Worthing painter Phil Tyler surprises host of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year

Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year host Stephen Mangan joked Worthing artist Phil Tyler had completed 76 portraits of actress Angela Griffin when he took part in this year’s competition.
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The professional artist, one of nine artists appearing on TV on Tuesday in the penultimate heat, actually did three paintings in the four hours allowed, which surprised and amused the actor and art-lover who presents the show with Joan Bakewell.

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Worthing artist to compete in Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2019

Phil, 53, chose his final painting to submit for judging, having earlier advised Angela ‘don’t smile, be miserable, it works for me’.

Phil Tyler painting Angela GriffinPhil Tyler painting Angela Griffin
Phil Tyler painting Angela Griffin
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He put aside his first painting, saying he was not happy with it for a while, but did go back to it for a time.

Phil said: “It thought it would be really good to have a bit of a break from it and hopefully see it with fresh eyes.

“It is the age-old thing, you have got an interesting painting but it looks nothing like Angela.”

Phil had beaten hundreds of painters to earn a place in the seventh heats of the popular Sky Arts series produced by Storyvault Films.

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Phil also took part in last year’s competition, when he painted Michael Ball and was shortlisted by the judges in the final three.

A fast worker, he completed his third painting for the 2019 competition in just under an hour and was thrilled when Angela chose this one to take home.

Phil said: “I loved it last year and I have loved it again this year. I mean it is exhausting. I am really pleased that I managed to get three done and I am pleased that the last painting I did in an hour is the one that Angela chose.”

The winner of the heat was amateur painter Annie Lee, who had Jamael Westman from West End show Hamilton as her subject.