THERE is more to Martyn Baldwin's prize-winning portrait of Charlie Dimmock than meets the eye.

The seemingly simple oil painting, which triumphed in the BBC1 show Star Portraits with Rolf Harris earlier this month, consists of bold colours and choppy brush strokes which somehow work together to ensure it is undeniably the TV gardener's famous smile that is created.

Martyn, who lives in Harrow and teaches at Harrow Arts Centre in Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, chose to work on three separate canvasses to capture his subject.

"You have to break down the structure," he explained.

"I have to find the energy within it, which you do by taking the form apart and putting it back together.

"The dynamics within the structure are an essential part of my response to the motif. Using the building blocks of tone, mark and colour, these dynamics hold the image together by giving it the necessary tension."

The artist was first approached by programme makers after they were referred to him by the National Portrait Gallery, where he received the BP Portrait Award in 1996.

He decided to apply to the show and beat more than 200 applicants to be selected as one of the final 12 artists for the four programmes.

He was picked to compete against Wei Li Zhu, a Chinese painter who lives in Scotland, and Alfred Daniels from London. The artists were not told which celebrity they would be painting.

Martyn said that painting Charlie was an unusual experience for him, as in normal circumstances the sitter would pick the artist because they liked his work, and would also be allowed to look at the work in progress. In this case, she was forbidden to look at what the painters were doing.

He speaks of his flame-haired subject with great admiration. "Charlie was lovely," he said. "She's interested in people and she's modest, and very sweet.

"She was as nervous as a kitten when I first met her I was surprised as she is a big star. But what you see is what you get. She's pretty much as you see her on the telly."

The half-way stages of the artists' work was filmed at Harrow Arts Centre, where Martyn teaches classes in life, general painting and drawing and portraits.

It was Charlie Dimmock who had the difficult task of chosing between the three final paintings, stating on the show: "It's so difficult to choose because they're all different bits of me."

Martyn's work was chosen and will have the honour of going home with the TV presenter.

"There's no way she will keep a portrait of herself," Martyn revealed. "I think she will give it to her mum and dad."

Martyn and his wife, Christine, kept the result of the competition a secret until the show was aired on Sunday, January 11.

"We had a family do," he said. "My mum and dad arranged it for me and they all just sat and screamed at the telly for half an hour. I just sat there cringing."

It was more than 20 years experience as an artist which took Martyn from the studio to the small screen. He studied at Harrow School of Art between 1980 and 1985 and has since held a number of teaching posts.

"I have a great bunch of students and I can learn from them as well as teach them," he said. "They come out with some fabulous stuff. It's nice working out how to help them and watching them grow."

He exhibits at the Linda Blackstone Gallery in Pinner and annually at the New English Arts Club and the Pastel Society.

Martyn's taste of fame will not draw him away from his art studio. He explained: "I'm passionate about what I do. I've never wanted to do anything else.

"It's my way of life and always has been."

Enrolment for summer art classes at Harrow Arts Centre, begins on March 22.

Daytime and evening classes covering a variety of techniques are available.

For more information, call the Arts Centre on 020 8428 0124 or email info@harrowarts.com.