Episode 7 Show Me the Monet

-The first of the Tracey Emin...

-Britain's top artists make big money.

Their works can go for millions.

..seven million. Thank you.

So how do you get a slice of the action?

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

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

-Bring it on, please, open the door.

-Art really matters to me.

I want to do this for the rest of my life.

They could stand to make some serious cash.

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

£5,500.

-I'd like £100,000 for it.

-Wow.

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

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

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

Their hopes and dreams are in the hands of the Hanging Committee.

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

It's time to Show Me The Monet.

Hello and welcome to the Royal College of Art in central London

for this special Show Me The Monet exhibition.

This world-famous school

has launched the career of many British artists.

Now, over the past few months,

creative folk - ranging from working professionals to complete amateurs -

have been vying for the chance to show their work here.

And what artist would turn down this fantastic opportunity?

If their work makes it to the Royal College of Art exhibition,

they'll meet gallery owners and collectors and possibly make some cash out of their art.

But first, they have to get past the panel.

Hanging judge David Lee prides himself on cutting through the hype

when it comes to modern art.

I'm looking for...originality, the ability to surprise us.

All good art is about surprise.

Critic Charlotte Mullins has spent over 15 years

writing about the modern art world.

She knows what separates a genuine new talent from a passing fad.

We're looking for technical ability. It doesn't need to be perfectionism.

Just appropriate to the subject.

And Roy Bolton has worked for some of the world's most exclusive auction houses.

He knows what gives an artist the edge.

It has to jump out and grab me as a viewer.

If it says something directly to me

and I feel involved, it's done its job.

Over the last few months, artists from across the country

have come face to face with the panel at Hanging Committee sessions

in London, Liverpool and Glasgow.

They've all been hoping for the thumbs-up from the judges

and the chance to get their work on sale at the Royal College of Art.

Coming up on today's show,

Charlotte feels the thrill of coming face to face with new talent...

When you said this was your fifth painting, I nearly fell off my chair.

-Right.

-This is incredible.

And one artist defends her mysterious landscape...

What's that orange thing again? Just run that by me.

I don't want the things in the painting to be completely recognisable.

Well, let's see if our judges found any talent in Liverpool.

Our Liverpool Hanging Committees all took place

at the stunning Walker Art Gallery, opened in 1877.

It's where I met Dr Katy Sullivan,

whose first care until five years ago was her patients.

Now it's her paintbrushes.

She's taken the plunge and decided to try and make a living out of art.

-Katy, very nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

I'm going to say welcome to Liverpool, but you've been here before,

and it played an important part in your life, didn't it?

It played a very important part.

My great-grandfather is a sculptor, Charles J Allen, who has work in this very gallery.

In this building, the Walker Gallery? Wow!

Absolutely. Until 2005 I was a GP,

but about a year before that, there was an exhibition

of my great-grandfather's work.

When I saw it, I was blown away, and I learnt so much

about my great-grandfather and the power of art,

and I just thought, "I have to be an artist."

-No regrets?

-No regrets.

We've got a huge exhibition waiting, possibly for you, in London.

-What would it mean to you to be part of that?

-It would mean the world.

I mean, I'm someone who has given up a big career to become an artist,

and actually to turn round and say, "Yes, I've done it,"

it's more than what I can say, it would mean the world to me.

That's the good bit. The bad bit is next - meeting the judges.

What are you like at being critiqued?

I'm tough as old boots.

-I wish you the very best of luck.

-Thank you very much.

-Door on the left. Be brave.

Artistic flair should run in Katy's genes,

but will it reveal itself in her work?

She's chosen to show this oil-on-board painting entitled In Another World.

A nervous Katy is hoping that the judges will vote her through to the exhibition.

A sale there could really start the ball rolling

for a money-spinning second career.

Hello, Katy, welcome to the Hanging Committee.

Would you give us a brief description of it?

It's a portrait of my daughter, Maddie,

and the expression on her face is when she was thinking about Disneyland.

We were talking about it, and then she was suddenly lost

in this sort of world of imagination.

The funny thing is, people have looked at it

and thought it looks quite religious,

but I suppose 100 years ago, that's how people would have seen heaven.

They would have had it in their imagination, and then that look would have appeared.

Could you give us a price for it, please?

I've priced it at 2,500.

-Erm...

-And is that based on sales of previous works?

I couldn't charge any less,

-cos that wouldn't actually pay the bills.

-Do you sell a lot of work?

No, I haven't been painting that long.

I've only been painting for the last two or three years,

-and this is only my fifth painting.

-OK, right.

You will not know how surprised I am at that!

-Can we have a closer look, please?

-Yes, of course.

-Thank you.

Charlotte's staggered.

It certainly looks like Katy's artist great-grandfather

could be watching over her.

What Katy really wants to hear, though,

is whether she was right to swap her white coat for a painter's smock.

-Hi, Katy.

-Hi.

-I'm going to be really honest with you.

-Yeah.

When you said this was your fifth painting, I nearly fell off my chair.

-Right.

-This is incredible.

Do you know how good you are?

No.

I mean, painting...

When I started painting, it was like a duck going to water.

I don't know why, I just could.

-When did you start?

-I started about three years ago.

-And why?

-Because a friend said, "You have to paint."

Why did she say that, or he?

-Because I could draw very well.

-So you had been drawing.

I've been drawing all my life.

I drew pop stars when I was a teenager,

um, and I drew right through university.

-Can I ask what you studied at university?

-Medicine.

-You're a doctor, are you?

-Yes.

-Roy, question?

I'm absolutely speechless.

You clearly have an incredible understanding of line and colour,

how to be a draughtsman, but more than that,

for a fifth painting to get so much human emotion through very subtly

is very accomplished.

What attracted me to this competition

is that one of the criteria was emotional attachment,

because that is the thing, when I look at a painting, that I want.

Extraordinary praise from the judges.

They're flabbergasted to hear that this is only her fifth painting ever.

It seems they've discovered a rare new talent.

I've waited a long time to see a work like this.

I really feel that strongly about it.

We're looking for, in this exhibition, this competition,

we're looking for originality, technical ability,

we're looking for emotional content.

For me, the emotional content is the ultimate.

-It has to connect to me, the viewer.

-Yeah.

-You tick every box for me.

-Wonderful.

-Roy?

Katy, on every level of our criteria,

it ticks the boxes ten times,

so I'm very, very pleased to see it, and it's made my day.

-Oh, fantastic.

-It's a great picture.

Thank you.

Period.

-Wow!

-Er, I think we can vote.

It seems to be a bit of a foregone conclusion, but Charlotte?

-Oh, it's a yes from me.

-Thank you.

Yes, please.

-We will definitely hang this picture.

-Wow!

I feel like hugging you all.

Well, come on then, come on!

-Well done!

-Thank you.

Katy and her daughter Maddy's portrait are off to our exhibition,

where Katy hopes a buyer will be similarly bewitched.

Ex-GP Katy and her painting have made it to the Royal College of Art.

The portrait of her daughter dreaming of Disneyland has the room spellbound,

but will it magically transform into some all-important cash at the sale?

I walked down this side,

and there was just one painting for me in this room,

and it's not the sort of painting that I think I like.

It's Katy's, of her little girl,

and it's just absolutely heart-stopping, actually.

I love it, really love it.

But will anyone put their money where their mouth is?

Katy's bravely stuck to her guns and gone for a guide price of £2,500.

If anyone takes a shine to In Another World,

they can make a sealed offer of any amount they choose

to an indepedent sale agent who charges a 10% commission,

and the rest will go to Katy.

But she won't find out if she's turned a profit

until after the exhibition is over.

Katy, it's so lovely to see you here today. Have you had a good night?

Lovely. I've met lots of very interesting people,

lots of artists, which is fantastic.

The first time I saw this, it nearly made me cry.

It nearly made me cry again today.

Would you want to sell it?

I... I want to sell it in that...

I need to sell something to feel that I'm doing things

that people want to buy.

But then, if I don't sell it, I've got this painting of my daughter,

which was very much a personal picture for me to paint,

and if it never sells, I still have that picture.

Best of luck with selling it - or maybe not.

It's a hard one when it's a portrait of your daughter.

Either way, it's win-win, so it's fine.

-Oh, well. Lovely to see you. Well done, Katy.

-Thank you.

Will this former GP be waving goodbye to her painting in exchange for some serious cash?

It's time to find out if she's received any offers.

If she gets any bids over her asking price of £2,500,

the painting will be sold to the highest bidder.

-Hello, Katy.

-Hello.

How has it been for you?

It's been lovely, really lovely.

The painting's had a lovely reaction with people, people have really understood it.

People have really connected to it

and have really looked at it and got something from it,

which is what I wanted.

OK, we did get some offers.

-Wonderful.

-The lowest...was £1,000.

-Yeah.

Which is lower than your £2,500, so we should forget that, shall we?

-Yes.

-We're not even interested in that.

-Do you want to know what your highest offer was?

-Of course I do.

OK. Get yourself ready.

It was...

£3,100.

Wonderful. Oh.

How do you feel about that?

I'm feeling sort of overjoyed that the cash is coming in

and then quite sad, cos I have to say goodbye to her.

That's a terrible thing to say, but I am.

Do you want a little bit of time on your own?

I will have a look at it by myself for a bit.

A brilliant sale for Katy.

At £3,100, she's made £600 more than she'd hoped.

As far as painting for a career is concerned, it looks like

she's been given a clean bill of health,

so now she can safely stow the stethoscope and concentrate

on her considerable and potentially lucrative talent,

which clearly runs in her family.

We asked all-comers to send us their drawings, sculpture,

paintings and photographs.

The best of the bunch went through to the Hanging Committees.

But to win a place in the exhibition -

and the chance to make some major cash -

they have to enter the lion's den.

Eddie Hallam spent his working life as a biologist,

and as he was in the field, he would take sketches of local wildlife.

He now sculpts full-time, and he was hoping his model of a crested tit

would carry a green message into the exhibition.

Wildlife has always been my passion, and it's always my wish

that my artwork will inspire other people

to appreciate art and wildlife.

There was no doubting Eddie's technical skill,

but David couldn't shake the sense of Groundhog Day.

I feel I've seen quite a lot of these ornamental little wildlife pieces before,

in galleries and in National Trust shops.

I don't think you'd ever find another crested tit.

So would Eddie's unique sculpture earn him a place and some cash

at the Royal College exhibition?

I'm afraid it's no from me, but thank you so much for coming in.

OK. Thank you very much.

Retired art lecturer turned professional artist Graham Cox

presented this striking abstract painting.

He was hoping to meet gallery owners if he made it through.

When you listen to music, or poetry, when you go for a walk in the landscape,

whatever it is that makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck,

that's what I want to capture in a painting.

For all the emotion that Graham wanted to convey with this piece,

it failed to connect with the judges -

and the title didn't help.

By titling it Canyon 2, but not really providing us

with a visual connection to that, is confusing to us.

Maybe you ought to just say it's untitled.

-Or The Taste Of Chicken Soup...

-Why not?

But would Graham's good humour win over the judges?

I do think it's very busy, over-full. Afraid not.

-I'm sorry, we can't take it to the Royal College of Art.

-No problem.

Session musician for the stars and self-taught artist Andrew Kinsman

was hoping to combine his rock'n'roll lifestyle with painting

and make an entrance onto the London art scene.

I liked the idea of having this kind of contrast

of this seemingly hard-looking man

doing something quite uncharacteristic.

David didn't pull his punches.

I don't like paintings of photographs.

I don't think you leave yourself enough scope

for the expression that's necessary.

But Andrew's technique won him a fan on the panel.

Well, I think it works well for me

because you haven't tried to say too many things.

It's very straightforward and very clean.

So will Andrew get his chance to run with the art pack

and earn himself some serious money at the sale?

-Very much yes.

-Andrew, I'm absolutely saying yes, so congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Our Hanging Committees have all taken place in locations

with impeccable artistic pedigree.

In London, we visited the Art Workers Guild,

the stunning HQ of a society of artists, craftsmen and designers.

It was set up in 1884, and it drew together like-minded souls

who wanted to set very high standards in art and craftsmanship.

And high standards are exactly what we're looking for

as we go in search for new artistic talent.

At nearly 80, pensioner and former language teacher Neville Sattentau

was one of the oldest artists to come face to face with the judges.

He wants his work to be seen and appreciated by as many people as possible,

and today, the judges hold the key to his biggest audience yet.

With money in their pockets, he could make some serious cash, too.

Hello, Neville, or should I say bonjour or...?

Comme vous voulez. C'est la meme chose, it's OK by me.

-I've lost now, because you used to be a language teacher, right?

-I used to be, yes.

Now, tell me a little bit about yourself. How old are you, sir?

I shall be 80 in...12 days.

-That's if I make it.

-You'll make it! For me, you look fit and well.

-Where are you from?

-Well, I was born in Lancashire.

-Right.

-I've lived in London for...45 years.

Before that, I worked in Italy, a bit in Spain.

So you are a well-travelled man, and inspirations from everywhere?

Inspirations, they come from in here, I suppose, I don't know.

They rise up from somewhere.

Just before you go, and you're going to go and see the judges,

you're a man of experience, how have you prepared for the judges today?

-I haven't.

-Good luck, sir, and away you go.

Just through those doors, sir, to your destiny.

Neville's unusual style comes from a past life when he was commissioned

to illustrate books by hand for the likes of the Sultan of Oman.

Over the years, collectors have snapped up his paintings,

but he mainly relies on art fairs to sell his work now.

His inspiration for Forest Landscape

comes from the depths of his fertile imagination.

-Neville, hello, welcome to the Hanging Committee.

-Hello.

Please tell us about your painting.

Well, when you paint your way through an imaginary landscape,

if you want forests or mountains, you put them there,

and of course somebody should have it on their wall

and look at it for a few minutes every day for five years,

and each time possibly find something new. And who knows?

Maybe it awakens beauty now and again in the viewer.

One hopes so, because I guess that's what a picture should do.

And how much do you value your work at?

I'd value it at anything between 100 and 2-3,000,

depending who the person, the prospective buyer is.

I sort of asses them, you know, see how much money they might have or are willing to spend.

Could we take a closer look?

You need to, because you can't see from there.

Thank you.

His art may be dreamy,

but Neville has all the instincts of a wily trader.

He knows a spot at the Royal College could bring him a decent pay cheque

and exposure to a much wider audience than at his art fairs.

But first he must convince the judges his painting has originality,

technique and emotional power.

Neville, what technique is it?

It's egg tempura, egg yolk mixed with a little bit of wine vinegar

to stop it setting too quickly, with water,

and then you grind that up in little pots with pigments,

which are mostly natural minerals, and then you apply it in glazes.

I find it interesting that you use such a difficult and ancient technique.

I mean, it died out in painting 500 years ago, didn't it, mostly?

One or two people still do it, but yes, basically.

It lends itself to sort of fantasy art as well,

because it brings you into another place.

I think, Neville, that your work fits into a particular strain

of idiosyncratic oddity in British art.

I think it works beautifully as a fantasy,

and it's completely absorbing, and you're right in your description.

You can find there whatever you like

as frequently as you want to look for it.

Well, David's clearly bought into Neville's fantasy world,

but will the others join him there?

The foreground is fascinating, you just see more and more detail.

The mid-ground loses it a bit for me, if I'm honest.

I'm not sure about that central boulder.

I thought that wasn't as defined as it might have been as well.

Could I ask you about how you've framed it?

Why have you put it under glass?

It's not glass, it's Perspex, so you can press it right up against it

and you don't get too much reflection.

-Why not leave it without glass or Perspex?

-It's easily damaged.

Quite a lot of my things I do leave without glass if people want it.

It kills it stone dead. Take it off.

You think it's better without? Yes, you're probably right.

Some useful advice there from the judges.

They're impressed by the egg-based technique,

but does Neville's work match up to their strict criteria?

Your use of tempura is incredible, I've never seen anything like it.

But for me, I don't find it as original as maybe David does.

-OK.

-And the last thing on emotional reaction,

um, strangely, I don't have as much maybe I should or you might think.

Neville, you're an artist, it's as simple as that.

-Thank you very much.

-Short and sweet.

A difference of opinion between David and Roy -

-but what will Charlotte make of it?

-I'm in two minds about your work.

Originality, you obviously have.

I'm a bit with Roy on the emotional impact to me, but that's my personal view.

It's not really talking to me as a viewer.

But that said, other people would probably have a different response.

I think we're now going to take it to a vote.

Crunch time - will Neville get the two votes he needs

to bypass the small art fair circuit and hang at the exhibition with a pension-boosting price tag?

-I have absolutely no doubt that is a very good picture. Yes.

-Roy?

I'm afraid I can't see it hanging in the Royal College of Art exhibition, so it's a no.

With one no and one yes, Charlotte's got the casting vote.

Neville, I think I'm going to have to say no. I'm really sorry.

OK.

-Thank you, Neville.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

For experienced artist Neville, the chance of setting up shop

at the Royal College and making some money in time for his 80th birthday remains a fantasy.

I cannot believe that.

-How about you?

-Erm...

Well, why not? I mean, that was their decision.

If I were in an art fair, and three people came and one person liked it

and then he bought it, then that would be fine, wouldn't it?

-It would be!

-One out of three isn't bad, I suppose, but, yeah.

Well, it's been an absolute pleasure to meet you. You're a great man.

Keep up the hard work. Lovely to meet you.

-Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

Well, facing the hanging committee might be tough,

but winning a place here at the exhibition could be a life-changing experience for an artist.

Only the very best makes it to the Royal College of Art,

so let's remind ourselves exactly what the judges are looking for.

First and foremost, it's got to be original.

Derivative or copycat works are an absolute no-no.

Secondly, technique is key.

Our judges know their stuff when it comes to wielding a brush.

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

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

The Foundling Museum in London was an appropriate venue for one of our hanging committees.

It commemorates the first public art gallery in London

and is home to some fine examples of 18th century painting.

This, for example, is by William Hogarth.

Now, his moral and satirical works provoked outrage as he showed the seedier side

of 18th century Britain.

This is called The March Of The Guards To Finchley.

Hogarth was also known for his bawdy humour,

and down-to-earth wit is something our next artist does very well.

As a teenager in Belgium, Vivien Phelan was offered

an art scholarship, but her parents thought nursing would be a safer option.

After years of bedpans, she started a night course in ceramics and hasn't looked back.

So far Vivien has managed to get her sculptures into

small local galleries, but lacks the confidence to approach the big ones.

She's hoping her piece, called She's Barking Mad, will hit the jackpot

and get her a free pass to our major London exhibition at the Royal College.

But will her lack of confidence trip her up at the very first hurdle?

Hello, Vivien, welcome to the hanging committee.

Please tell us about your work.

This is one of the styles that I do,

which is based on really the English language.

It's the quirkiness of similes, which I don't think any other countries use similes,

and that's why this one is Barking Mad.

Years of nursing have given her a keen sense of humour, and her work is all about witty wordplay.

I do others like Counting Sheep or Liar, Liar Pants On Fire, that kind of thing.

And can you put a value on this work for us?

I've sold these at £118.

It seems a very low figure given that you have to fire the work, you have to buy the materials.

I would think doubling it wouldn't be outrageous.

-But could we have a closer look?

-Absolutely.

-Thank you.

Her low confidence is reflected in a low price tag.

Ex-nurse Vivien's been selling her art at knock-down prices.

If she makes it through, a chance to sell could not only mean a much-needed boost to her confidence,

but also to her bank balance.

It's a very fun, exuberant bit of ceramic.

Before you walked in, I almost expected someone like the sculpture to walk in, with hair everywhere.

-Sorry.

-Colours all over the place.

I was just wondering what brought you to do this sort of thing.

Is this the mainstay of your ceramics, this sort of fun ideas and then puns and humour?

Not really.

A lot of my work is figurative because I do like figures.

We're quite amazing bodies, aren't we?

It does remind me of those Toby jugs.

I was going to say we're almost in the land of Toby jugs here.

-It's kind of decorative...

-But fun, full of that real British humour.

-Amusing.

Well, the judges might not class her work as fine art,

but that hasn't stopped potters like famous cross-dresser Grayson Perry.

Now, to get the judges onside, Vivien must tick

the boxes for originality, technical skill and emotional punch.

Well, obviously I think it's attractive. Is it original? Not really.

Technique...

Yes, I can't criticise that.

The painting's a bit crude, and emotional involvement...

It's amusing. It amuses me lightly.

It's again about whether this would fit into an exhibition

of a different sort of art potentially than a humorous,

craft-based item, which I fear this falls into a bit more.

Well, Vivien, I have to say I cannot stop smiling when I look at it.

I am worried there's not more to it than that,

and our criteria are such that we're looking for art that moves us,

that we want to come back to again and again.

I'm not sure I would.

-I really enjoyed seeing it, but I'm not sure it goes far enough.

-Thank you.

They certainly think her art is quirky,

but is it too off-the-wall to be considered for their fine-art exhibition

and stand a chance of selling to serious art buyers?

She still needs two out of three votes from the judges.

David, yes, or no?

It's enjoyable, but no.

-Roy?

-I think I'd like to own one, but not for our exhibition,

so it's a no, I'm afraid.

Vivien, I'm sorry, it would be a no from me too, but I have really enjoyed looking at it.

I'm sorry you're not going to make the exhibition, but good luck with sales in the future.

Thank you very much.

Vivien will miss out on a major exhibition and sale this time,

but bringing her work before the judges has increased her self-belief

and hopefully given her the courage not to undersell herself.

How do you feel about that?

It was fine. I don't expect everybody to like them, but they did all like them.

-I was going to say...

-Yeah.

-They did like them, but maybe they didn't see it as fine art.

In the contemporary world, it's very difficult to describe fine art.

What next for you now, then?

-Carry on.

-Carry on? Not Carry On Nursing, but carry on art, ceramic-ing, yes?

Carry on art. Yes.

Well, thank goodness for that. We wish you the very best of luck.

-Thanks, Chris.

-In the future.

-Yes, thank you.

-And it just wasn't to be this time.

-Never mind.

Getting through to the exhibition is really tough going.

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

The work that they put through to this exhibition will be seen

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

At the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, I met country boy,

Steven Lingham, who is completely self taught.

His rural roots and passion for the outdoors has led to a career as a wildlife artist.

He's here to fly the flag for wildlife artists everywhere.

To prove how committed to the cause he is, he's brought a painting that's taken half a year to paint!

If the judges vote it through to this exhibition it would be a huge coup,

and a sale there could earn him a wildly satisfying return on months of work.

Steven, welcome to the hanging committee. Tell us a little bit about your work.

OK, this is my painting entitled Polonnaruwa, City Of Kings,

which is a painting that loosely came from after I painted a number of portraits of peacocks,

I became intrigued by the species, their elegance and beauty.

I thought, "Wouldn't it be fantastic to see them in the wild?"

Because contrary to popular belief, peacocks aren't indigenous to the English stately homes,

so I decided to go and see them and travel to Sri Lanka.

And when I came across this particular ancient ruin,

this was actually a meeting place where civilians would meet the king.

What do you think the value of this work is?

-I have it for sale for £4,000.

-£4,000? And what makes you come to that value?

It took me five months roughly to paint it, so I feel that's a fair...

When you break it down to an hourly rate, that's nothing really, so...

-Can we take a look at your work?

-Of course, please do.

This isn't just a hobby for Steven. Five straight months of hard work

shows just how dedicated he is to his wildlife painting.

But was it worth all that time and effort?

If his peacocks make it into the exhibition, he could

stand to earn enough not only to cover his costs, but his time too.

But first, he needs the endorsement of at least two judges.

Steven, I'm intrigued by how you've painted this.

Could you tell us a little bit about your technique?

Yes, of course. Initially it's a simple line drawing

to map it all out. I then block in with tonal values.

Darks, lights, mids, and then start to paint layer upon layer.

Thank you.

-The peacock at the top, which step is it standing on?

-The very top.

-The top, is it?

-Yes.

-It looks as though it's levitating.

My problem with this, I think is that it looks kind of unnatural.

It does look like a film set. It doesn't look as though it's in the open air, somehow.

You kind of half expect Baloo and Mowgli to come waltzing over the top, you know,

and start singing I'm The King Of The Swingers or whatever it is.

I can see Lara Croft running through it. I think I find that a problem.

I mean, what I'm looking at is a picture of Sri Lanka, where the animals are by the by.

I think you should pare it back to something you're interested in, which are the birds.

David and Roy would need to see beyond a film set

if he and his peacocks are to strut their stuff at the Royal College.

If he sells there, he could get paid for his five months' work!

What does Charlotte think?

-I mean, technically you're incredibly talented.

-Thank you.

What we're looking for, however, is something even beyond that.

We're looking for some connection with us.

You love the peacocks. I don't have a particular thing

about peacocks, so I'm not getting that.

When you said this is a meeting place of kings and the peacocks are kings,

I liked that, but I'm not getting it from the painting.

David, what do you think?

I have nothing but admiration for your skill and tenacity in spending five months painting it.

But in the end, I'm not sure that's enough.

On skill, absolutely, I think we're all in agreement on that.

As an emotional response, I'm afraid I don't have one.

This isn't looking good for animal lover, Steven.

He now needs at least two judges to agree his painting was worth almost half a year of unpaid work.

So it comes down to voting and whether we can all put our names

to this in our exhibition at the Royal College of Art in London.

So, Charlotte?

-I'm afraid it's a no from me for this work.

-David?

I'm impressed by your endeavour.

It's not the kind of work that I like, but I'm going to surprise myself and say yes.

Thank you.

A surprise yes from David is a real bonus for Steven,

he's a hard man to impress. Now, it's all down to Roy.

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

-OK. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Thanks for bringing it.

It's disappointing news for Steven, who won't be getting a return on his time-consuming painting.

But at least he can draw comfort from the judges' feedback on his technique.

-Bad luck, sir.

-Well, there you go. As I said, it's just three opinions.

But you turned one head and one head that refuses to turn,

and that's David's, so you've got to be pleased with that.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. I do respect what they've said.

I don't agree with what they've said, but that's MY opinion.

Well, as you can probably tell, there's a real buzz at our exhibition today

with the movers and shakers of the art world having a good look around.

The successful artists are taking full advantage and hobnobbing furiously.

But they all had to travel a perilous road to get here.

Mike Kingston gave up a career in architecture to become a full-time artist.

He sells his paintings in Devon, but a place at the Exhibition

would give him access to the London art buyers.

Well, this is very typical of the sort of paintings that I do.

I like to keep them simple, bright and a bit whimsical.

-I like the little individual details, I have to say.

-Yes.

There are hanging baskets that are beautifully done.

But his colourful seaside painting didn't convince the judges.

Am I emotionally stimulated by that? Not really, no.

Anthony Garratt has taken a big risk and turned his back on graphic design to paint full-time.

He was hoping for a ringing endorsement from the judges for his bold career move.

This piece is called Dungeness 3. It's one of my favourite places to paint.

It's kind of quite bleak, quite barren, there's big weather.

Charlotte wasn't entirely convinced.

There is something about your style I find slightly old-fashioned.

Old fashioned it may be, but his style was good enough to send him through to the exhibition

with the chance to sell his painting for hundreds of pounds.

-Definitely yes, from me, so you're in. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

See you in London.

Next up at the Walker Gallery was Josie Jenkins,

whose job is to re-house homeless people for a charity.

She did a degree in fine art and now combines her twin passions of charity work and painting.

But she feels art is her true vocation and she would love to sell enough to make a living.

-Hello, Josie.

-Hello.

-You're a painter, right?

-Yeah. That's right.

And what do you do full time?

I manage a support service for offenders and people with mental health issues.

I did an art degree and I feel that it's more like a calling.

You know, I feel frustrated if I'm not doing something.

What would today do for you if you get to the exhibition?

It's great being in exhibitions.

You want people to see your work, and for me it's interesting

to have someone who's really quite credible in the art world telling you what they think of your work.

-I'm going to wish you the very best of luck.

-Thank you.

-They don't bite, you know.

-No.

-Only a couple of times. Good luck!

-Cheers.

The prestige of exhibiting at the Royal College

and maybe selling her painting to the members of the public

or dealers and collectors there could be just around the corner. It would be a dream come true,

but first she must take on our three art-world titans.

Hello, Josie. Please tell us about your work.

This is a painting I made recently. I've used imagery from Hull.

This is a piece of waste ground next to the Humber estuary.

I'm interested in how nature can take over man-made settings

and the contradictions between natural and unnatural.

So that's why I used the fluorescent orange paint.

I wanted to enhance the unnatural in the landscape.

I've valued the painting at £500, but I said that I would sell it for £200.

I want to make something that's affordable for people at the moment.

I think that's devaluing your work. This is a big oil painting.

-Yeah, I know.

-For me, I think I'd stick to 500.

-But can we take a closer look?

-Yeah, sure, of course.

-Thank you.

Although she's fiercely ambitious, her price tag isn't.

For this frustrated artist, exhibiting at the Royal College

could be the first step to making a living doing what she loves best.

If the judges agree with her that art is indeed "her calling"

then she stands to make both money and connections that could set her

on the road to becoming a professional artist.

But will at least two judges be prepared to vote her in?

Josie, what's that orange thing again, just run that by me?

I was thinking about it when I painted it.

It's not meant to be anything, it's meant to be ambiguous.

But I think there's other things in the painting that are also ambiguous.

Like this large form in the bottom left-hand corner? What is that?

-Is it a silage heap covered in plastic?

-So this is...

-It was concrete.

-It's not clear though, is it? It really ought to be clear.

I don't want the things in my painting to be completely recognisable.

It's fighting talk from this confident charity worker,

but in her attempt to add intrigue, has she missed the mark?

I totally take your point about certain elements

you want to be ambiguous, and I go with that.

I thought that was concrete, but I didn't think it was painted technically well enough.

Elements just don't really work, they look badly painted.

For me, the things that you have picked up on,

that you don't like, are the things that I DO like.

-I like the ambiguity.

-It's gone beyond ambiguity, it's confusing.

-It's not confusing.

-What about the orange?

The orange, I love. I was going to ask you what it was, and the fact that you've...

-It's not anything at all.

-It doesn't matter.

Sometimes in the landscape you do see bright colour like that.

I think that and the ambiguity and the urban versus nature, I think it's great.

Thank you.

There's disagreement amongst the judges.

Josie's liberal use of colour has won her an ally,

but all art works must be judged on a strict set of criteria.

Originality...no. Technique... I think it's appalling, actually.

And emotional content... I'm just completely baffled and confused by it.

Well, that was clear.

There's clearly no changing David's mind, but has our charity worker done enough to convince Roy?

I do like... Increasingly I like the picture,

and I think, unlike David, I see you've chosen to paint in this way.

Thank you.

If Josie's to ease her artistic frustrations and spend more time

painting at the easel, she now needs at least two votes.

-The subtlety is completely lost on me, no.

-Josie, it is a yes from me.

The verdict could go either way. It's now all down to Roy.

I think this is a very subtle picture.

It's a yes, from me.

-Thank you.

-Congratulations. Thank you very much.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I will take it all on board.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

After a rough ride, full of mixed opinions towards her work, Josie's over the moon.

She hardly dared hope she'd win the chance to sell her work at the Royal College.

Charity worker Josie has made it to the hallowed halls

of the Royal College and she couldn't be happier.

Despite Charlotte's advice, she's gone for the rather charitable guide price of just £350.

Will this encourage potential buyers to snap up her landscape?

Hi, Josie, really good to see you at the show.

Hello, yeah, it was really good that you pulled my corner.

What's the price tag on it now?

I've put the price tag at 350, because realistically speaking,

I would sell it for 350, even if I feel that it's worth more.

Someone gets a steal of a painting, but at the same time

it's good to get your work on other people's walls.

-Yeah.

-So do you feel this has been a good shot in the arm for you?

Oh, yeah. It's the only way I would have ever got into the Royal College.

It's been an exciting experience for charity worker Josie,

who before today could only ever dream of exhibiting on these walls.

Unfortunately no-one put in a bid for her painting on the night

but with a taste of the big time and plenty of support from Charlotte,

she's one step closer to her dream of being a professional artist.

Well, that's it from us today, but join us next time

on Show Me The Monet, when the judges will be meeting more budding artists.

But for now, bye-bye.

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