The show must go on, my friends, even if the weather is stunning out there! So I jumped into the car at 11am and instead of heading towards Malahide beach -which was my initial plan- I went to the Sky Portrait Artist of the year Festival that came to RDS Main Hall today. Only for one day! I really had no time to read the programme and little did I know what to expect there. Perhaps some paintings hanging on the wall, probably in high quality because it is the RDS. Anyway It is possibly worth a quick visit, I presumed …and it WAS! In fact I quickly found myself soaking up all the different kinds of activities as well, such as drawing with the left hand drawing Lichtenstein’s Pop Art figure. I had a conversation with a face reading consultant and I extended my knowledge about collage techniques. Tunde Toth represented our country. She made unique masks with the brave participants using plaster, cloth and water. While I was having fun, 21 portrait artist who had been selected as a semi finalist beforehand were competing with each other in the middle of the Hall. Actress Pauline McGlynn from Father TED, actor David Rawle of Moone Boy fame and musician and artist Lethal Bizzle were the three sitters. The winning painting will be displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in London and the lucky painter can go further to compete for the 10. 000 pound commission. The heat was also filmed for a Sky Arts 1 HD series hosted by Frank Skinner and Joan Bakewell to be broadcast in autumn. Watch out for it and enjoy the photographs that was taken there! (by B.F)