Kimberley Klauss paints her way to semi-final of Sky TV’s ‘Portrait Artist of the Year’

Artist Kimberly Klauss from east London has won a place in the semi-final of TV’s ‘Portrait Artist of the Year’ competition.

The artist from Whitechapel painted actor Freddie Highmore, one of 20 celebrity sitters for the competing heats in Sky Arts channel’s Tuesday night series.

Hundreds of entries were received for the competition, giving judges a difficult task of whittling them down to just 54, including Kimberly.

The first episode featured Freddie Highmore being painted by Kimberley, along with rivals painting Stanley Tucci and Indira Varma.

Viewers in subsequent weeks see Richard E Grant, Sue Perkins, Rick Wakeman, Nina Sosanya, Phil Davis, Trevor Eve, Lesley Manville, Sian Phillips, Adrian Chiles, Katie Kissoon, Dave Myers, Raleigh Ritchie, Parminder Nagra, Ben Okri and James Norton sitting for their portraits.

All six heats are filmed in the courtyard of The Wallace Collection in London’s Manchester Square.

Last year’s ‘Portrait Artist of the Year’ title went to Christian Hook who painted Sir Ian McKellen, one of the East End’s most famous residents living in Limehouse.

Portrait Artist of the Year goes out each Tuesday on Sky Arts at 8pm.