Artist Chris Dawson is staying positive after getting cut from a prestigious art competition.

His oil painting, Three Queens, was a semi-finalist for the BP Portrait Award.

The 37-year-old artist found out on Wednesday that it wasn’t one of the 50 pieces selected for a summer exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in London, England.

“Obviously, I’m not too thrilled about it,” he said. “When I got the letter I was prepared for things to go either way.”

Three Queens was among the 439 pieces in the semi-finals of the annual competition. More than 2,500 entries were submitted from all over the world.

“I knew what I was going into before I entered,” Mr Dawson said. “It is a totally subjective decision, based on how the judges are feeling and what they are looking for.”

He’ll never know why his painting wasn’t chosen but says he hasn’t given up.

“Next year I am going to try with a smaller portrait,” he said. “It was quite costly to get this one to London. Now I am working on getting it back to Bermuda. When it comes back it will be returned to John Charman, who bought it after it won the Charman Prize this year.

“It’s still a great painting and I’m pleased it made it that far in the competition.”

He doesn’t know yet what he is going to paint for his next entry. For now, he is focused on commissioned work and pushing his portraits further.

“I have ideas brewing,” he said. “I am also looking at entering other competitions.”