee is the bad boy of the art world.

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He's the scourge of the art establishment in general,

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and the Turner Prize in particular.

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I want somebody to come in and surprise me, to shock me.

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Roy Bolton is an expert in Old Masters, who's valued art

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for some of the world's most exclusive auction houses.

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I really hate fashionability for its own sake.

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And contemporary specialist Charlotte Mullins has applied her critical eye

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to some of the industry's most prestigious competitions.

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Art should speak to you. It should have an emotional charge.

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Only art which shows originality, technical skill and emotional impact will get past them.

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These experts are the gatekeepers to our exhibition,

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where a spot in the limelight and the chance to sell for big bucks awaits.

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We've held hanging committee sessions in London,

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Liverpool and Glasgow in our hunt for the best of British talent.

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One place we set up shop was the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

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Against the backdrop of seven centuries of fine and decorative art,

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hopeful artists brave the judges in a bid to achieve their dreams.

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They needed two votes to get through to the Royal College of Art, but only the best made the grade.

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School caretaker Frank Meaney impressed the judges with his photographic talent.

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I would have put you down as a professional photographer.

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Technically, it looks very well done.

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The whole idea of it was to show Liverpool in a good light.

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It doesn't get the best of press at times.

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It's amazing that the reflections on the water are so crisp.

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There's a huge amount of skill in there.

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You've done it so well, you've completely deceived me into thinking it was one panoramic image.

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But it wasn't original enough to get him through to the sale.

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It's a classic skyline I've seen a thousand times. It's no, I'm sorry.

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It's very difficult to make a well known subject matter new and interesting.

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I'm afraid it's a no from me.

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I'm not sure it's much more than a really good photograph of Liverpool.

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-Thanks so much for showing it to us.

-Thank you.

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It's great, and you're very talented.

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Poet Lauren Paige wanted to see if she could use the paintbrush

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as well as the pen.

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My painting is called Journey. I completed it

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a year into my career as a painter.

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It was originally a photograph that I took sailing along the River Nile.

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But, despite some flair, inexperience let her down.

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You've called it Journey. You're not really giving us the Nile.

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You're obviously naturally gifted.

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-OK.

-But you're still at a kind of beginner's, juvenile stage.

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Radiologist Dr Huw Lewis-Jones hoped his Snowdonia painting

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would win him a life-changing ticket to the exhibition.

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This is a very personal image to me.

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I'm absolutely committed to Welsh landscape painting in particular.

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He won over one of the judges.

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There's nothing wrong with traditionalism and you've made a good stab. Yes.

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But his hopes were crushed by Charlotte and Roy.

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The foreground seems like it's done from a photograph.

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You're trying too many different things in the painting. So it's a no from me. I'm very sorry.

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We won't be taking your painting to the exhibition.

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Before she met the panel. I met with mother of two, Caroline Thatcher. She could hardly stop shaking!

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Caroline, welcome to the hanging committee.

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-Thank you.

-How are you feeling?

-It's a borderline terrified and quite looking forward to it.

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How long have you been painting?

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Oh, gosh, I suppose intensively for the last four years while I've been at university,

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and then I had a massive gap between then and when I was at school. So this is the real world now.

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What do you want to achieve?

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Well, the opportunity to have an exhibition,

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or be part of an exhibition in London is just fantastic.

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There are only three people standing in our way though - the judges.

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And they can be quite tough, quite critical, and I suppose with art, it's very personal.

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-It can be. You try and distance yourself.

-Are you ready for that?

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I think you have to try and distance yourself from it.

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Well, I wish you the best of luck.

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-Thank you.

-Go and meet the judges.

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The chance to exhibit at the Royal College of Art would mean the world to Caroline.

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She's pinning her hopes on this oil on canvas painting, Growing Pains.

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Would you hang this on your wall?

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Caroline, welcome to the hanging committee.

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Would you tell us about your work please?

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Yes. This painting was the first of a series of three that I did in my final year of university last year.

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The series was entitled Growing Pains.

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The inspiration for the piece was an old black and white photograph

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of myself as a child of about three at a children's Christmas party.

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Wwhat captivated me about it really was the body language -

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the tucked-in chin, the rabbit caught in headlights stare.

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This painting means a lot to Caroline,

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and if it goes on sale at the RCA, she could stand to make some serious cash.

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Well, what's your valuation, the price of this picture?

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We were advised at university, because of the size, it would be sort of in the region of £500-£600.

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It seems too small to me, by a long way.

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OK. For somebody who's unknown?

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£500, you can barely buy a framed poster for that now.

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True. Well, a frame of that size anyway.

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OK. We'd like to have a close look at it.

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OK.

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It's a very modest valuation, but the exhibition could launch Caroline on the path to fame and fortune.

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If she impresses these three.

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Well, Caroline was shaking here when I was chatting to her, and you can probably see

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she's still shaking in front of the judges, not surprisingly.

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-You finished this when you were at university?

-Hmm.

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Did you paint before you went to university?

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Not for a huge number of years - probably about 30 years.

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-Life got in the way...

-Yes.

-And now you finally...

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I was married at 20, two children.

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You know, lots and lots of things have happened in between.

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Are you going to carry on painting, Caroline?

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-Oh, definitely, yes.

-Full time?

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Unfortunately not at the moment, so, you know, it's quite a slow process,

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getting going and making a living out of your work,

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so I'm teaching an art class once a week and I've also worked in an art gallery as well.

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-But it would be nice to think I could.

-Yeah, it's perfectly obvious

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that you're very knowledgeable about art...

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Having chosen to follow her dream late in life, the judges' opinion means all the more to Caroline.

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I love the bottom half.

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It's like a ghostly presence at the bottom, which when you've explained

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it's from a photograph from the past, that makes perfect sense.

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But you don't need to know that to love the painting.

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You've taken a lot of chances in that picture and I admire you for that.

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There's no back legs on the chair, for example, to sit it down.

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How many painters would be brave enough to put the whole of the subject on one side?

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-Hmm.

-That's very interesting.

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As you said about the chair not being drawn, it was all, it was all to make it a little bit off-kilter.

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I think you very clearly have a natural eye,

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from my point of view from this, just viewing this one picture.

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I wish you'd have continued drawing, you know, 15 minutes a day

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in the 30 years when you weren't painting, because...

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-So do I.

-If I have any problem with it, the child's left hand looks a little bit like a trotter.

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Lots of pluses, but a minus for technique from David.

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Remember, they're also looking for originality and emotional impact.

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Yeah, I was worried when I first saw it, I might think this was slightly winsome or sentimental because...

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-No.

-..I immediately saw the flower. And then I started looking at it,

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and I think the way you've painted this is quite exceptional.

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It gives a vulnerability that makes me almost cry.

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You did this at university, this is incredible.

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Thank you very much.

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Roy.

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Everything you've done with the technique I think is, is superb and very advanced.

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Yes. Originality.

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I think you've got your own voice.

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Technique.

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Yeah, keep, keep, keep drawing, so that you can make those - everything stick and everything convincing.

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Emotional response. Yeah, I find that, I find that a really absorbing picture.

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I don't think there's any collection of contemporary art which wouldn't

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be proud to have that picture in it.

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Oh!

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Thank you very much. It was in my garage.

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My goodness. This is the most incredible praise.

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It's looking pretty positive.

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But Caroline's place at the exhibition isn't safe until she's had two yes votes.

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-Charlotte.

-Absolutely yes.

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-Roy.

-Absolutely yes.

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-Absolutely.

-Oh, thank you very much, I'm overwhelmed.

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Thank you. Thank you very much.

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-Well done.

-Smashing picture, that.

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-Thank you.

-Three yes's. No, three absolutely yes's.

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-She doesn't know how good she is, does she?

-She doesn't have a clue.

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-Incredibly surprising.

-It's very good indeed.

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Caroline's past the first hurdle.

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But what will happen at the exhibition?

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Could she make a life-changing sale?

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Caroline's made it to the exhibition, and her husband Neil is by her side.

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And he's not the only one who thinks she's got talent.

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It's not cluttered up, it's not trying too hard.

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It's modern, it's contemporary. You can get a sense of what it's about.

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And I think I could come back tomorrow or in a month's time

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and still think about that same painting.

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But can Caroline convert the compliments into cash?

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She's taken David's advice and upped the guide price to £1,000.

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The dealers, collectors and members of the public

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are free to make offers on

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as many works as they like, but they won't be haggling with the artists.

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They must make a sealed offer to an independent sales agent,

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which won't be opened until after the sale's over.

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So there's been interest?

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Yes, yeah. A gallery owner and several people have just come up to me and said how much they love it.

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It's just been, you know, wonderful.

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Caroline's enjoyed her chance to mingle with the art A-list.

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But will Growing Pains be her ticket to turning professional

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and making her dream come true?

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Caroline's been nervously waiting to learn if anyone wanted to buy her painting.

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If she gets an offer above her asking price of £1,000,

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she must sell to the highest bidder.

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The independent agent will take a cut of 10%.

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It's now time to reveal if Caroline's made a sale.

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-Hi, Caroline.

-Hello.

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-You did get three offers.

-Did I?

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-Three offers.

-Ooh.

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Shall I tell you what the lowest one was?

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Go on then.

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-£1,050.

-Yeah, quite happy with that.

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Shall we settle for that? Do you want to settle for that now?

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Well, no, you've got to tell me the other two, haven't you?

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OK. Well, the second highest offer...

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-was £1,300.

-OK, yeah.

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Right, I can tell you that the highest offer for

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your little painting here...

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was £3,000.

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Wow. That's fantastic.

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Are you thinking of doing this full time?

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-For a living?

-Yeah.

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If only. Yes, I would like to, yes.

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At £3,000 Caroline has sold her painting

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for an incredible three times the asking price.

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Not bad for someone who went 30 years without picking up a paintbrush.

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-Well done.

-It's a life-changing moment for Caroline, whose future as a painter seems assured.

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Still to come on today's show...

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A young artist reaches for the stars with a bid to change the face of Scottish art.

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I didn't want it to be in your face with tartan or shortbread or anything tacky.

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I wanted to prove that Scottish art could be really cool.

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And David dishes out some strong criticism.

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It looks to me like an icon for some weird religious cult worshipping ladles.

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And we'll be catching up with all those who made the grade and won a place here at the exhibition.

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Who knows, they might meet a VIP guest and even make a sale.

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For every single artist that's made it here tonight,

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it's been a gruelling journey.

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We asked all comers to send us their drawings, sculpture, paintings and photographs

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and the best of the entries were sent through to the hanging committees.

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But to get to the exhibition, they had to get past the judges.

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London's Foundling Museum is home to an impressive collection

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of 18th century art by British giants from Gainsborough to Hogarth.

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I caught up with roofer Karl Terry before he went up in front of the judges.

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Now he dreams of making some serious cash from his boyhood passion

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and maybe turning painting into a full-time profession.

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Karl, nice to meet you. How are you feeling about this?

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I'm feeling great, yeah.

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More relaxed than I thought I was going to be, yeah.

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-You look comfortable and relaxed. Tell me where you're from.

-Rye in East Sussex.

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-I'm married and I've got two young children.

-Busy boy then.

-I'm a busy boy, yes.

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-So, are you a full-time artist?

-No, I'm not. I wish I was. I'm a roofing contractor.

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I wanted to be a painter when I left school,

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but I ended up doing the same job as my dad.

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But now obviously with the painting, it's consumed me, it's taken over.

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That's what I like to hear.

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Is there any moment in your life where you said,

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-"I've got to get back to that painting?"

-Yes. It's a funny story

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because I was phoned one day about six years ago

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by my former art teacher and he had a leak in his roof,

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so I fixed the leak and I didn't charge him

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because he was the only teacher I really liked at school.

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I came home one day and he'd left a painting

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on my doorstep and it sort of rekindled all those thoughts about painting.

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What are your ambitions now, then?

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My ambitions ultimately are to paint full time

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and now the painting has taken over

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and it's a complete new challenge, I love it.

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We've got another big challenge for you today. You've got three judges.

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They are nice, in part. But they can be harsh.

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-OK.

-I mean, I suspect you've...

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-I was expecting that.

-Yeah. How do you expect to deal with that?

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I don't mind rejection. I'd like to get some critique

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because the only time I see my pictures on the wall,

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they're in a gallery where they've been accepted, so I'm interested to see what they think.

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In a way, I'm worried that maybe my works a bit too traditional, but let's wait and see.

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Let's wait and see. Don't put words into their mouths.

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I wish you the very best of luck. Just two yes's from the judges.

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-Away you go through those doors.

-Thank you very much.

-Good luck.

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Karl's hoping to impress the Hanging Judges

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with his oil-on-board landscape.

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But will the judges give him their seal of approval

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or tell him to stick to the day job?

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-Karl, welcome to the Hanging Committee.

-Hello.

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Would you like to take a moment to tell us about your painting?

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My paintings called Rising Tide Rye and it's fairly typical

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of the work that I produce

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and was painted entirely on location.

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It's a challenge to paint because the light changed quickly,

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the water was rising up so I had to work very, very fast.

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After an hour and a half, I had water lapping around my feet,

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so I was forced to stop. I'm quite pleased with this painting.

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I think I captured the essence of the subject,

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and without getting too bogged down with too much detail.

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Would you like to give us a valuation for this painting?

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I would value my painting at £750.

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What's that based on? Have you sold work?

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That's based on paintings that I've sold in the past.

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I'm only part-time, I only paint two days a week,

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and I exhibit in several galleries throughout England

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and that's the sort of price that they make. Yeah.

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-Do you mind if we have a closer look?

-Please do.

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To be sure of a spot at the Royal College exhibition,

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and maybe make some cash doing the thing he loves most,

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roofer Karl needs to sway at least two of the three judges.

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-Hi, Karl.

-Hi, hello.

-You mention you paint two days a week?

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I try and paint every Wednesday and I paint on Saturdays, yeah, or whenever my wife lets me!

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When Van Gogh painted out of doors he complained bitterly

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about how difficult it was with the wind, the flies,

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the sand getting everywhere. Didn't you have difficulty with that?

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I can't see any evidence of flies or sand.

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That day was quite lucky, really, because it wasn't so windy,

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but a lot of time I'm trying to hang onto my easel with one hand

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and paint with the other. But the good thing about painting outside

0:19:330:19:36

is it forces you to make quick decisions and work quickly,

0:19:360:19:38

and you do get used to it, but, yeah, it's hard work.

0:19:380:19:41

The worst is the snow and the rain and that's really difficult.

0:19:410:19:44

It's great fun, I wouldn't do anything else.

0:19:440:19:47

How long did this take?

0:19:470:19:48

A painting like this, any more than an hour and a half or two hours

0:19:480:19:51

-and I've painted the life out of it.

-Really?

0:19:510:19:54

The light changes so quickly you've got a window of opportunity

0:19:540:19:57

for about an hour and a half. Sometimes they look better after ten minutes than after three hours!

0:19:570:20:01

You learn to leave it alone and walk away. OK, thanks very much.

0:20:010:20:04

They seem intrigued by Karl's methods,

0:20:040:20:06

but the panel must judge the painting by three criteria -

0:20:060:20:10

originality, technical skill, and emotional impact.

0:20:100:20:14

If it has all three, then Karl's dream could come true.

0:20:140:20:18

I am so torn on this painting,

0:20:200:20:22

because I think you have a lovely touch.

0:20:220:20:24

It really has something. I love the colours you've got in the mud.

0:20:240:20:28

I have a few technical issues with the cloud that floats,

0:20:280:20:31

the white cloud that floats above and the reflection is too heavy.

0:20:310:20:34

I feel like I've seen scenes like this many times before

0:20:340:20:38

and that's the problem is the originality.

0:20:380:20:40

For me, a work of art has to communicate beyond the memories

0:20:400:20:44

perhaps it invokes in people. People will look at this

0:20:440:20:47

and go, "Oh, I know that view in Rye."

0:20:470:20:49

It's got to go beyond that for me and I'm not really sure it does.

0:20:490:20:53

It's very well done, a very good landscape.

0:20:530:20:56

I'm not sure it really has... that extra edge.

0:20:560:21:00

It's a very fresh, competent oil sketch...

0:21:000:21:03

..so technically you're doing well.

0:21:040:21:07

Karl, I think this is a highly commercial painting.

0:21:080:21:13

I can see this for sale in 1,000 galleries up and down the country

0:21:130:21:16

and you've captured this scene very quickly and very well.

0:21:160:21:19

However, we don't choose on a commercial basis here.

0:21:190:21:22

It comes down to originality. I have seen very similar pictures

0:21:240:21:28

a thousand times, from mid 19th-century France onwards.

0:21:280:21:31

Skill. I think to produce this

0:21:310:21:34

this well, this quickly, shows a great deal of skill.

0:21:340:21:37

Emotional connection.

0:21:370:21:39

I think because I've seen something similar so often it's a tricky one.

0:21:390:21:43

The judges don't seem sure Karl ticks every box.

0:21:430:21:47

Can he pull the two yes votes he needs out the bag?

0:21:470:21:51

Charlotte, what have you got to say?

0:21:520:21:54

Sticking to our criteria I have to say no,

0:21:560:21:59

I'm sorry.

0:21:590:22:00

David.

0:22:000:22:01

I'm full of admiration for you. But I too must say no, I'm sorry.

0:22:030:22:07

It's a wonderful open air sketch,

0:22:090:22:12

but I'm afraid on the criteria, I think I need to say no as well.

0:22:120:22:15

I understand. Thank you. Thank you very much.

0:22:150:22:19

-I appreciate your comments.

-Great to meet you.

-Thank you. Lovely.

0:22:190:22:22

So for now, Karl's chances of getting to our exhibition,

0:22:220:22:25

and maybe making some cash, have been dashed, but he's taking it

0:22:250:22:29

all in his stride.

0:22:290:22:30

I was pleased with their critique. I understand what they said about not being original,

0:22:300:22:34

but you'd have to be an amazing innovator to reinvent the wheel

0:22:340:22:37

and what I try to... You know,

0:22:370:22:39

I just do what I love doing and I do it as best as I can. That's all I can say.

0:22:390:22:43

What will you take away from that experience and maybe use in your work?

0:22:430:22:47

I'm going to carry on doing what I love,

0:22:470:22:48

and learning, try to get to be as good a painter as I can possibly be.

0:22:480:22:53

Getting through to the exhibition is really tough going.

0:22:570:23:00

Remember, the judges are putting their reputations on the line.

0:23:000:23:03

The work that they put through to this exhibition will be

0:23:030:23:06

seen by their peers and collectors who may be looking to invest.

0:23:060:23:10

So let's remind ourselves exactly what the Hanging Committee are looking for.

0:23:100:23:15

First and foremost, it's got be original - derivative or copycat works are an absolute no no.

0:23:170:23:22

Secondly, technique is key - our judges know their stuff when it comes to wielding a brush.

0:23:230:23:29

And finally, it's that elusive X-factor -

0:23:290:23:31

does the piece send shivers down your spine, or just leave you cold?

0:23:310:23:35

One brave artist who risked the judges' wrath in London was Rob McPartland.

0:23:430:23:49

18 months ago, Rob jacked in his job as an art teacher

0:23:490:23:53

and took the plunge to paint full time.

0:23:530:23:55

Getting his work on show at the Royal College of Art

0:23:570:24:01

would be a dream come true,

0:24:010:24:03

as well as a chance to make some money.

0:24:030:24:05

He's pinning his hopes on this still life of a ladle,

0:24:060:24:09

which he's called Argo.

0:24:090:24:11

Rob, welcome to the Hanging Committee.

0:24:160:24:18

I'm fascinated to hear more about your work.

0:24:180:24:20

The painting is oil on canvas

0:24:210:24:23

and is a meditation on a small silver ladle, about that big,

0:24:230:24:28

on a piece of silk fabric.

0:24:280:24:31

Would you like to give us a valuation for your work?

0:24:310:24:34

The valuation I put on the picture was £5,500.

0:24:340:24:36

-£5,500. Do you mind if we have a closer look?

-Oh, please, please do.

0:24:360:24:41

For an artist craving recognition, it's a difficult moment.

0:24:480:24:51

Rob's fate depends on the subjective judgment

0:24:510:24:54

of three opinionated critics.

0:24:540:24:56

Rob, are we looking at that ladle lying on crumpled paper

0:25:070:25:12

or a crumpled sheet, or are we looking at it suspended?

0:25:120:25:15

Well, that's great.

0:25:170:25:18

The ambiguity is deliberate.

0:25:210:25:24

It was actually laid

0:25:240:25:26

on a piece of fabric.

0:25:260:25:29

That's it.

0:25:300:25:31

-That's the fabric.

-So it was actually viewed from above.

0:25:310:25:35

But of course here, it has a feeling of being vertical as well.

0:25:370:25:40

I'm seduced by the background surface,

0:25:400:25:42

particularly the top half and the bottom left-hand side.

0:25:420:25:46

For a white background, there are some beautiful colours in there -

0:25:460:25:49

lilacs and peaches and greys and whites.

0:25:490:25:52

It's almost like looking down on mountains from above or something.

0:25:520:25:55

And the ladle in itself is well painted, the reflections are good.

0:25:550:25:59

I don't feel the relationship between the fabric

0:25:590:26:01

and I know that you said, Rob, that you like that ambiguity

0:26:010:26:05

but for me, looking at this work, I find that a bit of a problem.

0:26:050:26:09

I think I disagree with you.

0:26:090:26:11

I don't think the highlight on the handle particularly

0:26:110:26:13

is that well painted.

0:26:130:26:17

It's kind of reduced to a pattern in a way.

0:26:170:26:19

I accept what you say about the quality of the painting.

0:26:190:26:22

I did have particular trouble with the handle, but I felt that

0:26:220:26:27

it...worked well enough at the time.

0:26:270:26:31

It looks to me like an icon for some weird religious cult worshipping ladles.

0:26:310:26:37

I mean, I saw it connected to a tradition of still life.

0:26:370:26:41

Childlike wonder is a great thing in art and there's a lot, for my eyes of that in this.

0:26:410:26:45

I don't see any childlike wonder in that. It's a beautifully painted background.

0:26:450:26:49

I'm less interested in the ladle.

0:26:490:26:51

I don't get the relationship between the two, but there's nothing childlike in...

0:26:510:26:55

I find the realistic but not imagery of the background, which could be water,

0:26:550:26:59

it could be some sort of opaque fabric and then

0:26:590:27:02

the completely contrasting sort of globular form of this ladle.

0:27:020:27:06

-I think that's stunning.

-I think it's Rob showing...

0:27:060:27:09

Rob's painting has provoked a lively debate,

0:27:090:27:12

but has it got what it takes?

0:27:120:27:14

Is it original? Um...

0:27:150:27:17

I have never seen such a large picture of a ladle before

0:27:170:27:21

so the answer to that is obviously, yes, it is.

0:27:210:27:24

Technique, it's OK. Emotional involvement?

0:27:260:27:29

I'm a big fan of ladles when I'm serving out soup at Christmas, but not generally.

0:27:290:27:35

Right, I think that's enough from David.

0:27:350:27:38

The imagery, I think, is very, very gripping.

0:27:390:27:42

For me this is giving everything I need from a picture.

0:27:420:27:46

Rob hopes to make thousands from his artwork at the Exhibition.

0:27:470:27:50

For the chance of making a sale, he needs the judges' seal of approval.

0:27:500:27:54

I find this really difficult, Rob.

0:27:580:28:01

Charlotte's had both praise and criticism for Rob's ladle so will she be a yes, or a no?

0:28:010:28:06

I'm going to have to say no, I'm sorry.

0:28:060:28:09

That's a real blow for Rob. To get through he needs two yes's

0:28:090:28:13

and although Roy's been supportive, David's far from a fan.

0:28:130:28:17

I find it difficult despite my remarks because it's a very contemporary picture...

0:28:170:28:22

..but no.

0:28:230:28:25

Well, I'm very, very sorry

0:28:290:28:32

to hear that from my fellow judges

0:28:320:28:35

because it's a resounding yes, from me.

0:28:350:28:37

-I'm very sorry, Rob. Thank you very much for bringing it in.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Bye-bye.

0:28:370:28:42

It's dashed the chances of the former art teacher

0:28:420:28:45

whose career change could have been fast tracked at the Exhibition.

0:28:450:28:49

But he's still got one champion.

0:28:490:28:52

What were you both thinking?!

0:28:520:28:54

Seriously, what are we doing sitting here if this isn't coming with us?

0:28:540:28:57

He's a good painter, but he's not connecting those two materials together.

0:28:570:29:01

That's really, really fundamental.

0:29:010:29:03

Bad luck, sir. Is there anything you wanted to say to David

0:29:030:29:07

because I could see visually when he gave his analysis, it hurt.

0:29:070:29:11

Of course it hurt.

0:29:110:29:12

I was disappointed that he couldn't read the painting

0:29:120:29:16

in any other way than that really superficial, literal manner.

0:29:160:29:22

There we are, that's the world, you know.

0:29:220:29:24

You put stuff out there and you have to take what comes back.

0:29:240:29:28

-Thank you for coming in. I'm sorry it didn't happen this time.

-Not at all.

0:29:280:29:31

It's been a great experience, and it was a pleasure to meet you.

0:29:310:29:34

-I wish you the very best of luck in the future.

-Thank you, Chris.

-Bye, nice to meet you.

-Bye-bye.

0:29:340:29:38

All our Hanging Committees have been held in spectacular art galleries.

0:29:480:29:53

And I, for one, enjoyed the chance to nose around Liverpool's wonderful Walker Art Gallery.

0:29:530:29:59

It's a pretty imposing building and for good reason,

0:29:590:30:02

because it holds some of the best and biggest pieces of art in the UK.

0:30:020:30:08

Just have a look at this.

0:30:080:30:10

That chap is Samson and the painting itself is by Solomon J Solomon

0:30:100:30:15

and he produced it when he was only 27 years of age, and apparently he used his brother as a model.

0:30:150:30:22

It weighs nearly two tonnes

0:30:220:30:25

and it's been hanging here since 1887.

0:30:250:30:28

It's an incredible achievement for an artist so young, but we've met

0:30:290:30:33

plenty more ambitious young artists at our Hanging Committees.

0:30:330:30:36

One young hopeful who went before the judges in Liverpool was Barbara-Sally Humphries from Galway.

0:30:360:30:42

Barbara-Sally, nice to meet you. How are you?

0:30:430:30:47

A bit awkward. This is so far out of my comfort zone, but, you know, I'll be all right.

0:30:470:30:51

I've got a feeling you'll be able to handle it.

0:30:510:30:54

You're only 21, so one of our younger competitors.

0:30:540:30:56

-Yes.

-But fiercely ambitious I hear.

0:30:560:30:59

Yeah, well...

0:30:590:31:01

I don't know if it's youth speaking, but this is what I want to do with my life.

0:31:010:31:04

It's not something that I want to do as a hobby.

0:31:040:31:07

You've got to impress three judges.

0:31:070:31:09

What are you looking for from today's experience? What are you hoping for from them?

0:31:090:31:12

More than anything, I'm hoping for some really good constructive criticism.

0:31:120:31:17

-I wish you the very best of luck.

-Thank you very much.

0:31:170:31:19

-Go for it.

-Ha!

0:31:200:31:22

Hmm.

0:31:220:31:24

Barbara-Sally's bid for the exhibition spot where she could sell

0:31:270:31:31

for some serious cash rests on her hand-crafted rag doll.

0:31:310:31:35

Barbara-Sally, welcome to the Hanging Committee.

0:31:440:31:47

Would you like to tell us something about your work?

0:31:470:31:51

The first thing I'd like to talk about is the fact that it's from a series.

0:31:510:31:54

There's about eight dolls in total.

0:31:540:31:57

They all deal with very strong emotions for me

0:31:570:32:01

and moments in time where I felt something that's just uncomfortable,

0:32:010:32:06

and, having felt like that, I felt like I'd never move on

0:32:060:32:09

from that moment without creating something that embodied it,

0:32:090:32:13

so I didn't have to carry it with myself any more.

0:32:130:32:16

There's pieces of myself inside it.

0:32:160:32:18

There's my own hair. It's an embodiment

0:32:180:32:21

of a part of myself that I now wish to move on from.

0:32:210:32:23

That's very intense, Barbara-Sally.

0:32:230:32:26

Can you give us a price for your work?

0:32:260:32:29

I've put quite a high price on it because I feel anyone who did

0:32:290:32:32

wish to purchase it, it would be an investment in my future,

0:32:320:32:36

so I've priced it at £6,000.

0:32:360:32:38

-OK. Do you mind if we have a close look at it?

-No, not at all.

0:32:380:32:42

Thank you very much.

0:32:420:32:43

Barbara-Sally, do you mind if we touch it?

0:32:450:32:47

No, I don't mind if you touch it. It's quite a tactile piece, so...

0:32:470:32:51

-It does have a form of itself.

-Yeah.

0:32:530:32:56

It's light, but it's weighted in all the right ways.

0:32:560:33:00

It's clearly a personal piece for Barbara-Sally and the judges' scrutiny could be hard to take.

0:33:000:33:06

You talked about this coming from a series of eight.

0:33:090:33:12

-Yeah.

-Are they all personal moments to your childhood?

-Yes.

0:33:120:33:15

They're not all from my childhood, but they are all from my life.

0:33:150:33:20

But I just felt that this one was the strongest for me.

0:33:200:33:24

What are your ambitions? Where do you think you'll end, if there is an end?

0:33:240:33:28

I don't want there to be an end. I feel very passionately

0:33:280:33:32

about this and about what I do, and about expressing to others.

0:33:320:33:37

I know that it may come across as being a bit vain only dealing with myself.

0:33:370:33:41

I don't think you need to apologise about talking, working with your own experiences.

0:33:410:33:48

-It's what all of us do.

-Exactly, yeah.

-It's all we've got.

0:33:480:33:51

Exactly, ourselves as human beings.

0:33:510:33:53

My worry is the work is not communicating the emotion you want it to communicate.

0:33:530:33:58

And I'm going to be very honest, when I saw it, just before you came in, I found it quite funny.

0:33:580:34:03

So MY concern is that,

0:34:030:34:06

-emotionally...

-Yeah.

0:34:060:34:08

-..you're not communicating to the viewer what you deeply feel this piece communicates to you.

0:34:080:34:13

-So maybe that's not a problem.

-I agree with Charlotte on that.

0:34:130:34:17

For me, the emotional importance was in making it, not in conveying that emotion to others.

0:34:170:34:22

It feels like this is a piece of installation art.

0:34:220:34:25

I feel that this fits with your other dolls.

0:34:250:34:28

And possibly this would work better with a group of them or as a time-based piece.

0:34:280:34:33

Some constructive criticism from the panel. But today it's the judges votes

0:34:330:34:37

that count if Barbara-Sally's dream of kick starting her career can come true.

0:34:370:34:42

Her rag doll needs to be original,

0:34:420:34:44

technically strong and emotionally moving.

0:34:440:34:48

In terms of originality, there's only one you and this is your memory.

0:34:480:34:53

Technically, I don't think this piece is about how you've made it.

0:34:530:34:56

It communicates what you want it to communicate.

0:34:560:34:58

-Emotionally, I think it's very strong for you.

-Yeah.

0:34:580:35:01

I feel that I'm reading it wrong.

0:35:010:35:03

That mixture of deep and difficult emotion

0:35:030:35:06

and memory is not transmitted through a very amusing object.

0:35:060:35:10

But, you know, is it something that I would like to see in my home as a piece of art?

0:35:110:35:16

-I think it probably is.

-Emotion.

0:35:160:35:18

I'm moved by what you say, but I'm not moved by the object.

0:35:180:35:22

Hmm.

0:35:220:35:24

OK, decision time. It's quite a difficult one to predict here.

0:35:240:35:28

Barbara-Sally only needs two votes to get a place in the exhibition, but will things go her way?

0:35:290:35:35

Charlotte?

0:35:350:35:36

For this piece, no.

0:35:360:35:38

I think in the right context, yes. But for this piece, no.

0:35:390:35:42

It's not quite expressive enough. It's not quite there yet.

0:35:440:35:48

You're still getting there. Just keep working hard at it.

0:35:480:35:51

-No, I'm afraid.

-OK.

0:35:510:35:54

-But it's very kind of you. I've enjoyed talking to you. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

0:35:540:35:59

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

0:35:590:36:01

Well, it's not the result Barbara-Sally was looking for, but she's far from downbeat.

0:36:020:36:08

I think my piece got three no's, but I got three yes's.

0:36:080:36:11

I was just about to say, they were captivated.

0:36:110:36:14

So it's not all bad news, is it?

0:36:140:36:16

No, not at all. I thought they were going to tear chunks out of me.

0:36:160:36:19

But they were... They were quite respectful, actually.

0:36:190:36:23

I think it was a good experience apart from anything else.

0:36:230:36:26

Thank you for joining us. We wish you the very best of luck in the future.

0:36:260:36:30

-Thank you.

-See you soon.

0:36:300:36:31

For those lucky artists who have made it here to the Exhibition they're having a great time,

0:36:410:36:45

because there are art dealers and connoisseurs everywhere you look.

0:36:450:36:50

I think we've got just enough time to have one more trip to the Hanging Committee.

0:36:500:36:55

Today's final contender met the judges in Glasgow

0:36:590:37:02

at the appropriately named House for an Art Lover, which was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

0:37:020:37:09

26-year-old Fiona Cockburn is fresh out of art school

0:37:090:37:13

and has her sights set on the big prize.

0:37:130:37:16

And are you used to criticism?

0:37:160:37:19

As long as it's constructive, I don't have a problem with it.

0:37:190:37:21

-If they start being malicious, I might have something to say about it.

-Are you going to bite back?

0:37:210:37:26

-Oh, indeed!

-Is that how you deal with it?

-We're from Glasgow. You've got to bite back!

0:37:260:37:29

-I'm looking forward to this one! I wish you the very best of luck.

-Thank you.

0:37:290:37:33

-Cheers.

-Your destiny is there.

-Thank you.

-Go for it, grab it.

0:37:330:37:37

Fiona's presenting this triptych of Perspex panels,

0:37:380:37:42

showing three iconic Scottish lochs.

0:37:420:37:45

Getting her work on show in London would be a real coup

0:37:450:37:47

for such a young artist and a chance to make some cash.

0:37:470:37:51

Fiona, welcome to the Hanging Committee.

0:37:510:37:54

Would you like to introduce your piece, please?

0:37:540:37:58

This is The Lochs -

0:37:580:37:59

Loch Lomond, Loch Ness and Ffion.

0:37:590:38:02

I wanted it to be contemporary and Scottish and I wanted it to be cool.

0:38:020:38:07

I didn't want it to be in your face with tartan or shortbread or anything tacky.

0:38:070:38:11

I wanted to prove that Scottish art could be really cool.

0:38:110:38:15

Price?

0:38:150:38:16

I wouldn't accept anything less than £750 for a private sale.

0:38:160:38:20

-Can we have a closer look?

-Yes, you may, of course.

0:38:200:38:24

Fiona's confident her work could fetch hundreds, but she'll only

0:38:290:38:33

get the chance to sell in London if she wins the judges' approval.

0:38:330:38:37

The judges have made their close inspection.

0:38:420:38:45

Now, Fiona looks quite cool and calm.

0:38:450:38:47

But now it's question time.

0:38:470:38:50

Fiona, just explain...

0:38:500:38:53

how you did it. Are they on ceramic?

0:38:530:38:55

It's Perspex.

0:38:550:38:57

Two sheets of Perspex, a layer of coloured transparency in the middle,

0:38:570:39:01

which is then sandwiched together and sealed.

0:39:010:39:04

The areas that I want to leave and let you look through

0:39:040:39:07

are then masked off.

0:39:070:39:09

-The paint is then applied, the mask removed, touched up and then...

-OK.

0:39:090:39:14

The three dimensionality and the glazes you've used...

0:39:140:39:18

-Yes.

-..that looks phenomenally difficult and very new to me.

0:39:180:39:21

-How did you manage that?

-The ultra high gloss was,

0:39:210:39:25

when you look at water when it's still

0:39:250:39:27

it has this gorgeous sheen to it and I wanted to try and recreate that.

0:39:270:39:31

And the only way I knew how to do that was to do a super-gloss finish on the paint job,

0:39:310:39:35

which involves hours and hours and hours of hand sanding, but there is

0:39:350:39:39

no doubt about it, it is just elbow grease, really, and a lot of work.

0:39:390:39:43

I'm fascinated by these, but I think it does come down to that question

0:39:430:39:47

of the boundary between decoration design and art.

0:39:470:39:51

That is the biggest question I have.

0:39:510:39:53

-Are they interior decorations or art?

-Like you're talking about.

0:39:530:39:58

There is a very fine line, we have to tread very carefully about that.

0:39:580:40:02

I mean, my initial reaction to these was that they're design.

0:40:020:40:05

You could have them replacing the three ducks

0:40:050:40:07

over the mantelpiece, couldn't you? The three lochs.

0:40:070:40:10

You could have a full set and change them around.

0:40:100:40:12

-But they're more interesting than that.

-That's more facetious than your last comment!

0:40:120:40:16

-Spot the loch.

-I find them quite beguiling.

-I find them very beguiling as well.

0:40:160:40:20

I like the stillness that you capture of...

0:40:200:40:22

-Thank you.

-..when you look at a loch in the early morning,

0:40:220:40:25

that real stillness, you get a sense of the water.

0:40:250:40:28

They fit very well together as a composition,

0:40:280:40:30

working the one on the left like that and that...

0:40:300:40:32

Fiona's work has perplexed the judges.

0:40:320:40:35

Is it fine art or simply a stylish piece of decorative design?

0:40:350:40:40

Their final decision must be based on originality, technical skill and emotional impact.

0:40:400:40:46

Fiona, I think you've made the Scottish landscape look sexy.

0:40:460:40:49

Thank you.

0:40:490:40:51

The colours are fantastic, it really works, it looks great, it has a lot to say for itself.

0:40:510:40:56

They are quite original as...

0:40:560:40:58

ornamental stunts.

0:40:580:41:01

Technique...

0:41:010:41:03

I've seen cut outs before,

0:41:030:41:05

as we all have like this. Emotional involvement.

0:41:050:41:10

I might want to play a game and say,

0:41:110:41:13

"Can I identify a loch?",

0:41:130:41:16

but...

0:41:160:41:18

nothing more, I'm afraid.

0:41:180:41:20

It's time for the vote. Remember, she needs two out of three to get

0:41:200:41:23

through to the Exhibition and the chance to sell her Perspex panels.

0:41:230:41:28

-Roy?

-Fiona, they're beautiful and that's enough for me. Yes.

0:41:280:41:31

-Thank you very much.

-Charlotte.

0:41:310:41:33

Fiona, I'm going to surprise myself and say yes.

0:41:370:41:40

Thank you.

0:41:400:41:41

It would have been a no from me, Fiona, because I don't think there's any art there.

0:41:410:41:46

But you'll be included in the Exhibition. Thank you for showing them to us.

0:41:460:41:49

-Thank you for your time.

-Thank you.

-It's been an absolute pleasure.

0:41:490:41:53

See you again soon. Thank you.

0:41:530:41:55

Fiona's survived her ordeal and got the judges' seal of approval,

0:41:590:42:03

but will the buyers at the Exhibition be tempted by her Perspex panels?

0:42:030:42:08

Fiona's triptych is in pride of place at the Royal College Exhibition

0:42:140:42:19

and in the light of her success, she's gone for a bold guide price

0:42:190:42:22

of £1,100.

0:42:220:42:24

-So, how's it going? Has it been worth the trip down from Scotland?

-Definitely worth the trip.

0:42:260:42:30

There's been a lot of interest in it and a lot of people making comments and saying they like it.

0:42:300:42:35

-That's fantastic.

-Fingers crossed someone buys it.

-Excellent.

0:42:350:42:39

You put £1,100 on it, but you said you might take less.

0:42:390:42:42

I might take less. Might.

0:42:420:42:44

Does this feel like quite a big step up from what you've been doing before?

0:42:440:42:48

I couldn't ask for anything better for my first exhibition

0:42:480:42:51

since leaving university. I think I'm doing OK.

0:42:510:42:54

That's fantastic. You ARE doing very well!

0:42:540:42:57

Well, Fiona she didn't receive any offers this time,

0:43:010:43:04

but for such a young artist fresh out of university,

0:43:040:43:07

this launch on the London art scene has been an incredible way to start.

0:43:070:43:11

That's it for today, but join us next time on Show Me The Monet when those judges will be meeting

0:43:120:43:17

more budding artists. But for now, bye-bye.

0:43:170:43:20

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