A former St Albans pupil will feature in an upcoming art exhibition after appearing as a contestant on SkyArts Portrait Artist of the Year.
Romy Kelleher, 18, appeared in the show on Tuesday, March 5, competing against other artists to paint portraits of celebrities.
An exhibition of her artwork, entitled ‘The Eclectic Generation’, will be held at Nude Tin Can Gallery in Hatfield Road, St Albans from April 13 to 25, and will include both her self-portrait and her celebrity portrait from the programme.
One of the judges was British portrait painter Tai-Shan Schierenberg, who is head of painting at the Art Academy in London. On the show, Romy had to paint a portrait of the actor Stephen Graham.
Romy, who was 17 when the show was filmed last year, said: “I got involved because I’ve been watching the show since season one started.
“I applied thinking I wouldn’t get anywhere with it, but to receive a phone call the next week saying they wanted me was just the best!
“I loved meeting the judges, especially Tai-Shan Schierenberg, the other artists and Stephen Graham.
“He gave me advice on becoming an actor and he was very encouraging throughout the day.
“I love painting people.
“I’m very into my portraiture. I do love city/landscapes but I’m always drawn to the human face.”
Romy did her GCSEs at St Albans Girls’ School (STAGS) then went on to St Albans School, where she achieved an A* at art A-level and was awarded the Robin Ollington Exhibition Prize for Art.
She was also invited to produce artwork for the cover of the school’s Albanian magazine.
She is currently in her first year at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, studying for a BA in Acting and painting and drawing in her spare time.
After graduation she hopes to take an MA in fine art.
Speaking about her upcoming exhibition, Romy said: “The exhibition features the best portraits I have done throughout my school life.
“There are pieces from GCSE, all the way to my final piece for A-level.
“My self-portrait and the painting I did on the day of Stephen Graham will also be featured, but not for sale quite yet.”
SkyArts Portrait Artist of the Year 2019, hosted by Stephen Mangan and Joan Bakewell, is available on SkyArts and Now TV.
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