Landscape Artist of the Year: Canada

CBC and Makeful TV

In the summer of 2019, I was thrilled to be selected as one of 18 artists from across Canada to compete on the inaugural season of the reality TV series "Landscape Artist of the Year: Canada".  In each episode, shot in various Ontario locations, artists were challenged to complete a plein air landscape painting within a limit of four hours.  Hosted by CBC's Sook Yin Lee along with judges Joanne Todd (celebrated Toronto artist) and Marc Mayer (former director of the National gallery of Canada), the series was closely based on the popular British TV version complete with outdoor pod studios for each artist, time lapse photography, extra wildcard artists, and dramatic drone shots.  We were competing for a spot in the final episode and ultimately a shot at $10000 and exhibition at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

My episode, shot in the beautiful town of Cobourg, Ontario was set on the edge of Lake Ontario at Cobourg Marina. The long day was gruelling with multiple interviews and distractions, changing light conditions, and some intense heat from the late summer sun but I had so much fun!  I enjoyed hanging out with the five other wonderful artists in my episode and watching the production crew craft a very slick-looking TV show.  Airing in February 2020 on Makeful TV and in October 2020 on CBC, my moment as a TV star is certainly one I will always remember.