YOUNG artist Philip Clarke was "amazed" to find that his watercolour painting would be displayed in two major galleries after impressing judges in a national competition.
Art fans visiting the Mall Galleries, in London, and Guildford House Galleries, in Surrey, will be able to admire the 24-year-old Loughborough University graduate's work.
Mr Clarke, of Radcliffe-on-Trent, painted the scene he could see from his bedroom window while studying at Loughborough.
He entered the Sunday Times Watercolour Competition after being urged to do so by tutors on his fine-art course.
"I didn't know how well it would do, really," said Mr Clarke.
In fact, the painting did very well, with the judges choosing it among 93 others for display.
Mr Clarke described the painting as mostly made up of the sky, with different coloured clouds giving a sunset appearance.
It also includes trees and floodlights.
The painting will be on display at the Mall Galleries from September 15 to 20 and at Guildford House from November 14 to December 3.
Mr Clarke said: "I was amazed to find out it was going on display.
"I have wanted to be an artist all of my life, so this is a great opportunity for me."
He has now set up a space to produce his work at the Bohunk Institute, in Fisher Gate, Nottingham.
The winner of the competition will receive £10,000, with £6,000 going to the runner-up. Results will be announced in the coming weeks.
Mr Clarke's work was judged by artists Sarah Armstrong Jones and Ben Ravenscroft, Desmond Shawe-Taylor – surveyor of the Queen's pictures – and Louis Wise, critic and writer for the Sunday Times.
Mr Ravenscroft said: "I know when I'm looking at good watercolour that the artist was truly awake, actually there and that something has happened."
Lynn Szygenda, exhibitions and audience development officer at Guildford House, said: "Our 17th-century building provides an atmospheric backdrop to this vibrant contemporary work."
