A South Norfolk amateur artist has revealed how his bid for success on a TV programme proved a wash out when his chalk painting was ruined in the rain.
Timothy Boyle, from Bressingham, was one of the 'wildcard' entries chosen to compete against 50 other keen amateur artists in the new series of the Sky Arts programme Landscape Artist of the Year.
Presented by Stephen Mangan and Joan Bakewell, the fifth series of the show sees eight artists use paints, pencils, brushes and biros to showcase their artistic flair in only four hours in front of judges Tai Shan Schierenberg, Kate Bryan and Kathleen Soriano.
Mr Boyle, 54, was not chosen as one of the eight main competitors but his application saw him named as one of the 50 'wildcard' artists given a one-off chance to impress the judges.
It offered a chance to reach the semi-final, getting one step closer to claiming the grand prize - a £10,000 commission to create a landscape artwork of Venice for the Royal Institute of British Architects.
MORE: North Norfolk artist to appear on new Sky TV seriesIn the second episode, which will air on Tuesday, October 22, while the eight main competitors paint Herstmonceux Observatory in East Sussex, the 'wildcards' were given the task of capturing the medieval moated Herstmonceux Castle.
Mr Boyle, a cabinet maker but also a keen amateur artist who dreams of turning professional, said his choice of using chalks backfired when it rained.
"It was a wash out," he said. "Most people's paintings got wet and mine got soaked. I have still got the painting but I'm not really that proud of it.
"I was using chalk on paper so obviously it could not have been worse for when it rained. I was crouching under an umbrella most of the day. I had never actually painted outside before either, so it was quite challenging.
"Normally I am in the studio and take hours over it mainly from photographs or sometimes sketches or just from memory."
"Despite the rain it was very interesting experience and I got some valuable advice from the judges."
- Episodes of the new series of Landscape Artist of the Year can be watched again at Sky Arts
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