A GLASGOW-BASED artist from Belfast discovered an unlikely family connection when he was commissioned to paint a portrait of chat show favourite Graham Norton.
Having been crowned Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017, Gareth Reid won a £10,000 commission to paint the TV presenter and comedian.
The portrait, an oil on canvas, was officially unveiled at the The National Gallery of Ireland yesterday, where it will now hang.
Reid's portrait of Norton has just be unveiled in IrelandGareth’s great grandmother and Graham’s great grandfather were siblings.
The happy coincidence was revealed when Gareth met Norton for the first time to begin painting his portrait.
Their conversation revealed both had family from the Northern Ireland town of Ballymena.
Gareth Reid's portrait of Graham Norton. The oil on canvas, 137 x 107cm, was a gift to the National Gallery of Ireland from Storyvault Films/Sky Arts (Picture: © National Gallery of Ireland)“My dad knew there was some connection a while back but only decided to tell me about a week after the final when we were in Kerry together," Gareth said.
"It was vague at that point - some cousins of his thought there was a connection through my granny’s side.
"I still can’t quite take in the chances of me, out of all the people who entered, getting the opportunity to paint Graham, out of all the people they could have chosen, and it turning out we’re third cousins," he added.
Brought up in Bandon, Co. Cork, Graham Norton moved to London in his early twenties, where he attended the Central School of Speech and Drama.
Having begun his career as a stand-up comedian, he gravitated towards radio and television work since 2007 has hosted the ever-popular The Graham Norton Show on BBC.
Last year his debut novel, Holding, won the Popular Fiction Book of the Year in the Bord Gáis Irish Book Awards.
Gareth beat 54 artists from Britain and abroad to win the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017, which was presented by comedian Frank Skinner and journalist Joan Bakewell.
One of hundreds to originally enter the competition with a self-portrait, Gareth won his heat in week six of the show with his portrait of TV presenter Adrian Chiles.
He impressed the judges again in the semi-final with his portrayal of actress Imelda Staunton.
In the final he demonstrated his skills with two pieces. The first was a portrait of actor Tom Courtenay in charcoal, watercolour, pencil and pastels.
The second was a commissioned portrait of The Hon. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb who is a judge of the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales.
She is also the first Asian woman to serve as a High Court judge in Britain.
