Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year

A painting of Chartwell on an easel, with the house in the background © Landscape Artist of the Year | Sky Arts

Throughout history, artists have drawn inspiration from nature, and it’s no different today in. Each series of Sky Arts’ hit show Landscape Artist of the Year follows a groups of gifted artists as they compete to create works of art from some of the UK’s most spectacular vistas – including places we care for.

In each episode the contestants have just four hours to complete their landscapes, which range from the classical grandeur of Britain’s historic houses to idyllic rural scenes and modern cityscapes. They're all competing under the watchful eye of the judges: art historian Kate Bryan, independent curator Kathleen Soriano, and award-winning artist Tai Shan Schierenberg. 

Works of art from series six

Drawing of Chartwell, Kent by Julia Roccia
Painting of the lake and Music Temple at West Wycombe
Painting of the gardens at Chartwell by Max Denison-Pender
Painting of the exterior of West Wycombe house, Buckinghamshire

Heat one: Chartwell house

Drawing of the house at Chartwell by Julia Roccia, one of the heat one contestants.
© Landscape Artist of the Year | Sky Arts

Heat two: West Wycombe gardens

The lake and Music Temple at West Wycombe, painted by heat two winner Dougie Adams.
© Landscape Artist of the Year | Sky Arts

Heat four: Chartwell gardens

The gardens at Chartwell, painted by heat four winner Ben MacGregor.
© Landscape Artist of the Year | Sky Arts

Heat five: West Wycombe house

West Wycombe house, painted by heat five shortlisted artist Rory Brooke.
© Landscape Artist of the Year | Sky Arts

" What better way to while away the time than indulging in Britain’s glorious landscapes, beautifully captured by our brilliant cohort of painters?"
- Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment
Look back at previous series

Since 2015, places we care for have featured in all but one series of Landscape Artist of the Year. Take a look below to discover which locations have inspired these gifted artists, and been immortalised in the winning commissions.

Series 1

In 2015, 48 artists competed for a place in the final which was held in the beautiful landscape garden at Stourhead in Wiltshire. Competition heats took place at Waddesdon Manor, Trelissick and Lyme Park, among others.

The winning artist Nerine Tassie received a commission to paint a landscape of Flatford in Suffolk. We care for this quiet hamlet and surrounding countryside, which inspired the English Romantic painter John Constable and features in many of his works.

Series 2

In the 2016 series the competitors visited three of our locations for the series’ heats: Scotney Castle, Wray Castle and Stowe.

In the final episode, winner Richard Allen made a trip to Petworth in West Sussex to paint his prize commission. Petworth was once the home of the 3rd Earl of Egremont who was a great patron of the arts. JMW Turner was a frequent visitor and drew inspiration for many of his works from the house and estate.

Series 3

The 2017 series took the artists to several spectacular locations across the country, including two heats at Rhosili on the Gower Peninsula in Wales.

After prevailing in the heats and a semi-final, the three finalists were challenged to paint an early autumn scene of Winkworth Arboretum in Surrey. Nestled within the Surrey Hills, Winkworth was established by amateur arborist Dr Wilfrid Fox, who saw the undulating hillside of Thorncombe Valley as the perfect canvas on which to ‘paint’ a large-scale, living scene of blazing autumn colour.

Series 4

In 2018 the competitors headed to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal in Yorkshire for heats two and four of the series. With woodland walks, a water garden and striking 400-year-old abbey ruins, there's no shortage of compositions for budding artists choose from here.

Carl Knibb won the first heat with his acrylics painting of the Abbey itself, while heat four went to Greg Mason. Greg created a diptych oil painting, with the left hand showing the view down the straight ‘canal’, while the right hand side framed the view from the Temple of Piety out over the moon ponds.

Series 6

In 2021 the artists faced two heats at Chartwell in Kent, the family home of Sir Winston Churchill. The former Prime Minister was a keen painter himself, with many of his works still preserved in Chartwell’s collection.

The artists also visited West Wycombe Park in Buckinghamshire for heats two and five. This theatrical Palladian house and estate is largely the creation of Sir Francis Dashwood, the second baronet. There was plenty here to inspire the contestants, with 45 acres of landscaped park, eccentric ornamental buildings and one of the country's finest surviving 18th century landscape gardens.

The £10,000 prize commission was a painting of Dinas Oleu in Wales, which was the first piece of land donated to us back in 1895.