Last year on the one of the hottest days of the year I donned a fascinator and a lab coat and headed out to Ascot to take part in heat 2 of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year.

Here we are all lined up with all our art materials, I had decided to go big or go home on the canvas size but it proved a little complicated to hoik a 90cm x 90cm canvas across the Ascot internal enclosure wearing my glad rags and heels!

Landscape Artist of the Year 2023, Heat 2, Royal Ascot Racecourse, Wild Card Entries

The first thing the 50 Wild Cards were asked to do was walk towards the Sky Arts camera, before we set up our easels. The camera crew and production team were very approachable and they had briefed us before on how we were meant bring our own water and food as there wasn’t much access for us apart from the Portaloos in the car park! We were all very self sufficient and luckily my boyfriend came with me to help carry all our gumpf. I was quite ambitious in attempting a large expressive semi-abstract piece, but I had prepared well and I managed to focus on the painting. The judges did approach me on a couple of occasions but I think they were wary of getting paint on their beautiful outfits!

Artist Antonia Thompson at Royal Ascot painting on Landscape Artist of the Year

We were asked to set up the opposite way you see here and paint all the Royal Ascot guests having picnics by their cars. I was a touch camera-shy and myself and a few others formed a bit of a splinter group and decided we wanted to actually paint the racecourse. Away from the main action, this meant the camera crew left us alone to a certain extent, though we did get visits from Kate Bryan, Kathleen Soriano and Tai-Shan Schierenberg who were very friendly and immaculately turned out, but because of the heat I think Stephen Mangan was melting in his top hat and sadly we didn’t see Joan Bakewell.

Royal Ascot Fences In the Summer Heat by Antonia Thompson

When I did start painting I was super focused and managed to make a semi-abstract landscape in my style which was what my intention was. I lost my heels and got stuck in with my expressive style of painting. An unlikely location but I am very pleased with the result. I will definitely enter again this year, but hopefully it will be a little more relaxed!

Royal Ascot Fences in the Summer Heat, Acrylic on canvas 90cm x 90cm is available now in my shop.