Thank you, one and all, for your lovely comments and good wishes for my accolade.
I was taken by surprise when my portrait earned me this award, but I know that another day, another judge would probably have chosen something quite different.
Nevertheless, I'm very pleased and feel quite proud.
I entered three pieces of work in the exhibition; Reunion: Return to Dunkirk (a painting I've posted on here earlier), my portrait of James Norton and this drawing of a lovely marine who lost his legs in Afghanistan. I was taken with the contrast between his fit upper body and his disabled lower limbs and it made me both sad and angry. ( It's quite a big picture to photograph which makes it difficult for me to get level)