A SERVING soldier and award-winning artist whose work is exclusively exhibited in a city centre gallery is featuring in a primetime TV show.

Richard Salter, whose work is on display at Salisbury’s Gallery 21, appeared on the BBC’s The Big Painting Challenge on Sunday.

Richard, who has served in the army for more than 18 years with tours in Afghanistan and Bosnia, was one of ten artists selected from 6,000 applicants for the six-episode show, which will air weekly at 6pm.

Over the course of the six one-hour programmes, the contestants will be given various challenges to show off their skills.

Richard said the show’s tasks were fast-paced and forced him to adapt, as he usually takes weeks or months to finish a piece.

The artist said: “My art is more like a marathon whereas the actual show is like a sprint. It changed my painting style to be more rapid, painting what came naturally as opposed to over-thinking things.”

The show, presented by Richard Bacon and Una Stubbs, will see the contestants face elimination by judges Daphne Todd OBE and Lachlan Goudie each week.

The winner will be rewarded with having their work displayed at Tate Britain in London for two weeks.

Richard’s art is inspired by his life in the army and most of his work is an “emotional response” to his experiences out on tour.

He said: “For example, when I went to Afghanistan last time, just seeing children out there you always compare them to your children at home. It pulls on my heartstrings. So I try and bring that into my work and try to tell the story.”

The soldier, who serves with 15 Signal Regiment and is based in Devizes, said: “They offered me a spot in their shop in February last year and because they were selling straight away - it was quite popular – they offered me a show. So we had a show in July and that went really well so it’s just picked up from there.”

An exhibition of Richard’s work will be on display at Gallery 21 on March 28, the day before the TV series finale.