Old Girl Christabel Blackburn wins Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year

We would like to congratulate Christabel Blackburn (AW'04) who has won Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year. 

Christabel, who was competing against three other artists in the final at the National Portrait Gallery, painted Lemn Sissay, author of Sunday Times Best Seller ‘My Name is Why’. Her prize for winning this prestigious competition, beating over 70 competitors and thousands of applicants, is £10,000 from Sky Arts, a wide selection of art materials from Cass Arts and a prestigious commission to paint Nile Rodgers which will be displayed in the Royal Albert Hall. 
 
Christabel, who trained in Italy and then the London Atelier of Representational Art, has seen her style evolve over the last ten years. Her simplistic approach, reducing detail to capture the very essence of the sitter was heralded by the judges of the competition. Judge Tai-Shan Schierenberg, renowned portrait painter and head of painting at the Art Academy in London said of Christabel’s portrait in the final, ‘It’s very stark and it’s on the edge of symbol and realism.  It’s almost like an emblem of him and it’s very powerful in that way.’ 
 
Speaking about her experience in the show Christabel said, “Taking part in Portrait Artist of the Year has been one of the most fun and crazy experiences of my life. I met some amazing people and above all it has done wonders for my confidence. I never thought I would be able to paint under that kind of pressure and to win it, well that’s just pretty mind boggling!  I’m so excited to see where it now takes me.” 
 
Christabel also painted Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar and actress and singer Elaine Paige OBE in the semi-finals. She has since travelled to Connecticut in the United States to paint Nile Rodgers, an amazing experience, ‘hearing stories from his extraordinary life, it was an honour to paint him,’ said Christabel.  
 
Speaking about Blackburn’s work, Kate Bryan, art historian and also a judge on the show said, ‘I think she might be my favourite ever winner of ‘Portrait’.  I think this is a really, really great artist.’