0:00:00 > 0:00:03Britain's top artists make big money.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05Their works can go for millions.
0:00:05 > 0:00:079.5 million. 10 million.
0:00:07 > 0:00:0910.5 million. 11 million.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Up and down the country, thousands of ordinary people
0:00:12 > 0:00:15are also trying to get a piece of the action.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17They're putting their necks on the block for the chance
0:00:17 > 0:00:20to sell at the hottest exhibition in town.
0:00:20 > 0:00:25To get into an exhibition in London would be just a fantastic opportunity.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27It's like showing your soul when you show them your work.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30It is kind of a dream come true.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32These artists could stand to make some serious cash.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34This piece is 4,500.
0:00:34 > 0:00:361,500.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38About 3.5 grand.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40But first they need the seal of approval
0:00:40 > 0:00:43from three of the art world's toughest critics.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46It's terrible. Absolutely terrible.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50I can't work out whether it's great fun and formally witty
0:00:50 > 0:00:52or actually if it's a waste of space.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Their hopes are in the hands of the Hanging Committee.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58It was done to death a hundred years ago
0:00:58 > 0:01:00and it's so obvious it's almost painful.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03It's time to Show Me the Monet.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Hello and welcome to Show Me the Monet.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Over the past few months, ambitious artists,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15both amateur and professional, have been appearing
0:01:15 > 0:01:18before our rigorous judging panel, the Hanging Committee.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21And if they get through, they have the chance to show
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and sell their work at our exhibition.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26But to get there, they have to get past
0:01:26 > 0:01:29three of the most demanding critics in the business.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33David Lee is one of the art world's most outspoken critics.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Renowned for his tirades against conceptual art,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40his pet hate is work that's all explanation and no substance.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Only the greatest works of art can stop you in your tracks
0:01:43 > 0:01:46with their overpowering beauty.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47But there's no harm in trying.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Charlotte Mullins is our contemporary specialist.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52The author of ten books on art and culture,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56she's selected works for some of the most prestigious art competitions.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00I'm looking for art to really stand out from the crowd.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02I want to not take my eyes off it.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Roy Bolton is our resident money man.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07A fine art dealer of international renown,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11he has valued and sold works for some big name auction houses.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Technical ability is a skill to express yourself in whatever
0:02:14 > 0:02:17artistic language you choose, abstract, realistic, anything,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19so long as you do it really well.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Thousands of hopeful artists applied,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24but only the very best will be selected
0:02:24 > 0:02:27to show their work at the Mall Galleries.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31I'd be very pleased to see this in our exhibition.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32So it's a yes from me.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Coming up on today's programme,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40one of our artists gives me the heebie-jeebies.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Not too nervous are you?
0:02:42 > 0:02:45I'm not as nervous as I was when I dug up my first person.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Er, repeat that please?
0:02:48 > 0:02:52And the judges are touched by a very heartfelt self-portrait.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55I was actually ill when I was painting it,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59so it was very much about an uncertain future for me.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Eltham Palace, South London,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09medieval home to Tudor kings and queens.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12It was here in the magnificent great hall,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14built for Edward IV in the 1470s,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17that the judges set up their hanging committee,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and artists from all over the country arrived
0:03:20 > 0:03:22to showcase their art.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33First up was 55-year-old Ross Ashmore from Hertfordshire.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Ross studied fine art, then spent 20 years building up
0:03:36 > 0:03:39a successful graphic design business, before deciding to
0:03:39 > 0:03:43take the biggest gamble of his life
0:03:43 > 0:03:45selling up, lock stock and barrel,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49in order to live out his dream of being a full-time painter.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52I started off four years ago in a sort of potting shed in the garden.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54But that space became too small,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58and now I'm renting a studio in the high street in Rickmansworth.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59It sounds as if you're really busy.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Oh, I love it. Yeah.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Creating lots and lots of work. Are you your own worst critic?
0:04:03 > 0:04:05No, I'm terrible, you know, I,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I have such an emotional high and low, you know.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11You're not ripping stuff up or burning stuff, are you?
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Oh, yeah, no, I've burned things, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16- Oh, dear!- Yes.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19- OK, well, these, these guys can be quite tough and harsh.- Yes.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22But they don't burn your paintings, which is great, these critics here.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25I mean if you do sell at the exhibition,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27how would you spend the money? Do you need the money?
0:04:27 > 0:04:28I use a lot of paint.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30I mean, I use five-litre tins of paint.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32My goodness.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34So the amount of oil paint I use goes into hundreds.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38- So you need the money then? - I need the Monet, yeah!
0:04:38 > 0:04:40All right, well, I wish you the best of luck, then.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Lovely to meet you. The judges await through there.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Bit of confidence and belief. Go for it.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46No, I'm going to try. OK, thanks, Chris. See you.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Ross' style of painting is costing him a fortune.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56He really needs to hear from the judges that he's not
0:04:56 > 0:04:58pouring his money down the drain.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00He's submitted this extravagant oil painting,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04entitled Borough Station: Zone One Series.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07But will it impress our three judges
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and buy him a golden ticket to the exhibition?
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- Ross.- Hello. - Welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Would you like to tell us a little bit more about your painting.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Yes, this is a painting of Borough tube station.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29I'm painting every London Underground tube station,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31there's 270 of them.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I've done 100 so far, it's taken a year and a half,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36I think it'll probably take another year...
0:05:36 > 0:05:38You do sell them individually?
0:05:38 > 0:05:41I've actually sold one, which I didn't want to.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43I really want to get the collection together,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45it's sort of a personal ambition of mine.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Well, if this goes through to the exhibition,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49you may well have to sell this one.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Ross has set himself quite a challenge,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55painting all 270 London tubes.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56But is there a method to his madness?
0:05:56 > 0:06:00The, I mean the price I've put on it is 4,000.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05I mean 4,000's a lot of money, but for me, I feel it's worth it, so...
0:06:05 > 0:06:06We'll come back to that,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I think we should have a closer look at it first.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10Sure. Thank you.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Now I'm no mathematician, but at 4,000 a pop,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19I make that just over £1 million
0:06:19 > 0:06:22if he sold all 270 paintings in the series.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25He's only managed to sell one so far,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28but if the judges like Borough Station,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30the next stop for Ross could be Bank.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33The judges are looking for originality, technical skill
0:06:33 > 0:06:35and emotional impact.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Ross will need two yeses from the panel
0:06:38 > 0:06:40to get a place at the Mall Galleries.
0:06:50 > 0:06:51I find this style sadly quite dated.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56I mean, I find even the cars in this look quite dated,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59I mean, it makes me think of artists who painted London in this way
0:06:59 > 0:07:00in the '50s and the '60s.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02You think it's 50 years ago.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05But you think 50 years ago is old fashioned.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08I mean, to me, 50 years ago isn't old fashioned.
0:07:08 > 0:07:09I just look at it as a painting, really,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12I'm not sort of obsessed with fashion, contemporiness,
0:07:12 > 0:07:13that kind of thing.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16It's not fashion, it's being rooted in the moment it's painted,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18saying something about the time it's painted.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21- Well, I think that is rooted in the now...- To you. Good.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23This is why we're discussing it.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25I mean I know this scene, it's, it's pretty accurate.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30The painting's provoked a bit of a spat between David and Charlotte.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Is it old fashioned? Is it contemporary? Does it matter?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37You have painted 100 of these.
0:07:37 > 0:07:404,000 each, we've done the maths, 400,000 if you sold them all,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44- but obviously you've sold them all, but obviously you've sold one.- Yeah.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46That suggests you don't have to sell paintings to survive.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50- You do?- No, no, I'm on a road to collision, you know, basically.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Financially speaking, it's a disaster, but it's self-belief.
0:07:53 > 0:07:59You know, I've got the self-belief to feel it's worth doing it.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02You have to admire Ross's determination and his grand plans,
0:08:02 > 0:08:07but he's just admitted he's heading for financial disaster.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08Ross.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13I really don't know whether you're a mad genius or a mad man.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17It could be pure genius to paint a series of 270 of these things,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21and either sell them individually to people from those localities,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24or well, I don't know how you could possibly sell them all together
0:08:24 > 0:08:29as one group for over a £1 million, but it's an interesting idea.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I think...I think that, you know, when you're, you make the money sound
0:08:32 > 0:08:35as if that's the big factor in it, and multiplying it up.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38And, you know, that's...it isn't the objective.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39The objective and the purpose
0:08:39 > 0:08:43is actually to sort of achieve something.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45So it's not all about the money for Ross.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47It's more about achieving his personal goal.
0:08:47 > 0:08:54He's set himself a Herculean task, painting all 270 tube stations,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57and I suspect if he gets a place at the exhibition,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00it could give him that extra boost to carry on.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05But will Borough Underground be his ticket to fame and fortune?
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Or is it all going down the tubes?
0:09:08 > 0:09:09Charlotte, are you ready?
0:09:09 > 0:09:14Ross, I think you probably know my answer. It's no I'm afraid.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15David?
0:09:20 > 0:09:24I don't dislike this, but it's a no from me as well.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Ross, it doesn't much matter what I say at this point.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29I would like to say yes to this picture,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32but I'm afraid I can't really. I'm sorry. Thank you, Ross.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- Thank you very much. - Thank you. Bye.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Three no's and it's the end of the line for Ross.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42But is it the end of his journey around the London tube network? I suspect not.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46- You're going to carry on, aren't you?- I'm going to have to.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Yes, I'll get over the shock of today, you know.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Are you happy with the criticism that it was a bit of a dated style? Bit old fashioned?
0:09:52 > 0:09:54I think hopefully I argued that.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Charlotte, I think she's got, you know, it's in her head.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59She's got certain things that, you know,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01she has to tick a few boxes, and obviously that didn't.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05And I think, in a way, she has a bit of a view,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07which for me is a bit more limited.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10I knew I was in for a bit of a rough ride.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12All right. Are you going home by tube?
0:10:12 > 0:10:14I had to drive in because the picture was too big.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Oh, yes indeed. Just away you go up there.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19- Lovely to meet you.- Thank you. And you.- Take care.- Bye.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24We invited artists from all over the country to send in their work,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28and we received work of all shapes and sizes,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32from paintings to drawings, to photos, to sculptures.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Next up in front of the judges was 39-year-old
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Gillian Lee Smith from Nottingham.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45A former costume designer, Gillian now uses painting and sculpture
0:10:45 > 0:10:48in her work helping Alzheimer's sufferers with their memories.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51After being struck down with her own health problems,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Gillian's outlook on life completely changed.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59And now she's determined to push her art career as far as it will go.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00The year before last, um,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03I was unfortunately diagnosed with breast cancer,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- so at quite a young age, obviously. - Mmm.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08I'm recovered and I'm really well now.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09Brilliant.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12But that was the time that I decided to get really serious
0:11:12 > 0:11:13about my artwork,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and yes, this is really want I want to do for the rest of my life.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18I mean obviously if you do get to the exhibition
0:11:18 > 0:11:20there's a chance of selling.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Is there anything you'd love to spend that money on?
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Yes. When I was ill, the year before last, my husband and I,
0:11:26 > 0:11:27well, we got married,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and because I was ill we couldn't really have a honeymoon,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33because I was going through treatment, so we'd go away somewhere.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Gillian's been through a lot.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40The thumbs up from our panel would give her art career a huge boost,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and the chance to make some money towards the honeymoon
0:11:43 > 0:11:45she and her husband missed out on.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49But will her acrylic and pencil piece
0:11:49 > 0:11:52entitled A Moment in Time be her ticket to our exhibition,
0:11:52 > 0:11:57and the chance to make some money out of her work?
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- Gillian, welcome to the Hanging Committee.- Hi there.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Would you like to introduce us to your work please?
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Yes, the piece is called A Moment in Time.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10And I really had this idea in my head that there are certain
0:12:10 > 0:12:14parts of our lives that we carry with us throughout our whole lives.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17And that's really what inspired the piece.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19It's also quite a melancholy piece.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22I was actually ill when I was painting it.
0:12:22 > 0:12:28So it was very much about an uncertain future for me.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Thank you very much.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Could you tell us what you would sell this picture for?
0:12:34 > 0:12:37I've put a price of £495 on it,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42which is based on previous work that I've sold.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- Can we come and have a closer look? - Of course you can.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Although Gillian has exhibited before,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56she's never had a piece judged as closely as this.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00It's a deeply personal painting, and any criticism could be tough.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- Hello, Gillian.- Hi there.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- You said you painted this, I believe, when you were ill.- Yeah.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17It sounded, from what you were saying, quite a serious illness.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Yeah, I was, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Oh, bad luck!
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Two years ago. So...
0:13:26 > 0:13:28- I'm sorry.- I'm fine now. - Good!- I'm very glad to hear it.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I still get emotional about it! But, yeah.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised.- Thank you.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34And it was quite soon after my diagnosis,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36just as I was going through treatment.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39So I just, I didn't really know what was going to happen,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42and how I was going to be, and so yeah.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44And would you say this is then a self-portrait?
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Um. Yeah, in a sense it is.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50I guess for me this kind of barren tree silhouette
0:13:50 > 0:13:53was possibly how I was feeling.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57The judges now know the emotional significance for Gillian
0:13:57 > 0:13:59of this very intimate painting.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02But to get through to the final exhibition at the Mall Galleries
0:14:02 > 0:14:06in London this painting must stand on its own merits.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10What do we think of the, the symbol here of the tree
0:14:10 > 0:14:13and the figure growing out of, or behind the tree?
0:14:13 > 0:14:17My first sticking point in the picture was that,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20because it's, it's so obvious, in a way.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23- Of what, Roy?- Well, hold on, you don't have to jump down my throat!
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Sorry, it's not obvious at all.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28It's a symbol, it's this sort of organic, alive, dead,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32I would go well beyond melancholia for the figure.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33It makes me stumble a little.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Yeah, I'm not getting what Roy's getting at all.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38I think the tree's really a positive sign,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41because also you...it's not a literal tree.
0:14:41 > 0:14:47Before you even told me the very personal, emotive story behind this,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50I feel you get a sense of that from it,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53and the tree growing over the very spectral figure,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57a tree which I would associate quite often with life,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01that actually here is a darker overtone that is ambiguous,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03and I like that ambiguity.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06I think I'm a bit with Roy on the tree and the figure,
0:15:06 > 0:15:12it's a...it's something of a cliche to have figures related to trees,
0:15:12 > 0:15:13somehow, I think.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Could one of you explain to me why that's cliched?
0:15:16 > 0:15:20I seem to have seen the relationship of a tree
0:15:20 > 0:15:23growing into a figure...
0:15:23 > 0:15:25But it's not growing.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29..Portending the growth, or withering of something else.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32It's a hackneyed, cliched image.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Poor Gillian.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37David and Roy seem hung up on the tree image in the painting.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41But the work has definitely connected with Charlotte.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Gillian, I'm quite affected by this work.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I think great art should have an emotional impact.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50And it moves me.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Gillian painted her piece as therapy during her illness,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and if the judges now deem it good enough for the exhibition,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00it could be a life-changing moment for her.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Recognition, the chance to sell her work in London,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06and not to mention her long overdue honeymoon,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08all hang on the judges' decision.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Charlotte?
0:16:13 > 0:16:16It's an absolute yes from me.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17Thank you.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27I don't think it's quite strong and original enough for me. No.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33- Roy?- Mmm.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40I would like to see this in our exhibition.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42So it's a yes from me.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48What a fantastic result for Gillian. She's got a place at the exhibition.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51All she needs now is a buyer for her painting.
0:16:58 > 0:16:59The Mall Galleries, London.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02And Gillian's painting took centre stage.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04I'm really exited.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08It's my first time having a painting in an exhibition in London,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10so it's quite a big deal for me, quite exciting.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16The exhibition was open to the public, art dealers and collectors.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18And Gillian made some important contacts,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22some of whom seemed ready to put their hands in their pockets.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I think if I could buy one piece of art it would be
0:17:25 > 0:17:29A Moment in Time by Gillian Lee Smith.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33It really evokes a sort of, a very dark side, a dark emotion.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I think she really undervalues her work, so I certainly,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38I think, will put a bid in for that one.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41But will Gillian's fans put their money where their mouth is?
0:17:41 > 0:17:46If anyone was interested they had to make a secret, sealed offer
0:17:46 > 0:17:48to an independent agent,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51who would take a 10% commission of the final sale.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54The results of the bidding were then handed to me in a sealed envelope
0:17:54 > 0:17:58to be revealed to the artist on the final day of the exhibition.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Until I opened that envelope,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02even I didn't know what bids had been placed.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08A lot of interest around your piece, wasn't there?
0:18:08 > 0:18:09Yes.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13I also saw a few cards being swapped, or contacts being made.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Any news you want to tell me?
0:18:15 > 0:18:19I've got one gallery who is interested in seeing more of my work,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23with a view to possibly exhibiting it.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26And another gallery who's possibly interested as well.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27Brilliant.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30And you had someone that was behind you smiling all the way along,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33feeling very proud. Can you introduce him?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35- This is my dad, David.- Right.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- Very proud dad.- Yeah, good.- Came all the way down from Edinburgh.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- Was it worth it?- Yes, definitely. - Now sadly we didn't have hubby.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44No, no, he's not well at the moment, he wasn't able to make it.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46- Well, send him my regards, won't you?- I will do, yes.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Cos if I remember correctly, you wanted how much for this?
0:18:49 > 0:18:51It was 495, was my asking price.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54495. And what were you going to with the money?
0:18:54 > 0:18:57We got married a year and a half ago
0:18:57 > 0:18:59and we weren't able to have a honeymoon at the time,
0:18:59 > 0:19:04so if it does sell then we're going to have a weekend away in Cornwall.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- Here we go.- Yeah. - This could be for your honeymoon.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- Now, you wanted £495.- Yeah.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16You got four offers.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Just double-check that. Are you keeping her steady?
0:19:19 > 0:19:20Yeah.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Did you think that she was going to go there?
0:19:24 > 0:19:29The first offer was for £495.50.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Pheww! Crikey!
0:19:31 > 0:19:35OK. Second offer. Way above that.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37£495.75.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Yep.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Now we're getting serious, OK?
0:19:44 > 0:19:45Third offer.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47£522.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54But the biggest offer was for £650.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Oh, my goodness!
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Go on, Dad, give her a hug, she needs it!
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Well done to you, Gillian, big round of applause.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Well done, Gillian.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06THEY APPLAUD
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Wow!
0:20:09 > 0:20:11It was a triumph for Gillian.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14She sold her painting for £650,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17more than enough to finally take her husband
0:20:17 > 0:20:19on that long overdue honeymoon,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23and she couldn't wait to get on the phone and break that news.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26So obviously I won't be bringing the painting home.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30I love you too. OK. Bye-bye! Bye!
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Artist after artist made their way to the Hanging Committee
0:20:39 > 0:20:41in the hope of impressing the judges,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and the standard of the art was incredibly high.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47But sadly not everybody made it through.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Zimbabwean radiographer, Kudzai Sibanda,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54was hoping that her fabric image of an ancient African queen
0:20:54 > 0:20:58would earn her a ticket to her first ever UK exhibition.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00David, for one, was impressed.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02I like all of it, I think it's marvellous,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05I think those amazing earrings, they look like mobiles.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10But ultimately the work's decorative nature scuppered Kudzai's chances.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14In what way do you see this as a work of art,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16rather than a tourist image?
0:21:16 > 0:21:19The fact that I've managed to transfer this image
0:21:19 > 0:21:23from a real person, onto fabric, I think that's art in itself.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28I'm afraid I don't think there's enough art with a capital A in this.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30It's a no from me.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37With his special drawing of Venice, inspired by a recent holiday,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41aspiring surgeon Luke Cole likes to draw as a break from studying.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46And for the would-be doctor, the initial vital signs were promising.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49For somebody who's self-taught, it's obviously very, very good.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52But David had seen it all before.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56When I saw this my heart sank, "Oh, no, it's another view of Venice."
0:21:56 > 0:21:59And Luke's surgical attention to detail
0:21:59 > 0:22:01proved too much for Charlotte.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04That labour that you've done, a labour of love in your case,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06has sort of worked the life out of it. No. Sorry.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I'm afraid mine's a no as well.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11- Thank you very much.- Thank you. - Thanks, Luke.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Gail Fisher does the accounts for an architecture firm,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17alongside studying art part time.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22She presented this charcoal drawing, Portrait Of A Thinker.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24David rated her work highly.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29That's not a bad drawing by any stretch of the imagination.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31I'm going to say yes to that.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35But Gail's technique was shot down by Roy.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37To me he feels he's sitting in an electric chair.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40His hat is his shaking. His body is shaking.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44I used the art college models to try and get proportion and technique.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48And then basically I take them away and work on them,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50and then, you know, things just happen.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55So Roy wasn't convinced and Gail's journey to the exhibition
0:22:55 > 0:22:57ended with Charlotte, but only just.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01I am going to say no, Gail, but I'm very close to saying yes.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02Keep it up.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Edinburgh-based professional photographer, Lindsey Robertson,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09thought he was onto a winner with this photo
0:23:09 > 0:23:12of the aptly-named horse Picasso,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14taken in a mobile studio, which he built himself.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17It's actually a portable studio, because the idea is that
0:23:17 > 0:23:21I'm trying to attract commissions for a new route that I'm going down.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22Out of the starting gate,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25things looked promising for Lindsey and Picasso.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Everything in this portrait oozes success as a photographer.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33But the judges didn't feel it was right for the exhibition,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35even if David considered taking a punt
0:23:35 > 0:23:39on Lindsey's mobile studio business idea.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Well, it doesn't matter, even if I was prepared to sell you
0:23:42 > 0:23:47my yes vote for a 40% stake in your business now, does it?
0:23:47 > 0:23:49It was great talking to you. Thank you very much.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Thank you. Bye.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Next to face the Hanging Committee at Eltham Palace
0:23:58 > 0:24:01was Lee Broomhall from Walsall in the West Midlands.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Lee is 45 years old and drives a forklift truck for a living.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07He's also a keen amateur photographer,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11who has dreams of pursuing his art full time.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15His passion for photography has its roots way back
0:24:15 > 0:24:17in his early working life in a cemetery.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Not too nervous, are you?
0:24:20 > 0:24:24I'm not as nervous as I was when I dug up my first person.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Should I be calling the police? Or is this a career/job?
0:24:28 > 0:24:31No, this was a career that I was doing. I was a gravedigger.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Right. Thank goodness for that!
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Exhumations, so.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Strange occupation. Are you still doing that?
0:24:38 > 0:24:39No, no. I'm a forklift driver now.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42But obviously I'm here and looking for another career change.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45- Oh, you want to be a professional artist, do you?- Oh, yes.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Well, professional photographer. I would like that immensely.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52What would it mean to you if you did make it through to the exhibition?
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Getting to actually exhibit your work in London, I mean,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58what else do you, what else could you want?
0:24:58 > 0:25:01If you did sell your piece, what would you spend the money on?
0:25:01 > 0:25:03I'm planning to have a website done.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Because I haven't got a website of my own at the moment,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and everything now is on the internet.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Lee, a lot at stake, I'm going to wish you the very best of luck.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15- Through that door. The judges await. - Thank you very much.- Good luck.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20Former gravedigger Lee may be used to looking death in the face,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22but he now has to go eye to eye with the judges
0:25:22 > 0:25:25if he wants to make his mark in the art world.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Lee has chosen this photo that he hopes will have what it takes
0:25:29 > 0:25:31to earn him a place at the exhibition.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- Hello, Lee. Welcome to the Hanging Committee.- Hi there.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Would you like to introduce your work please?
0:25:45 > 0:25:47I call it Frozen In Time.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51I was doing a bit of stone skimming at this late, you know,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54sort of 40-year-old children, you know.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59And I asked one of the chaps, "Can you throw a stone into the water?"
0:25:59 > 0:26:03- I took the picture, it was one shot, and that was that.- Gosh!
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Could you tell us how much you'd charge for this kind of work?
0:26:06 > 0:26:08I've never actually sold a piece.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13So I initially put a value of 200 on that.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- What do you do? - At the moment I'm a forklift driver.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Previous to that, I was a gravedigger.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19Oh, goodness!
0:26:19 > 0:26:24Which is where the photography come out, though part of the work,
0:26:24 > 0:26:30photographing the memorials and stuff for people to quote from.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- Can we come and have a closer look? - You can.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40Lee may have developed his artistic style in a graveyard,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44but he now has to hope his photo, Frozen In Time,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- will not- bury- his chances of becoming a full time artist.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05Lee, it sounds to me like it was half created, half not.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Asking your friend to...did you ask him to hit a particular leaf,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11and you were already set up at that position?
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Yeah. Well, I was actually lying on my back, and whilst looking though
0:27:14 > 0:27:18the viewfinder, I was also watching him with the other eye,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21so that when it come over then I could just make the final adjustments
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- and take the photograph.- So he wasn't skimming, he was lobbing...?
0:27:24 > 0:27:26No, we'd, we'd gone past the skimming stage,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- so that when I thought, ah! - I can tell that from looking at it.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Were you using a zoom lens?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Yes. A 19-200.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- But not a tripod?- No.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41So far the judges seem impressed by Lee's technical ability,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44capturing the moment of impact with a very steady hand.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48But is the standard good enough for a fine art exhibition?
0:27:49 > 0:27:52What you've done so far is you've shown us
0:27:52 > 0:27:54what photography does, it stops time.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57You've got to use it for something now.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00You've got to think, "How can I improve that picture?"
0:28:00 > 0:28:04And I'd suggest that one way you can do it is by using flash
0:28:04 > 0:28:07on a subject like that, in order to bring that splash
0:28:07 > 0:28:11that you can see there, you will highlight all the edges on it,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15and it will make it look more impressive, alive,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17crystalline, if you like.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Sound technical advice from judge David, but Lee's work
0:28:21 > 0:28:26also needs to impress on both originality and emotional impact.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Emotional engagement, it's a very personal thing.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32It's probably the most important thing.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37- And for me, I don't have one with it, I'm afraid.- OK.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39It is a clean, slick image.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43- But I want a bit more you in it, I think.- OK.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46It's time for the judges to vote.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Is Frozen In Time just a lucky shot,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52lacking in the necessary emotional impact?
0:28:52 > 0:28:56Or could Lee be on the verge of starting his dream career
0:28:56 > 0:28:59and getting one step closer to his website?
0:29:01 > 0:29:04- Roy?- Lee, I'm afraid it's a no from me.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Charlotte?
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Yeah, keep at it, but a no this time.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13Yeah, mine's a no too. But I echo Charlotte.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16You must keep at it.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18- Thank you very much. - Thank you for your time.
0:29:18 > 0:29:19Bye.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21It's three no's for a disappointed Lee.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24But he has received some professional advice
0:29:24 > 0:29:27that'll hopefully take his photography to the next level.
0:29:27 > 0:29:32Lee. Commiserations, mate. How do you feel about that?
0:29:32 > 0:29:35There were some good constructive criticisms.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37I don't think that's too harsh on me, to be honest,
0:29:37 > 0:29:41I was expecting a lot worse!
0:29:41 > 0:29:43To have got this far, I was flabbergasted anyway.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Brilliant. All right, well, it was great to meet you,
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- Sorry you didn't get to the exhibition.- Never mind.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50- Best of luck in the future. - Thank you very much.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52- Lovely to meet you.- OK. Cheers.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Next up in front of the judges was 61-year-old Helen Ryan,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04who's originally from Dublin but now lives in London.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09For 14 years, Helen held the purse strings
0:30:09 > 0:30:11as a financial officer at Middlesex University,
0:30:11 > 0:30:17but now she's retired she's thrown herself into painting full time.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19At last you're doing something you love, is that right?
0:30:19 > 0:30:20Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22A burning desire, was it?
0:30:22 > 0:30:25It's almost like an addiction. But it's a good one.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28What do you want to get out of this programme?
0:30:28 > 0:30:31If I could see my painting up on the wall of the gallery,
0:30:31 > 0:30:33I would think, "Yes, I've achieved that."
0:30:33 > 0:30:36That's something you can't put a price on, that's priceless.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38And if you got to the exhibition and sold,
0:30:38 > 0:30:39what would you spend the money on?
0:30:39 > 0:30:41My husband's 70th birthday is this year,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44and he has been incredibly supportive of me,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46all through my artistic career.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48I would treat him to something.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Just through those doors, the judges,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52and I wish you the best of luck.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Thank you very much. Thank you.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00Helen has painted obsessively all her life,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03as her long-suffering husband will testify.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06But is she any good? She's about to find out.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Her hopes of going through all depend on this picture,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12called Men At Work, Blackfriars Bridge,
0:31:12 > 0:31:16which she's made using acrylic paint and bits of material
0:31:16 > 0:31:18to create a collage effect.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34Helen, hello. Would you tell us about your painting please.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37Yeah, well, the idea for it came around last August.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39My brother came from Dublin to visit me,
0:31:39 > 0:31:41and we were walking across Blackfriars Bridge,
0:31:41 > 0:31:45and I just saw these three blokes sitting on a wall.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49And I just said to him, "There's a painting! Great scene!"
0:31:49 > 0:31:51So I had to pretend to take a photograph of him.
0:31:51 > 0:31:52SHE LAUGHS
0:31:52 > 0:31:55And can you give us a valuation for this?
0:31:55 > 0:31:58I valued it at £450.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00- We should have a closer look for ourselves.- Yes, of course.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07Helen lives for painting, and seeing her picture
0:32:07 > 0:32:10hung in the Mall Galleries would mean everything to her.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12But before that can happen,
0:32:12 > 0:32:17the judges must find enough artistic merit in her work.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27Did you do any art training in Ireland, by any chance?
0:32:27 > 0:32:30- In Ireland?- Yeah, well, funnily enough, the first thing I thought
0:32:30 > 0:32:32when I saw this was it seems like the River Liffey,
0:32:32 > 0:32:34and these are three Dublin Council workers
0:32:34 > 0:32:37having one of their infamous tea breaks.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Funny you should say that. I've just finished one,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41which I'm just about to have framed, of the Liffey.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45- It's probably just the clouds. - Yeah, the wretched grey sky!
0:32:45 > 0:32:49What I do think is lovely, is you're taking the urban landscape
0:32:49 > 0:32:52and you're capturing it as it's going up.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55It's interesting you talk about the figures that drove this painting.
0:32:55 > 0:32:56But they're almost not there.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01And it's obvious you spend a long time with, on your technique,
0:33:01 > 0:33:05putting things in, taking them out, trying to get the balance.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10You're a view painter. Why does it need the collaged element?
0:33:11 > 0:33:17Because I felt that the crane was...had a lot of...
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Well, you know what a crane is like, it's got a lot of holes in it.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Sorry, it depicts a crane?
0:33:23 > 0:33:25- Yes, yes, yes. - Right. I hadn't realised that.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Hmm.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30David doesn't seem overly impressed with Helen's decision
0:33:30 > 0:33:33to add a collage effect to her painting.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35But will those fond memories of Dublin be enough
0:33:35 > 0:33:37for Roy to vote her through?
0:33:37 > 0:33:40And will Charlotte's enthusiasm for the changing cityscape
0:33:40 > 0:33:43sway her in the right direction?
0:33:43 > 0:33:47I think this is on a knife edge for Helen.
0:33:50 > 0:33:56Helen, this is a close decision for me, but I am going to say no.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00A disappointing no from Charlotte. Is Helen still in with a chance?
0:34:10 > 0:34:12It's competent, Helen.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Thank you.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21But, no. I'm sorry.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24I'm afraid it doesn't matter too much what I say now,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27but it would have been a yes.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29One yes is better than no yeses!
0:34:29 > 0:34:32- That's the attitude. Lovely to meet you.- Thank you. Bye-bye.
0:34:32 > 0:34:33Cheerio.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Ahh! So close, but in the end, Helen's acrylic and collage painting
0:34:37 > 0:34:40didn't quite come up to scratch for two of the judges.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45- Oh, Helen!- Hello again! - Bad luck. Commiserations.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Well, I'm obviously disappointed, I mean I'd be lying
0:34:48 > 0:34:50if I said I wasn't, but I'm pleased I got one yes.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54- You're OK?- I will live! You know? - You will live!- I mean it's...
0:34:54 > 0:34:56- You'll live to paint another day. - Oh, yes. Yes.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58- There's always another day. - C'est la vie.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00- C'est la vie. Lovely to meet you. - Thank you.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02- Bye-bye. - Bye-bye. Nice to meet you.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08One after another,
0:35:08 > 0:35:12the artists arrived carrying art of all shapes and sizes.
0:35:12 > 0:35:17It was a day of disappointment for some, and triumph for others.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Next up in front of the Hanging Committee
0:35:19 > 0:35:22was part-time university art lecturer, Lesley Halliwell,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24from Chester.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28Alongside her teaching, 46-year-old Lesley has a busy family life,
0:35:28 > 0:35:30with three sons to bring up.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35So her artistic ambitions often have to take a back seat, but not now.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41- Hey.- Hello.- Welcome, Lesley. - Thank you.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43Tell me about your family. How much support do they give you?
0:35:43 > 0:35:46I've got a fantastic family, three gorgeous boys,
0:35:46 > 0:35:50and they often come home from school, sit and see what I've been doing.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53So, yeah, yeah, they're full of ideas and opinions.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56So what are your ambitions? Why are you on this programme?
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Well, this is just a great opportunity, isn't it,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01to get your work seen by a much wider audience,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04and also to get some feedback from three experienced critics.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Now, if, if, obviously, you get to the exhibition,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09you might be able to sell your work.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11I mean, it would be, it would be really nice
0:36:11 > 0:36:13if this piece of work would go to somebody who wanted it.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15What would you do with the money?
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Well, the money would just be reinvested back into my career, really,
0:36:18 > 0:36:20I've got a studio, and that costs money,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23there's framing, and if there was any money left,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26then that would be re-invested into new work.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28- I wish you all the best of luck. - Thank you very much.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- Through that door. I wish you best of luck.- OK. Thanks.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34It's a brave move for Lesley, coming here today.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38As an art lecturer, she should know what makes good art.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41So if the judges don't like what they see,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44her professional reputation could be on the line.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50She's presenting this curiously titled biro on paper drawing,
0:36:50 > 0:36:52called Pick And Mix 745 Minutes.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57Now what's that all about?
0:36:57 > 0:37:00- Hello, Lesley.- Hello. - Welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:37:00 > 0:37:01Please tell us about your work.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05This drawing was made with a pack of very ordinary biro pens.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10And a very simple plastic Spirograph kit.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12I'm interested in what happens
0:37:12 > 0:37:17when the same basic shape is repeated over and over again.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21The paper gets worn away, or my hand slips,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25or inevitably biros run out of ink.
0:37:25 > 0:37:30And those imperfections, I think, make the work what it is.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33And what value do you place on this work?
0:37:33 > 0:37:36This piece of work is £2,400.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- Let's take a closer look. - OK. Thanks.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46Hmm. Paper wearing away, your hand slipping, the biro running out.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48You're not having a laugh, are you, Lesley,
0:37:48 > 0:37:50all the way to the bank?
0:37:50 > 0:37:53I wonder if Mum's held on to the ones I did as a child?
0:37:53 > 0:37:54Could be worth a few bob now.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58But, seriously, is this art or is it child's play?
0:38:06 > 0:38:09This is an amazing thing to look at.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Have you ever been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder?
0:38:12 > 0:38:17I haven't but I'm probably a good client
0:38:17 > 0:38:18for being diagnosed with that.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20I mean, the work is very, very obsessive.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23I've got a love/hate relationship with the drawing process.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25I feel like I have a love/hate relationship with it,
0:38:25 > 0:38:31because it is garish, and I shouldn't like it,
0:38:31 > 0:38:34but something about it is quite mesmeric.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38- When you're doing it, are you bored stiff?- I move through a whole range...
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Or are you actually in some kind of trace-like condition?
0:38:41 > 0:38:44I think you move through a whole range of different emotions
0:38:44 > 0:38:46when you make a piece.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49It isn't exactly thrilling, is it? You know. Ooh! My pen's run out!
0:38:49 > 0:38:53Well, I find it, I find it quite exciting.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56Of course it's exciting, you get to choose a new pen, David,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59and when that one runs out, you get another one,
0:38:59 > 0:39:03and, yeah, I'm boring myself now.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08It seems to me you have amazing powers of concentration
0:39:08 > 0:39:12and have deliberately ignored any imagination.
0:39:13 > 0:39:19But still the work has something more than the process you've used.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22I'm intrigued by it.
0:39:22 > 0:39:23It's a phenomenal effort.
0:39:23 > 0:39:28I still feel a little bit, mmm, on the fence about it.
0:39:28 > 0:39:29Ah, Charlotte!
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Maybe she didn't have a Spirograph when she was a child.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36The question is, do the judges like Lesley's picture enough
0:39:36 > 0:39:39to put her through to the exhibition?
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Roy, I think we'll start with you.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48Lesley, I would love to see this in our exhibition. Absolutely, yes.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Thank you.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Well done, Roy. Just one more yes needed.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Well, I think the fact I want to look at it more
0:39:59 > 0:40:02means I really should say yes.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- So I am going to. Yes.- Thank you.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Part of me can't see why you bothered.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- But I'm glad you did. Yes. - Thank you.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21- I've enjoyed talking to you. - Lovely to see you, and the work.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23So Lesley's picture will be gracing
0:40:23 > 0:40:26the walls of the Mall Galleries in London.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28And if she sells it, she'll be able to buy even more biros!
0:40:28 > 0:40:33I wonder how many you get for £2,400?
0:40:39 > 0:40:42The Mall Galleries, London,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45where all eyes were drawn to Lesley's psychedelic picture.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49I like the one with the...
0:40:49 > 0:40:52- The Spirograph one?- Yeah.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55There's a piece by Lesley Halliwell, which is like a Spirograph,
0:40:55 > 0:40:56it's massive.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59And because that evokes images of being a child
0:40:59 > 0:41:02and playing with the Spirograph. Maybe not for 764 minutes.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07Lesley had clearly tapped into everyone's inner child.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10But would anyone be prepared to buy her nostalgic picture
0:41:10 > 0:41:14for her asking price of £2,400?
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Any offers would include a 10% commission,
0:41:16 > 0:41:18which would be paid to an independent agent.
0:41:18 > 0:41:23It was time for me to reveal the results of the secret bids.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28So did you make good contacts?
0:41:28 > 0:41:29I think so.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31I had some good conversations with quite a lot of people.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34- Do you think you've made any money? - It's hard to say.
0:41:34 > 0:41:35I mean, people were interested,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38but whether that equates into a sale I don't know.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Right. Moment of truth, here we are.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43The envelope's got your name on the back.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Let's see if we've got any offers.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53Now you wanted £2,400.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59- We didn't get any offers. - Ah, well! CROWD: Ahh!
0:41:59 > 0:42:02- It is an ahh, isn't it?- Yeah. - Yeah, we are disappointed for you,
0:42:02 > 0:42:05- because it got so much interest on the night, didn't it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07I mean I entered it for a couple of reasons.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10One was to introduce my work to a broader audience,
0:42:10 > 0:42:11which I think I've done.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15And the second was to put the work in front of some experienced judges,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18which I did, so I got two out of three, so, yeah.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20- Yeah, you passed there.- Yeah. Yeah.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23It's been a pleasure to meet you. Good luck with everything.
0:42:23 > 0:42:24Thank you very much, Chris.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- Go and get a cuddle from the three boys.- Oh, Mum!
0:42:27 > 0:42:28Oh, I don't need that, that's fine.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30No sale for Lesley.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34But those 745 minutes spent labouring away with biros
0:42:34 > 0:42:37has not been in vain, because just after the exhibition,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41she was signed up by an international art consultancy,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44who are looking to sell her pictures worldwide.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48That's it for today.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51But join us next time on Show Me The Monet,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54when the judges will be meeting more hopeful artists
0:42:54 > 0:42:56in search of success.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd