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On a moving Second World War battleship, under the gaze of television cameras and some of the art world’s most influential judges, Altrincham-based artist Amanda Mulquiney faced one of the most intense creative challenges of her life.
In February, Amanda will appear on Sky Arts’ Landscape Artist of the Year, representing the North West in Heat 5 of the much-loved series. Filmed aboard HMS Wellington, moored on the River Thames, the episode sees artists racing against the clock to capture an extraordinary setting in just four hours – no second chances and nowhere to hide.
For Amanda, who has built a respected painting practice while working full-time in marketing until just six months ago, the moment marks a significant turning point. It’s a story about creative persistence, reinvention, and finally choosing to back yourself.
Altrincham-based artist Amanda Mulquiney
Amanda Mulquiney
“It’s one of the most intense painting experiences you can imagine,” she said. “Four hours, no second chances, and an extraordinary setting.”
Amanda’s journey to national television has been anything but linear. A Central Saint Martins graduate, she has painted since childhood, but like many artists, her path into full-time practice was shaped by practical realities rather than creative certainty.
After graduating in 2009, she stepped away from the studio and into the working world, taking a graduate role at a software company before building a career in marketing, a field she remained in for more than a decade. Painting never disappeared, but it existed in the margins, squeezed around full-time work, weekends and evenings.
It wasn’t until six months ago that she finally made the jump to focus on her art full-time.
“I’ve always been creative,” Amanda explained, “but I’ve had a wiggly route, you might say.”
That “wiggly route” is something many artists across Greater Manchester will recognise – the constant balancing act between paid work and creative ambition, and the slow, often private process of finding the confidence to step fully into an artistic identity.
Painting ‘atmosphere’ with Amanda Mulquiney
Amanda’s painting of Osaka for her upcoming exhibition
Amanda’s work is instantly recognisable for its atmosphere. Her paintings often depict people in cafés, bars, restaurants and travel-inspired settings, capturing moments that feel both intimate and slightly cinematic.
Her focus, she says, is on “painting people in places”, celebrating everyday scenes while heightening their drama through light, colour and composition. Neon reflections, stark contrasts and quiet moments of human connection recur throughout her work, alongside a sense that something is always happening just beyond the frame.
There’s a stillness to her paintings, but also tension. Figures sit together yet feel separate, absorbed in their own thoughts. The influence of Edward Hopper is clear, an artist Amanda cites as her biggest inspiration, particularly in the way her work suggests hidden narratives without ever spelling them out.
“There’s always that suggestion of what’s going on in the scene,” she explained. “The figures feel together, but apart. They could be interacting, but maybe they’re alone.”
It’s an approach that invites viewers to project their own stories onto the canvas – a quality that has helped her build a growing audience through markets, exhibitions and social media.
Being a creative in Manchester
Amanda on Landscape Artist of the Year
Although Amanda grew up in Reading and spent time living in London, it’s the North West and particularly Greater Manchester that now shapes much of her creative life.
Based in Altrincham, she regularly paints across the city region, drawing inspiration from its cafés, restaurants and street scenes. While much of her earlier work focused on travel and international locations, she’s now developing a new series centred on Manchester itself.
She’s particularly drawn to the quality of light in the North, something she feels sets northern painters apart.
“There’s a mutedness,” she said. “It might be the light or the greyness, but there’s a softness to everything. When you introduce colour into that, it really pops.”
How do you begin painting landscapes?
After Hours in New York (2025) by Amanda Mulquiney
Despite her growing reputation, Mulquiney’s appearance on Landscape Artist of the Year came as a surprise, not least to herself.
She had previously applied multiple times to Portrait Artist of the Year without success. Landscape painting wasn’t even part of her practice at the time.
Her submission to Landscape Artist of the Year was, in fact, her very first landscape painting.
“I thought, you know what, I’ll give landscapes a go,” she said. “I did the painting in about a weekend for the deadline – and then I got through. I couldn’t believe it.”
Out of more than 2,000 applicants, Mulquiney was selected to compete, joining artists from across the UK. Since that moment, her work has shifted increasingly towards cityscapes and urban environments – a direct result of taking that creative risk.
Where is Landscape Artist of the Year filmed?
Filmed in June last year, Mulquiney’s heat took place aboard HMS Wellington, a historic Second World War battleship now permanently moored on the Thames.
Unlike many episodes of the show, artists weren’t protected by the programme’s iconic pods. Instead, they worked fully exposed: battling nerves, weather conditions and, in Mulquiney’s case, the subtle movement of the boat itself.
“I didn’t have any protection,” she explained. “I was on a boat, so not only did I have massive nerves and anxiety, but it was moving while I was painting.”
The challenge was heightened by the sheer scale of the production. While the show appears calm and contemplative on screen, the reality is far from quiet.
People Watching by Amanda Mulquiney
“There’s about an 80-person crew,” Mulquiney said. “You don’t realise that when you watch it. As an artist, you’re often working alone, in isolation. Suddenly there are cameras in your face, people asking questions, and you’re trying to paint at the same time. It’s a whirlwind.”
Artists are given just four hours to complete their work, painting either directly from life or from photographs taken on location. For Mulquiney, who typically spends days, sometimes weeks, on a single piece, the time pressure was intense.
“It might not be my best painting ever,” she reflected, “but I proved to myself that I could actually produce something in four hours.
Beyond the spectacle, Landscape Artist of the Year has had a lasting impact on Amanda’s practice.
Perhaps the biggest shift has been her relationship with painting from life. Previously reliant on photographs, she now embraces the unpredictability and atmosphere that come from working directly in a space.
“Painting from life gives you so much more atmosphere,” she said. “Photographs can feel quite flat and motionless.”
The experience also forced her to loosen her grip on perfection – a lesson many artists struggle to learn.
“I had a massive plan,” she admitted. “And it went out of the window. If I did it again, I’d probably trust myself more and stick to my instincts.”
Where can you see Amanda Mulquiney’s paintings?
Yakitori & Sushi
Back in Altrincham, Amanda continues to build her practice through markets, exhibitions and pop-ups. She trades at Campfield Market and Altrincham Market, bringing original work directly to local audiences, and has a solo show in Chester taking place this month.
It’s a grassroots approach that reflects the city’s wider creative ecosystem – artists carving out sustainable careers through persistence and visibility rather than overnight success.
“I think it’s a really big opportunity,” she said. “Just being part of it is amazing.”
Amanda’s episode airs on Wednesday, 11th February at 8 pm on Sky Arts, with the series beginning in January. While she’s unable to reveal how she fared in the competition, the significance of representing the North West on a national platform isn’t lost on her.
At a time when Manchester’s creative scene continues to gain national attention, her story is a reminder that talent often grows organically, in shared workspaces, market stalls and home studios, before stepping into the spotlight.
If you’d like to see Amanda’s work, she’s exhibiting at Campfield Market on the 14th, 21st, and 28th February 2026.
She also has a permanent stall at Altrincham Market from February onwards that’s open on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
‘From Japan to the Easel’
Amanda is also doing a Solo Show at White Friars Haus, Chester. It’s called ‘From Japan to the Easel’, and it brings together ten paintings, presented together for the first time, alongside exclusive limited-edition prints.
Inspired by time spent in Japan, the works explore neon-lit streets, quiet rooftops and moments of stillness within busy cities. Set within the beautifully lived-in surroundings of White Friars Haus, the exhibition offers a rare chance to experience the work as it’s meant to be seen – in a real-world setting, where art and everyday life quietly intersect. It opens to the public on 1st February.
Here’s the address: White Friars Haus, 12B White Friars, Chester CH1 1NZ, Chester, UK
You can find out more here
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