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.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Up and down the country, thousands of ordinary people
0:00:14 > 0:00:16are also trying to get a piece of the action.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18They're putting their necks on the block
0:00:18 > 0:00:22for the chance to sell at the hottest exhibition in town.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23For me it's just amazing
0:00:23 > 0:00:26to be able to make money out of something like art.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29It would mean that my work has a bit more credibility.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31It would give me confidence.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34You must be mad to come on television, because you've got it all to lose.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37I'm really interested, actually, to know what they're going to say.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41These artists could stand to make some serious cash.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43It's got 7,500 on it.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45£2,500.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47I'll guess about 3,000.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50But first they need the seal of approval
0:00:50 > 0:00:53from three of the art world's toughest critics.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57It looks to me like the view you'd see staring back at you
0:00:57 > 0:00:58from a high street photographer.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03Their hopes are in the hands of the Hanging Committee.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04I would love to see this in our exhibition.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06I'm going to say yes.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08It's time to Show Me The Monet.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Hello and welcome to Show Me The Monet.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Over the past few months, ambitious artists from up and down the country
0:01:16 > 0:01:19have been facing our panel of expert judges,
0:01:19 > 0:01:23all hoping to reach our exhibition at the Mall Galleries in central London,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25where, if they did get through,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28they'd have the chance to show and sell their artwork.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32But to get there,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35they had to get past three of the toughest art critics.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Charlotte Mullins is editor of highly respected Art Quarterly magazine,
0:01:39 > 0:01:41and author of 10 books on art.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43She knows what she's looking for.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Great art has the power to communicate directly,
0:01:46 > 0:01:50assertively, even aggressively, with everyone who looks at it.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Roy Bolton is an expert in the old masters,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58who's valued art for some of the world's most exclusive auction houses.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Technical ability is the skill to express yourself
0:02:01 > 0:02:03in whatever artistic language you choose.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07David Lee's been critiquing art for over two decades.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10He's known for his dislike of conceptual art
0:02:10 > 0:02:12that's all talk and no substance.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16In one sense there's nothing original to do.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18I want them to surprise me.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Coming up on today's programme,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Roy tells one artist to come back down to earth.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30The title is cuckoo land stuff, for me.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32It makes, it's got no relation to the painting whatsoever.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35And another artist reveals some unusual ingredients.
0:02:35 > 0:02:41This painting I use Chinese ink, oil, rice and soya sauce.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52Eltham Palace was one of the most important royal residences
0:02:52 > 0:02:55between the 14th and 16th centuries.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56It was where Henry VIII grew up.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00The medieval Great Hall is still standing,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02and it's where the artists braved our judges
0:03:02 > 0:03:06in the hope of landing a place in the exhibition.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Our first artist to go before the Hanging Committee
0:03:15 > 0:03:17was a 50-year-old Russian-born painter
0:03:17 > 0:03:21who likes to be known simply as Arina.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24She came to the UK in 2005 to study,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28and she completed a degree and a masters in fine art.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31She now works full-time as an artist, lives in London,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and has exhibited her work in the UK and abroad.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- Welcome to Show Me The Monet. - Thank you.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39I was born in the far north of Russia,
0:03:39 > 0:03:45and for first years of my life I saw only endless white snow around me.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And when I was four-years-old,
0:03:48 > 0:03:53my mum moved with me to the Ural Mountains area,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57and I saw the grass and flowers for the first time in my life,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00and I think that was the moment the artist in me was born!
0:04:00 > 0:04:03What would it mean to you to get to the exhibition?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Any exhibition is a chance to show your works.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08And this is what any artist works for.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11We're giving you a chance to exhibit in London and I wish you the best of luck.
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Thank you.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14And hold your own with those judges.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Arina only graduated four years ago
0:04:18 > 0:04:21so she's still trying to make a name for herself
0:04:21 > 0:04:23in the UK and internationally.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25A spot at the Mall Galleries
0:04:25 > 0:04:27would be an important stepping-stone in her career.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30But will the judges like her painting enough to put her through?
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Arina, hello and welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Please tell us about your work.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44I titled this work as musical composition, Silence Opus Three.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49Because, for me, silence is the music and harmony of the universe.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52One of the quantum physics theories
0:04:52 > 0:04:56suggested that the universe consists of strings
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and they vibrate throughout the universe,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and when we are in silence, we are in tune with these vibration.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07And what valuation do you put on this painting?
0:05:07 > 0:05:11I suggested the price for this piece, like, 35,000.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13£35,000.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17£35,000! Now that's quite a price tag.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I know it's big money, but I need for big project.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22We'll come back to it later.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24We're going to come and have a closer look first.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31If Arina gets through to the Mall Galleries
0:05:31 > 0:05:33and manages to sell her painting for that amount of money,
0:05:33 > 0:05:39she plans to stage an international art exhibition of her own.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52£35,000 is an awful lot of money.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53I know.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58For a painting by an artist who graduated less than four years ago.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02I recently sold two of my paintings for price range £24,000.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Although that is very significant, it is, still,
0:06:06 > 0:06:07we're still talking £10,000 more.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10< What makes you feel you can justify
0:06:10 > 0:06:12asking this much money for this painting?
0:06:12 > 0:06:14I wanted to try.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Well, there's no harm in trying.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19And at least she's up-front about it.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22But she's being judged today on the quality of her art,
0:06:22 > 0:06:23not her price tag.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27The judges are looking for emotional impact, technical skill
0:06:27 > 0:06:29and originality.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Has Arina's painting ticked all of those boxes?
0:06:33 > 0:06:37It has immediate impact and power.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39It glorifies the feminine.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42The title is cuckoo land stuff for me,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45it makes, it's got no relation to the painting whatsoever.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48As an image I like it.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51All the nonsense around it, sadly, confuses it,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and it's like white noise and static.
0:06:55 > 0:07:02Arina, all the analogies to music, silence, physics, seem to me
0:07:02 > 0:07:06to be important to you, but it sounded like drivel to me.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11It's a big image, it's much bigger than its size.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13And it demands a response.
0:07:13 > 0:07:20My emotional response is one of coldness and formality.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Hmm, that doesn't sound hopeful for Arina.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Is this good enough to go in the show?
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Yes, I'll go with that.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34Thank you.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37- Well, that was a surprise.- Roy.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42Arina, you have ability as a painter. But it's a no.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45OK. Fair enough.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Arina needs two yeses to go through,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50which means her fate now lies with Charlotte.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56I feel there's a war raging inside me, Arina, as to my vote,
0:07:56 > 0:08:01because it should be a really easy yes for me,
0:08:01 > 0:08:07and I find so many reservations going off in my head like alarm bells.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13- I'm going to say yes.- Thank you.- We will see you at the exhibition.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15- Thank you very much.- Thanks, Arina.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21How on Earth do you think we're going to sell that?
0:08:21 > 0:08:23I don't think she will, she needs to consider the price.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30The Mall Galleries, London.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33And Arina's painting with its colourful splash of red
0:08:33 > 0:08:35was certainly unmissable at the exhibition.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40The artist herself was trying to calm her first night nerves.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Well, I'm nervous, not just about the exhibition,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47I'm just...but talking in public, for me, is a big challenge, you see!
0:08:47 > 0:08:50But I'm trying to do my best!
0:08:50 > 0:08:53But there was no hiding in her garret for Arina
0:08:53 > 0:08:56as her painting was quite a talking point at the exhibition,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58and she was very much in demand.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Arina took the judges' advice
0:09:00 > 0:09:05and lowered her asking price a bit to £27,000.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09If anyone wanted to buy her painting they had to make a secret bid to
0:09:09 > 0:09:13an independent agent, who would take a 10% commission of the final sale.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16I was given the results of these bids in a sealed envelope,
0:09:16 > 0:09:21to revealed to Arina at the end of the exhibition.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22Until I opened that envelope,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25even I didn't know what bids had been placed.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31So I wonder how we got on?
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Just remind me how much you wanted for this piece?
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Err, initially, on audition, yeah, I put, I think, too high price.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43So I put my price down to £27,000, which I think it's quite fair.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Right, and what were you going to spend the money on if you did sell?
0:09:46 > 0:09:48I would like to organise art contest,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52international art contest, which will proclaim cult of beauty.
0:09:52 > 0:09:58Well, let's see if we helped. OK? So you wanted £27,000.
0:09:58 > 0:09:5927.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Let's see how we got on.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06OK. So the guide price was £27,000.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08- Arina.- Yeah.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13We didn't get any offers. Ahh!
0:10:13 > 0:10:15CROWD GROAN
0:10:15 > 0:10:17It's fair enough, it's OK.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Yeah, the thing is, what I love about you is you're so confident.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- Yeah, it's OK.- And you have a market out there already.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25And you know, in my case it often happens that my paintings
0:10:25 > 0:10:27- sold after the exhibition.- Yeah.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Something of that size and price, people are going to think about it,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- they're won't buy straight away. - Yeah, yeah.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36So pleased we've met you, and so pleased that we've seen your work.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Best of luck in the future. Thank you for being part of Show Me the Monet.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Nice to meet you. Give her a round of applause.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43CROWD APPLAUD
0:10:45 > 0:10:47So Arina received no bids,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50but she now successfully sells her work internationally,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53through an art dealer, for the full asking price.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59To win a place at the exhibition, amateurs and professional artists
0:10:59 > 0:11:01from all over the country sent us their work.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Everything from paintings to sculptures
0:11:03 > 0:11:06to photographs to drawings.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10The standard of art presented to the judges was high.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12But only the very best went through.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Up next before the Hanging Committee was 38-year-old artist
0:11:18 > 0:11:22and part-time personal assistant, Lyn Aylward from Norfolk.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Lyn left college at 18 and went to work as a secretary,
0:11:25 > 0:11:30even though she secretly wanted to be an artist.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33When she was 21 she did an art foundation course.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36But it wasn't until she was 28 that she decided to really
0:11:36 > 0:11:37dedicate herself to art.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38Oh, thank you!
0:11:38 > 0:11:43When I was at school I was going to apply to go to art college,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45but I suddenly had a big crisis of confidence,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and I was too scared, I thought they'd eat me alive!
0:11:48 > 0:11:50I didn't think I was good enough, really.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- Oh, no, that's terrible!- Yeah!
0:11:52 > 0:11:53Have you always lacked that confidence
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and belief in yourself, in terms of art?
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I did at first. It's not too bad now. It's getting better!
0:11:59 > 0:12:00So what are your ambitions then, Lyn?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02I'd like to paint full-time.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06I'd like to be, yeah, spend all of my time painting.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08OK, what would you do if you did get to the exhibition
0:12:08 > 0:12:11and you sold your piece, and you got some money in your pocket?
0:12:11 > 0:12:13I have booked a holiday, so I thought it would be quite nice
0:12:13 > 0:12:16to use the money, if I did sell it, towards the holiday.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Yeah, to help pay for that holiday. I'm sure it's well deserved.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21And I want a bit of confidence from you,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23so I'm gonna give my best, say it to me!
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- I'm gonna give my best!- That's it, Lyn!- Yeah!- Good luck!
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- The judges are through there. - Thank you.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31- Keep smiling!- Thanks!
0:12:31 > 0:12:36Lyn has been working part-time as an artist for the past ten years.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39She's exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41and has sold several dozen pieces.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44But she still lacks a bit of confidence.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49A yes from the panel could be just the boost she needs
0:12:49 > 0:12:51for her self-belief and for her career.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58But what will the judges make of her very revealing self-portrait?
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- Lyn, hello. Welcome to the Hanging Committee.- Thank you.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Please tell us about your work.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10This is a self-portrait, I've titled Scar Tissue.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13I had a breast reduction when I was 19,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17and having done everything correctly, going through the GP
0:13:17 > 0:13:19I still managed to come out looking like
0:13:19 > 0:13:22someone had opened me up with a tin can opener.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26It was a painting that I wasn't going to paint,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29but I saw an advert on TV which annoyed me so much,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32which basically had a tagline that said,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35"Before you need a permanent lift."
0:13:35 > 0:13:38And I was so annoyed that there's this assumption that,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41at some point, we all have to go through this cosmetic surgery.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I think it's probably hard for you to answer this next question,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46but what value do you place on this work?
0:13:46 > 0:13:49I tried to think about how long it took me
0:13:49 > 0:13:55and how hard it was to paint, and I ended up coming with 1,250.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58- Fair enough. We'll come and take a closer look.- OK.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Lyn has produced something very personal to her,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06and she's been incredibly candid in both her painting
0:14:06 > 0:14:09and her explanation of it.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12If she sells this work,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15she'll put the money towards a holiday in Boston.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19But will something so personal also have a broader appeal?
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Is anybody likely to want to buy this?
0:14:28 > 0:14:29I suspect, yes.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32I don't know how many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of women
0:14:32 > 0:14:35have had breast surgery of one form or another,
0:14:35 > 0:14:36every one of them bears scars
0:14:36 > 0:14:39that they probably didn't realise they were going to have.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Or even beyond the surgery aspect, that there are very few women
0:14:42 > 0:14:46in this country who are happy with the size of their breasts.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48- Yes.- They're either too large or they're too small.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51So, you know, I think the female population can get this,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54even if they haven't had surgery themselves.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58Well, if every woman watching this is moved by Lyn's painting,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00I'd say she's doing pretty well.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02But there are also two men on this panel,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and Lyn needs at least one of their votes
0:15:05 > 0:15:07to get a place at the Mall Galleries.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Your face in this self-portrait,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11it's almost like you're looking at yourself in the mirror
0:15:11 > 0:15:14before you go out and say, "Yeah, I look good."
0:15:14 > 0:15:17There's a quiet acceptance and strength in it,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20which is complicated enough to allow me further into the picture,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23and care more about the sitter.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26I think a title that described what the surgery was
0:15:26 > 0:15:31somehow, in some way, would help, because I think most people
0:15:31 > 0:15:34would expect and assume that this is surgery from breast cancer,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37and people will have a very different reading.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42Your technique is not at all bad.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44I don't think it's quite there at the moment.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48Am I emotionally moved by this?
0:15:48 > 0:15:54I am not moved by the paint or by the pose,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56I am moved by the subject,
0:15:56 > 0:16:02I'm moved by the butchery of what you've been subjected to.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07And I suppose in that sense, that's...that is something.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Something important.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13So Lyn's very personal painting does seem to have struck
0:16:13 > 0:16:16an emotional chord with both David and Roy.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19But is it good enough to go through to the exhibition?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Lyn, I think this is an under-tackled subject
0:16:26 > 0:16:30that could well resonate with millions of people in this country alone.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32It's yes.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Oh, fantastic!
0:16:34 > 0:16:35David.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45You're not quite ready yet. No.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Oh, Lyn, I wish I wasn't in the position to have the casting vote.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06I like where you're going,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08but equally I don't think you're quite ready.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11I'm afraid it's a no.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- Thank you for seeing me.- Thank you, Lyn.- Thank you.- Thanks.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Oh, that was so close.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21I think everyone was moved by Lyn's painting,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24but in the end it didn't quite come up to scratch technically.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27But David did say, "You're not quite ready yet."
0:17:27 > 0:17:30So maybe we'll see Lyn again next year.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I must admit, I take my hat off to you for being so courageous,
0:17:36 > 0:17:41you really have exposed yourself so emotionally there, haven't you?
0:17:41 > 0:17:44It was just so hard to paint, I think.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47How do you feel about, you know, yourself as a painter now?
0:17:47 > 0:17:49I feel quite good, really.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51I think they had a, they had some really good comments,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53and it was really useful.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55- It's been lovely to meet you.- Lovely to meet you!
0:17:55 > 0:17:58I know it was a bit of a blur, and a bit of a whirlwind,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00but you really have got some talent, you know.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- Lovely to meet you Thank you. - Bye-bye.- Thanks ever so much.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08The standard of art presented to the judges
0:18:08 > 0:18:10in the Hanging Committee was high.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12But only the very best went through.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17Textile artist Jan Lewis was hoping her fabric-based artwork
0:18:17 > 0:18:20would secure her a spot at the exhibition.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23It's based on a fossil, an ammonite, that I have on my fireplace.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27The fossil's made up of lots of different layers and textures,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30and I felt that a layered and textured piece
0:18:30 > 0:18:32would work really well, for this.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34But it didn't work for David.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38You've lost me on this, Janet, I'm not sure what it's about.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42I don't get the impression you're deeply interested in fossils,
0:18:42 > 0:18:47because that image doesn't say that to me.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51And Charlotte felt that Jan's talent should be directed elsewhere.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54The use of textiles to make things that are three dimensional,
0:18:54 > 0:18:59like a coat or a hat, for example, is possibly where your strength lies.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- I'm afraid it's a no from me. - Thanks very much.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Next up was former stockbroker turned photographer
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Nicola Taylor, with her ghost-like self-portrait.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Charlotte was intrigued.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13You have a lot of skill as a photographer,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16you've obviously worked very hard at your technique,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and you have a distinct look.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19It's a very painterly look,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and it's a very processed look at the same time.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27I went out with the express thought of creating an image
0:19:27 > 0:19:29based on this story of loss and grief.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32But when I got it into an editing software programme,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34it felt like it needed something more,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36so that's when I brought in the leaves.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39But for David, the leaves were the root of problem.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42I personally find those leaves a bit obtrusive.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46It's almost as though you're using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50It's windy, right? Here are the leaves going past.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Overall the judges found the image too commercial
0:19:54 > 0:19:57and they didn't vote her through.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Professional photographer Quintin Lake
0:19:59 > 0:20:02brought along an award-winning landscape image
0:20:02 > 0:20:04he'd captured on a trip to the Arctic.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Last year this image won the category of
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Travel Photographer Of The Year.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11I see myself not as a fine art photographer,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13rather than as a documentary type photographer.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15But for two of the judges,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Quintin's work fell down on its artistic merits.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20It is striking and I am impressed
0:20:20 > 0:20:24with the way you got that so quickly.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29But I have a problem with it being too controlled, to prettified,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31almost poster-like.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Roy, however, didn't agree.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- I'm going to vote yes. - Thank you.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39But with only one vote, Quintin's journey ended here.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Wallpaper and fabric designer Diana-Bernice Tackley
0:20:43 > 0:20:46travelled from Cheshire with her painting of an industrial scene
0:20:46 > 0:20:48near her home in Northwich.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50It's the chemical works.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54And it means a tremendous amount to thousands of families
0:20:54 > 0:20:56who live in Northwich,
0:20:56 > 0:21:01because so many of them were employed here at the works.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04The decision was up in the air with one yes and one no,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07so it was over to David.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Let's hear it for Northwich. Yes.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Oh, thank you!
0:21:11 > 0:21:15But would any of the hundreds of visitors to the exhibition
0:21:15 > 0:21:17want to buy Diana's landscape painting?
0:21:17 > 0:21:23You wanted £3,500. We've had one offer.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Wow!
0:21:25 > 0:21:31And it's for £1,501.25.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32Is that enough?
0:21:32 > 0:21:34I regret to say, but no.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39I'd like to say, whoever put the bid in, really, really appreciate it.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42A big round of applause, nevertheless. Well, done.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44CROWD APPLAUD
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Back at Eltham Palace,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53the next artist to face the Hanging Committee
0:21:53 > 0:21:56was 49-year-old Clem So from Devon.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Clem's always loved art, but he ended up running an online business,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02trading vintage collectables instead.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Only recently has he followed his heart
0:22:05 > 0:22:07and gone to university to study fine art.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Now with a degree, he's determined to make a living from his art.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13- Lovely to meet you.- Yeah. - How are you?- All right.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16- It sounds as if you had art in your heart all your life.- Yes.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18But I love the story about how it started. Tell me.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22My sister tells me that cos my dad used to work in a chip shop,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25and she said that I used to be sat in the corner with the chip paper,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27grease-proof-paper,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and she said I used to just doodle and doodle all day.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33And I guess it's just developed from there.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36What would it mean, then, for you to get through to the exhibition?
0:22:36 > 0:22:38It would mean everything to me.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42It's just in my body and I just need to be out there making marks,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46and really, I guess, you know, it would be really nice
0:22:46 > 0:22:49for others to appreciate that and share in that.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52If you do get to the exhibition and sell, how would you spend the money?
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Well, because I was born in this country,
0:22:55 > 0:23:00and I'm of Chinese descent, I've always wanted to go to China.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Brilliant. That would be so, a trip of a lifetime, really.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04Yeah. It would be absolutely fantastic.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- I wish you the best of luck. - Thank you very much.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- Lovely to meet you. Through that door.- Thank you.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Clem's taken a big risk going to university in his 40s
0:23:13 > 0:23:16and it's make or break time for him now.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20He needs to make his living from his art,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23and if his judges vote his mixed media drawing
0:23:23 > 0:23:25entitled Breaking the Mould through to the exhibition,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28it could set him on the road to success.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- Clem, hello.- Hi. - Please tell us about your work.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38This painting's inspired by a photograph my father gave me
0:23:38 > 0:23:40of my great-grandmother.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42To me it felt quite profound.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45I really wanted to pay tribute to that in a painting.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48The body of my work is about Chinese identity.
0:23:48 > 0:23:54In this painting I use Chinese ink, oil, rice and soya sauce.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57And what is the valuation you put on this work?
0:23:57 > 0:24:01- 1,200.- Great. We'll come and take a closer look.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06That's a sizeable sum, and if Clem sells,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08the money will help him realise his dream
0:24:08 > 0:24:13of going on that trip of a lifetime to China, to discover his roots.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16And it's the first time on Show Me the Monet
0:24:16 > 0:24:19we've had a drawing that's got soya sauce and rice on it.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23So hopefully Clem will score on the originality stakes.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26But will his portrait deliver the emotional impact
0:24:26 > 0:24:27the judges are looking for?
0:24:32 > 0:24:36You talked about addressing Chinese identity.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Yes.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40What do you mean by that?
0:24:40 > 0:24:44To not have any real connection with mainland China,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48I've always felt that something is missing from my life,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50and this seemed to me like an, you know,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53quite a deep subject that I could investigate in my own work.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57So this drawing is loaded with meaning for Clem,
0:24:57 > 0:25:01but will the judges warm to his exploration of his identity?
0:25:01 > 0:25:05This painting depicts your grandmother...
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- Great-grandmother. - ..Or your great-grandmother...- Yeah.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11..In a scarred, mutilated way,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14with what looks like a burn over an eye,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17looks like scar tissue and stitching round the nose.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Is that intentional or subconscious on your part?
0:25:20 > 0:25:22No, it's not, it's not a mutilation of the person.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25I've never thought of it as scars,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28I've always just felt it was like a puddle of ink.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31That wasn't the impression Clem was going for at all.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34His puddles of Chinese ink seem to have taken Charlotte
0:25:34 > 0:25:37in a direction Clem didn't intend.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39I wonder how the soya sauce and rice have gone down?
0:25:40 > 0:25:43I'm not convinced by he food aspect to it,
0:25:43 > 0:25:48I can see why it probably means something to him,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50but it doesn't mean anything to me, and it's a bit obvious.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52- But we don't see it really.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54It's a bit obvious, it's a bit obvious in a way, isn't it?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- The rice is tiny in the corner, I can't even see soy sauce on it.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00I quite like the rice as texture, just in that little position,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03it feels like the fabric on a braided tunic or something.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05It's an image of a Chinese person,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08therefore we'll use rice and soy sauce. What?
0:26:08 > 0:26:11But this is Clem trying to put in what he remembers,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14as he was saying, about being British-born Chinese.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Emotionally, I read this in a very strong way,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21but it's not the way the artist is intending.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25So the judges have found Clem's drawing moving.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27But not for the reasons he intended.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29Will that go against him in the vote?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35I'm finding it very hard.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40I'm going to say yes.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Roy.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49There's just a little bit too much lacking,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51so I'm going to have to say no.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54All on you, David.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02No.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Clem, I'm very sorry, but that means it won't be in our exhibition.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10But thank you very much for showing us it today, and good luck.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Cheers, thank you very much.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15So Clem hasn't made it to the exhibition this time,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17but Charlotte did find the portrait powerful.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Clem's only recently graduated, so with a bit more time,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23hopefully, he'll be selling enough paintings
0:27:23 > 0:27:24to finance his trip to China.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Bad luck, mate. All right. How do you feel about that?
0:27:31 > 0:27:32A little gutted.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37I think...I felt they kind of misread some aspects of my work,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39but it doesn't mean that I won't keep carrying on
0:27:39 > 0:27:43and doing more work, cos I think I've got enough about me to do that.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45It was a great pleasure meeting you,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- we loved your work.- Thank you. - Good luck. Take care.- Thank you.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Next up in front of the Hanging Committee
0:27:56 > 0:28:00was 20-year-old Tom Davis from Romford in Essex.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03He's in his first year at art school and he's set his heart
0:28:03 > 0:28:08on becoming an artist, even though he knows it's a risky career path.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10- Tom.- Hi there. - Lovely to meet you.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- So what are your ambitions? - Um, to be an artist!
0:28:13 > 0:28:18There's a lot of fears in that, but live life, I suppose.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19I think I'm going to go for art.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21What are you looking for from this programme?
0:28:21 > 0:28:24This would be good to put in your CV
0:28:24 > 0:28:26to get into a masters degree, or something like that.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29But other than that, a bit of money for the pub.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31- A bit of money for the pub. - Yeah!- Can I come too?
0:28:31 > 0:28:34- If you want, yeah.- OK!- That can be arranged.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36All right, good luck. The judges are through that door.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- Don't mention the beers, OK? - No, I won't!
0:28:43 > 0:28:46He's got some guts, he's only 20.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49And although he's had some critique from tutors at art school,
0:28:49 > 0:28:51this is a whole new ball game.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58Three professional art critics are about to tell him
0:28:58 > 0:28:59what they really think.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Hello, Tom. Could you explain your sculpture please?
0:29:13 > 0:29:18Yeah, no problem. This is one of my first sculptures.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20It's influenced by a trip that I had to Israel.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24Basically, what it is, is all steel that I've found lying around.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28I've welded it together in different sections,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31and the rest is just balanced on each other.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34It's basically, I've got the idea from, the heard stories about,
0:29:34 > 0:29:41in Gaza, how raw materials were being restricted.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44And then I found all these materials just lying around,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48and I've created something with potentially no function,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51and yet is cherished in our culture.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53So that's where I've got the idea from.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55What value did you put on this?
0:29:55 > 0:29:57I've put it at about £800.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00OK, and what is that based on? Have you sold before?
0:30:00 > 0:30:03I haven't sold before, I've sold a painting for £60!
0:30:03 > 0:30:05That's just for my cousin.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08- We should come and have a better look at it.- Yeah, no problem.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10800 quid!
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Tom must be planning on quite a few drinks in the pub.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17He's got some serious political themes
0:30:17 > 0:30:20going on about life in the Gaza Strip.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22But will the judges get that from his work?
0:30:40 > 0:30:46Do you intend exhibiting this with some kind of great tract beside it,
0:30:46 > 0:30:51of a political persuasion, saying that this is inspired by Gaza?
0:30:51 > 0:30:54I mean, I'm not going to get that from looking at this.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57I didn't really want it massively to be as soon as you looked at it,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59I wanted a little bit of mystery about it.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02But quite a few people have said to me,
0:31:02 > 0:31:05I don't get any politicalness from it. But...
0:31:05 > 0:31:09I mean, I'm a bit with David, I find your story really interesting,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12but it sounds like a story that's been applied to the work,
0:31:12 > 0:31:13I don't get any of that from the work.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15Yeah. I mean if you look at this,
0:31:15 > 0:31:19it looks like it's going to fall over, some of the times.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22And I felt that that sort of resembled the same sort of,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25with the political situation in the Middle East,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28there's a lot of, it's very touchy, isn't it?
0:31:28 > 0:31:31So, that's what I tried to resemble through
0:31:31 > 0:31:32the precariousness of this piece.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36Mmm, Charlotte and David aren't looking at all convinced
0:31:36 > 0:31:40about the political message Tom wants to convey. Has Roy got it?
0:31:40 > 0:31:45To me this is all about balance and fragility in strength,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48which doesn't speak about Gaza or their lack of building materials.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51You have lots of ideas at play here.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54They, none of them really stick together at all, or gel.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57You need time to develop what you want to say, more clearly.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59I think as a, you know, it's a first sculpture,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02you're a first year student, very brave of you to bring it
0:32:02 > 0:32:06in front of us, and to play with that, develop it.
0:32:06 > 0:32:07I'm just lost by it.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11And in the end, I have to stand back and look at it and think,
0:32:11 > 0:32:17"well, actually, it looks like some sort of Heath Robinson contraption
0:32:17 > 0:32:20"for tossing pancakes or something!"
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Right! Fair enough.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26David's never one to mince his work.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29I reckon Tom's chances of going through
0:32:29 > 0:32:31look as wobbly as his sculpture.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Surprise, surprise. No.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40- Tom, it's no from me too. - No problem.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42It's a no from me, but I hope you've enjoyed the experience.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45- No problem. Thanks a lot. - Right, thanks Tom.- Keep going.
0:32:45 > 0:32:46Will do!
0:32:46 > 0:32:49So with three noes, Tom's going to have to work hard
0:32:49 > 0:32:52to generate some cash for his master's degree.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55And hopefully one of his mates will buy him a drink in the pub.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03- Tom.- Hello. - Mate, commiserations!
0:33:03 > 0:33:06They didn't say they absolutely hated it, just got a lot more work to do.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09I hope that you're not sort of gonna get despondent from here.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12No, no, no, no. It'll drive me on more.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15So what are you gonna take from today?
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Start painting more!
0:33:17 > 0:33:19- THEY LAUGH - Forget sculpture!
0:33:19 > 0:33:22I wish you the best of luck, commiserations for today.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26- Keep smiling. Keep working.- Will do.- Nice to meet you.- Thanks a lot.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35Next up to face the judges is 39-year-old Richard Howell
0:33:35 > 0:33:39from Somerset, who is desperate to become a full-time artist.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Richard already makes a living from painting
0:33:43 > 0:33:46and examples of his work can be found in houses
0:33:46 > 0:33:47all over the country.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50But just not in the way he dreamed of.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52- What do you do at the moment? - Painting and decorating.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Well you are, in some people's minds, a full-time artist.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58Yes, with magnolia, no doubt!
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Right, OK. So I take it that you've had enough of that.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Well, it's a means to an end, isn't it?
0:34:04 > 0:34:07It's sort of, it's a day job which pays some bills, so...
0:34:08 > 0:34:12So come on then, what are your burning ambitions in the art world?
0:34:12 > 0:34:14To be able to do what I love doing.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18- Full-time?- Full-time, yeah. That would be lovely.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20If you do manage to get to the exhibition and sell,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22what would you spend the money on?
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Well, I've got, at the top of our garden,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28I've got an old building, which I'd like to make into a studio.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32Run out of a bit of money, really, so I hope to sort of re-roof it,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35that's what I'd like to put the money towards.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37The glamorous world of art.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40The glamorous world of, yeah!
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Trip to Florence, no, trip to Paris, no, put a roof on my studio.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45- Yeah, yeah. - Is that what it's come to?
0:34:45 > 0:34:47- That's what it's come to, yeah! - Mate, good luck.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- Thank you very much.- Give as good as you get with the judges.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53- Will do.- They're through that door. - Thank you very much. Thank you.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Richard's dream is to stop painting ceilings
0:34:57 > 0:35:01and start selling masterpieces, so this is a huge opportunity.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Richard has submitted this tiny sculpture to the Hanging Committee.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10I have to admit, though, I was expecting a painting.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22- Richard. Hello.- Hello. - Welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25Can you tell us something about your sculpture please?
0:35:25 > 0:35:27The piece is called Thirteen Secrets.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31It was inspired, I was given a box of old keys,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34and I quite liked the fact that they, you know,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38they all unlocked things and did things that no-one...
0:35:38 > 0:35:42Had no longer...sort of...knew what they did.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46And I thought, well, I'd played around and sort of hung them up,
0:35:46 > 0:35:52and then took it from there, really, and this little container,
0:35:52 > 0:35:55I wrote something in the container,
0:35:55 > 0:35:57cos I thought that's sort of a...
0:35:57 > 0:36:00So there's a...probably a secret in that container.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03But I'm not telling you what it is!
0:36:03 > 0:36:04Mmm, mysterious!
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Could you tell us how much your price is?
0:36:07 > 0:36:09My price is £475.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12- Great, we'll come back to that one later, I'm sure.- Yeah.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15We'd better take a closer look as we can hardly see from here!
0:36:20 > 0:36:24So, there's a hidden message inside the sculpture.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26I'm dying to know what it is.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32I imagine the judges will be trying to work it out right now,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34as they scrutinise Richard's tiny piece.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50So what do you think of the, the scale?
0:36:50 > 0:36:52I do love a bit of mystery. And then you see an old key
0:36:52 > 0:36:55and I immediately get what Richard's using the keys to represent,
0:36:55 > 0:36:59it's that unattainable, you find something mysterious,
0:36:59 > 0:37:03like an old button in your garden, or an old, an old key or something,
0:37:03 > 0:37:07and you know it's got a history that you will never, ever understand.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11And there is something wonderfully frustrating about that.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14I find the cage more interesting than what's in it,
0:37:14 > 0:37:19well, it's all the same, but it's so tiny, so incredibly meticulous.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21Copper wire. I don't know how you managed to do that,
0:37:21 > 0:37:23not with your fingers, I assume?
0:37:23 > 0:37:25- Yeah. They're all tight. - Really?- Yeah.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28I don't know how fingers that size could twist those knots.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31What a fantastic start for Richard.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35Charlotte was drawn in by the mystery of the sculpture,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37and Roy is wowed by its intricacy.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40But I have a feeling David could be the key man here.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44I'm slightly sceptical, it's a bit obvious. You know, keys, mystery.
0:37:44 > 0:37:49And yes, we do think, "Well, I wonder what's that for.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52"I wonder who owned that and what their life was like."
0:37:52 > 0:37:57We do that automatically, we don't...we hardly need to be reminded
0:37:57 > 0:38:02of that kind of, rather superficial mystery in an art exhibition, do we?
0:38:02 > 0:38:04So it's too obvious?
0:38:04 > 0:38:08In a way it's too obvious, but like you I'm a sucker for a small object
0:38:08 > 0:38:11that's really nicely made! THEY LAUGH
0:38:18 > 0:38:21I like it, the magpie in me loves it.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26I think it does have enough subject matter to
0:38:26 > 0:38:30be considered a standalone piece of art.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34My question mark, and it may be a small one,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36I haven't quite made up my mind,
0:38:36 > 0:38:43is that there may not be quite enough of it to really stand out.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47And whether it's original enough to draw people in.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51I have no idea which way this one is going.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Richard's Thirteen Secrets sculpture
0:38:53 > 0:38:57is certainly a mystery to the judges,
0:38:57 > 0:39:01but will those keys unlock the door to a spot at our exhibition?
0:39:01 > 0:39:05If they do, Richard will have a shot at selling his work for £475,
0:39:05 > 0:39:10and just maybe putting a new roof on that garden studio of his.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16It's so small we can stick it in a corner. Yes.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Thank you very much. Thank you.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22Richard, we can stick it in the middle of the room,
0:39:22 > 0:39:24and I will look at it with pleasure. It is a yes from me.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26- Thank you so much. - That's it, you're in.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29But it was a resounding yes for me as well,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31so that's three yeses, which is pretty rare.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34- That's fantastic, thank you. - Congratulations. Thanks very much.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37- Thank you.- Squeeze his knuckles as you go along.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41- Oh! Thank you, thank you.- Thank you, lovely to meet you, see you.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43And you. Thank you very much.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49The Mall Galleries,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51and the exhibition proved to be quite a draw.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54And Richard's intriguing cage of keys found centre stage,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57but he kept the public guessing.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Now, are you ever going to tell anybody what's in that, that secret?
0:40:00 > 0:40:02No, I'm not!
0:40:02 > 0:40:03And for Richard it was all a far cry
0:40:03 > 0:40:07from his painting and decorating day job.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10It's all been rather a surreal experience but it feels good.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14It'd be nice if I do sell it, but I've just enjoyed the experience,
0:40:14 > 0:40:18so that would be the icing on the cake, if I sold.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20More than icing on the cake,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23it would mean a roof for his studio in the garden.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27So now it's down to the big question of
0:40:27 > 0:40:29whether Richard received any bids.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35Any offers would be subject to a 10% commission.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41The wonderful thing about this is everybody could get down and...
0:40:41 > 0:40:43They were really staring at it, and you were just
0:40:43 > 0:40:46- telling them everything that you could tell them about it.- Yeah.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48You know, it's a mysterious piece,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51so people ask loads of questions, don't they?
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- Yeah. And did you have all the answers?- No!
0:40:54 > 0:40:57- And you had good support, didn't you?- Very good.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59From someone, who's smiling away there too. Who's this?
0:40:59 > 0:41:01This is Doreen, my wife.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Were you helping out with the explanations?
0:41:03 > 0:41:05No, I wasn't, I just stayed out the way and let him do the talking!
0:41:05 > 0:41:08OK, down to the business.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10- Go on, yeah.- How much did you want for this magical piece?
0:41:10 > 0:41:13475 was the guide price.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16£475.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19I'll look over to this side. This seems reasonable?
0:41:19 > 0:41:20Yeah.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Mmm. What were you going to spend the money on?
0:41:22 > 0:41:25I've got an old sort of garage at the top of the garden,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28which I'd like to convert to a studio,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30part of the roof, really, that's my...
0:41:30 > 0:41:33- To stop the leaks?- Yeah, it's a bit wet at the moment.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35He started off being quite glamorous, didn't he?
0:41:35 > 0:41:37- And now a studio that...- Yeah, yeah!
0:41:37 > 0:41:39- Stop the leaks in the garage roof. - Yeah.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41OK. The moment of truth.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45- Oh, God!- This is where the smiles disappear and we get serious.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48- I don't know, Richard, what's in here.- No.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Here we go. £475 is what you wanted.
0:41:52 > 0:41:53Yeah.
0:41:58 > 0:41:59We didn't get any offers.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Oh, never mind!
0:42:01 > 0:42:05- I'm surprised, because everybody was around you...- Yeah. Yeah.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08- ..And your piece, chatting away. - I probably talked too much.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12No, you didn't talk them out of it. Well, good luck for the future.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15- Thank you.- Hopefully Show Me the Monet has shown you the way forward.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17- Yeah. Yeah. - And you keep making. And creating.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Yeah, on a very wet, wet garage floor!
0:42:20 > 0:42:22- Good luck.- Thank you very much.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Give him a big round of applause, well, done.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26CROWD APPLAUD
0:42:28 > 0:42:32So, no-one wanted to unlock the secrets of Richard's universe.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34But it was a fantastic platform
0:42:34 > 0:42:36for him to launch his artistic career
0:42:36 > 0:42:39and leave the painting and decorating jobs behind.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Well, that's it for today, but join us next time
0:42:41 > 0:42:43when we'll be meeting more ambitious artists
0:42:43 > 0:42:47who face the Hanging Committee for the chance to sell their work
0:42:47 > 0:42:50at our Show Me the Monet exhibition. Bye-bye.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd