Dame Joan Bakewell set to find Britain's best undiscovered painter
AFTER the success of the Great British Bake Off, next up is the Great British Paint Off as Dame Joan Bakewell fronts a new TV project to find our best undiscovered painter.
Dame Joan will join Frank Skinner, 56, to present the Sky Arts Portrait Artist Of The Year, which will see heats take place across the country. Four finalists will have their portraits displayed in the National Portrait Gallery and the winner will receive a £10,000 commission to paint author Hilary Mantel for the British Library.
However Dame Joan, 79, tells Day & Night that her own skills are “very basic”.
I did try watercolour. It is a lovely medium and I made one or two blotchy attempts
She says: “I did try watercolour. It is a lovely medium and I made one or two blotchy attempts. But I think it needs a certain stillness of spirit and my life is spent in a rather whirligig state of mind!”
She says she is looking forward to pairing up with Frank: “We get on very well, I’ve always thought he was a very entertaining person with a great deal of charm so I’m thrilled.”
Wannabe Rembrandts can apply at sky.com/portrait.