Sky Landscape Artist of the Year 2026

Landscape Artist of the Year was a whirlwind experience. From the initial shock at the phone call to invite me to take part as a pod artist, to the long conversations with the production team on how it all works. Waking up in Dover at 6am to head to the White Cliffs National Trust location fuelled with adrenalin and not much else and ready to paint, just a few weeks after that initial conversation.

I spent some time looking out, across the English channel to France nothing but the lightest blue from top to bottom, no definition, no texture. Dover Ferry Port at my feet, industrial, grimy, architectural – not pretty – not ‘lush’, in short, nothing like my submission painting of Wimbledon Common. A challenge? You bet, was I up for it? Absolutely.

Six hours later (I did not stop for lunch), Stephen Mangan told us to stop, I laid down my brushes, stood back and for the first time looked at the other artists work. I found the pressure of painting like this almost too heavy, only applied by myself I might add. I had great chats with the judges, the production team and the general public who were really intrigued in my painting and in my process.

I needed more time, I needed less adrenaline and more focus, I needed less burning hot sun so my paint didn’t dry out so damned fast. Would I do it again? (think for a minute), with a big smile, hell yeah! I learned so much, and spending time with Storyvault Production was a wonderful experience. If you are thinking of applying? Do it today.

Painted in 2024, as part of a series of Wimbledon Common landscapes, this was my submission painting to enter the Sky Landscape Artist of the Year competition. Thanks to this painting I was shortlisted to take part in the show, which aired on January 28th 2026 on Sky Arts. 250 limited-edition, signed and numbered prints are now available to purchase. Please note, the prints will be unframed. If you are interested, please contact Alison using the link below.