More than 50 artists from Lancashire and the Lake District entered our awards but it was a painter from near Lancaster wh0 was victorious.

Great British Life: Chris Rigby with his winning urban landscape, All the Lights on GreenChris Rigby with his winning urban landscape, All the Lights on Green (Image: Glynn Ward)

Three outstanding artists vied for the title of Lancashire Life Landscape Artist of the Year but it was painter Chris Rigby, who took the first prize. The runners-up were two well regarded northern artists, Amanda Watson, of Kendal, and Trevor Lingard, from Whalley.

The results were revealed by Lancashire Life editor Roger Borrell during an evening at Heskin Hall, the home of sponsors, the award-winning Hepplestone Fine Art.

It is the second year the gallery has supported the competition, which once again attracted more than 50 entries from across Lancashire and the Lake District.

Roger Borrell and Giles Hepplestone, one of the founders of the family-owned gallery, both praised the standard of entries which had made it hard producing a shortlist, and harder still choosing a winner.

Great British Life: Amanda Watson with her view of HonisterAmanda Watson with her view of Honister (Image: Glynn Ward)

Chris, who lives near Lancaster, won the day with an outstanding urban landscape with the sort of atmospheric lighting that drew comparisons with the great American realist artist Edward Hopper.

The work, called All The Lights Green, is part of a theme from Chris who has produced several studies of urban night scenes. It was based on a photograph he took at 2am in a London street. Chris, who has won several prizes for his work and exhibits across the country, had been sketching all night when the view presented itself. After producing the finished picture, he said: ‘I’m fascinated by the way things emerge from and are swallowed up by the darkness.’

Chris, who is 50, is from the north west but he studied at Falmouth Art College in Cornwall where he was mentored by an elderly retired lecturer who helped him develop into the painter he is today.

Amanda Watson’s view of Honister was an eye-catching and evocative Lakeland scene. She is a fine contemporary artist with a passion for rural landscape and the sea.

Great British Life: Trevor Lingard's watercolour of St Annes beachTrevor Lingard's watercolour of St Annes beach (Image: Glynn Ward)

Trevor Lingard’s beautiful, flowing watercolour of the beach at St Annes was another work the judges agreed they’d love to have on their walls at home.

Giles said: ‘We’ve had some fantastic entries this year and the thing that has struck me has been the diversity of styles and subject matter. We’ve had everything from traditional works to contemporary urban landscapes that have really shown the strength in depth we have in the region. The entries we received encapsulate all the good things about the northern art scene.’

Plans are now underway to launch the 2019 Lancashire Life Landscape Artist of the Year competition and we are delighted that, once again, Hepplestone Fine Art will be our sponsor. We will be revealing details soon.