BUCKLER'S Hard, on the banks of the Beaulieu River, will be hosting the semi-final of Sky Arts’ Landscape Artist of the Year in July, and visitors are invited to support the artists competing to win a £10,000 prize commission.

Artists will create their masterpieces at the picturesque harbourside village in the heart of the New Forest on Wednesday July 12 and entrance is free. 

Landscape Artist of the Year challenges professional and amateur artists to create a landscape in their signature style, during various rounds of the competition throughout the UK.

Filming at Buckler’s Hard will start at about 10am and finish by 6pm.

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Locations are individually chosen for their natural beauty but are not without their trials and individual obstacles, which will test even the most experienced artist.

Each landscape is then presented to the show’s judges and a winning artist will be chosen from the Buckler’s Hard heat to compete in the final.

Landscape artist of the year is presented by Stephen Mangan and Dame Joan Bakewell.

The judges are the British art historian, curator and arts broadcaster Kate Bryan, head of contemporary art at the Fine Art Society, Kathleen Soriano, director of exhibitions at the Royal Academy, and portrait/landscape painter Tai-Shan Schierenberg.

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Visitors to the village are invited to support and interact with the artists as they capture the beauty of Buckler’s Hard through their own eyes. If you’re a budding artist you might even be inspired to create your own landscape artwork at home.

It is not the first time that Buckler’s Hard has been chosen for its stunning backdrop. The historic village returned to its 18th century roots for recent filming of the BBC and Disney FX adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, starring Olivia Colman as one of literature’s most famous characters, Miss Havisham.

Buckler’s Hard is steeped in history, and you can discover more about the maritime history of the village by dropping into the Buckler’s Hard Museum, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

Sky Arts has embarked on its ninth search across Britain and Ireland for a new star of landscape painting. 

The new series, which spans the width and breadth of the country with a number of breathtaking and complex views, is expected to air in January 2024.