Three months is a long time to work on a painting smaller than a note pad - but the hard work and dedication has paid off for Iain Gardiner.

The 41-year-old has picked up the most prestigious award available in the miniature art world - The Gold Memorial Bowl - for his 4.5" x 6" (11.25cm x 15cm) Reflection 4 painting that took him 12 weeks to complete.

"It's absolutely brilliant," says the Kingston resident who will see a collection of his works displayed at the annual Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers exhibition at the Mall Gallery in London from Tuesday.

"It's the most prestigious award for miniature art in the world and you can only win it once in a life-time.

"It has taken me about three years to get it and I thought they had not chosen me as it took so long for them to make a decision and it was going to be another one of those years.

"So it has been a slog but it's been great.

"The speech is a bit daunting - I don't want to sound like those Oscar winners."

Gardiner specialises in photo realism, a style of painting that sees him include every blemish and wrinkle in the scene he is depicting.

Reflection 4 is the latest in a series of such works he began last year and he explained it had a pretty big message behind it.

"The theme is consumerism and how the people of London go nuts about buying things," he says.

"It's a reflection on the bank crisis and how everyone was going through hard times but in London they kept on buying things.

"It took me three months which is a long time for a miniature but I had to go around london taking photos and finding the right shots and the right people and then manipulating it in into the painting.

"The actual image in the painting is an amalgamation of all different aspects put into one."

Gardiner, who is also being presented with the special commendation for the Anthony J Lester art critics award, will be exhibiting three miniatures and two large paintings, including one of his parents that will be on show to the public for the first time since it came second with the visitors choice in the BP Portrait Award in 2006.

Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers annual exhibition, Mall Galleries, The Mall, October 12 to 23, 10am to 5pm, free. Visit royal-miniature-society.org.uk.