Portrait Final Four
by Gaby Spinks

Local man Michael Gaskell has reached the final four of the National Portrait Competition. He has lived and worked in Burngreave for 12 years. He paints using the medium of egg tempera, which means mixing coloured pigment with egg yolk, which is a very slow and painstaking process.

“The stiff competition for places at one of these national exhibitions means that just getting a painting selected is an achievement, being chosen as one of the four prizewinners as well is fantastic news” said Michael.

The National Portrait Award, now in it’s 23rd year at the National Portrait Gallery, is a highly successful annual event aimed at encouraging young artists to focus upon, and develop, the theme of portraiture within their work. This year the competition received a record 858 entries and first prize will be £25,000.

The Messenger would like to congratulate Mike for reaching the final four and wish him the best of luck for the judging in June.

The painting is entitled ‘Noura’, permission was given by the artist and the National Portrait Gallery.