Paint Out™ is an art event aiming to redefine 21st century en plein air art practice. Our core event, now in its fifth year, is the UK’s premier and only fully juried en plein air art competition, celebrating the talents of national and international artists before a wide and growing audience in the heart of medieval and iconic Norwich, and giving the public an opportunity to ‘Experience Art. Live!‘
Plein Air – Art works carried out in the open air – chiefly with reference to painting.
The Paint Out competitions, however, accept any 2-dimensional media or mixed-media applied to a canvas/board/paper/print embracing drawing, pastels, oils, watercolour, gouache, acrylic, pen and ink, and even screen-printing and digital submissions. Innovation and originality are encouraged alongside traditional art forms.
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Paint Out Norwich 2018 dates
This is our fifth year and ninth competition event. Paint Out Norwich 2018 plein air painting days during the Hostry Festival 2018 will run Saturday 13th through Tuesday 16th October (weekend-only option also available) with a public ‘paintout‘ on Sunday 21st, and a Private View, Awards & Art sale on Wednesday 17th October. This will be followed by an art exhibition of over 150 paintings until 28th October at the Norwich Cathedral Hostry each day. Applications will be juried on 20 July and 31 August by our selector David Curtis ROI RSMA, with selection announcements in the days after each date so enter as soon as possible for the earliest confirmation of your participation and easiest access to affordable accommodation. View the 2017 winners or 2016 gallery online.
We have a number of events in East Anglia before and during Paint Out Norwich to whet your appetite including several Paint Out days May-Sep in Suffolk & Norfolk with opportunities to paint historical changing rural and urban landscapes as we seek to use Paint Out events to document our changing environment.
Past Events
Paint Out at the RNS 28-29 June 2017
Paint Out 2017 saw a select group of invited artists painting the UK’s largest two-day agricultural fair – the Royal Norfolk Show. With up to 100,000 visitors it is the premier event of its kind. Our exhibition tent was supported by Leathes Prior. There was an auction of the still-wet fresh art by Arnolds Keys fine art auctioneers.
Paint Out Norwich 27-28 May 2017
Paint Out Norwich 2017 launched the year with a day of art workshops in perspective drawing, tonal oil painting, and social media skills . The following day saw a full day public ‘paintout‘ around The Market and St Peter’s Street from an open-top double-decker bus!
Paint Out Norwich 2016 Prizes & Art Exhibition
Our 2016 art exhibition is now over but paintings are being added for view, and a few still for sale, to our online gallery. Over 150 artworks from 34 artists aged 26-75, some of whom – including a mother and daughter pair – took to Pub and Paddle‘s canoes to paint from the waterline of the River Wensum, discovering new and old views of the city alike. Sue Mann, renowned for painting from a bicycle, won this year’s Spirit of Plein Air Award for being the first to take the plunge and paint from a canoe.
This year we innovated again by running a ‘Freestyle‘ larger form, 2-day, event alongside our classic Core event of 4 separate 3-hour painting sessions. Our groundbreaking Nocturne event returned for its second year with an increased number of submissions.
The new Freestyle event was won by Robert Nelmes for his widescale painting, “Norwich Market”, and the runner-up second prize went to Brian Korteling for his very urban Magdalen Street flyover, complete with graffiti, “Waiting for the bus”. This prize category was sponsored by La Ronde Wright.
The returning Nocturne event was won by Tom Cringle for his “Untitled” spire at night, with Michael Richardson‘s “Night Time in the Lanes”, coming second. This prize category was sponsored by Sowerbys.
The Core event was won in Mixed Media by Alfie Carpenter, with runner up Tom Cringle – who also won Second Prize overall, sponsored by La Ronde Wright, lifting his prize total to £500. In Watercolour, Richard Bond‘s “Between the Showers” won, with second place going to Andrew Horrod. The Oils category saw second place go to Roger Dellar, and first place to Chris Daynes for “Yelow Canoe” which also won the overall First Prize and a £1000 in total including his category win, sponsored by Strutt & Parker. We are also grateful to Archant for sponsoring several second placed prizes as well as the Watercolour and Mixed Media categories.
The Paint Out Norwich 2016 competition, with multiple categories, saw 17 prizes in total, old and new locations, and continues to provide artistic challenges and opportunities for both seasoned plein air professionals and aspiring amateur artists. Over 180 artists registered an interest this year, with over 40 being accepted into the third-year of Paint Out Norwich. 33 took part, producing 140+ paintings in the exhibition.
Sponsorship & Partnering with Paint Out
Paint Out is put on and sustained by art-loving founders and team members – some paid, some volunteers, with the aim of supporting the growth of plein air art. To achieve and maintain this we are indebted to our partners and sponsors who have provided funds, prizes, or goods and services-in-kind. If you would like to partner or sponsor current and/or future ‘paint outs’ please contact us.
Volunteering Opportunities
Paint Out is thankful for the hard work of its volunteers. Anyone interested in volunteering for our current ‘paint outs’, assisting artists, helping manage the registration desks and paintings, and being part of our arts events can register online or join our volunteers facebook group. It looks great on a CV!
Paint Out History
Paint Out Norwich launched in 2014 and since then well over 100 different artists have taken part in our professional competitions and over 120 in our public paint outs. Our first satellite painting event was Wells-next-the Sea 2015 on the North Norfolk coast. That year also saw first-of-its-kind mass public ‘paint outs’ firstly on Wells Beach at sunrise and then, the following month, of some 100 artists, of all ages, painting the expansive Norwich skyline, from historic Mousehold Heath.
Paint Out Norwich 2015 – Art Exhibition
Paint Out Norwich displayed the art work of 40 artists at a Gala Private View and Art Auction on Friday 23 October 2015 and from 24 October through to December the art is on view at various exhibition venues around Norwich including the Hostry, Maddermarket Theatre and OPEN.
Paint Out Norwich 2015 Online Gallery
Paint Out Norwich 2015 – Prizewinning Artists
October 19th-23rd 2015 saw the selection of 40 artists working in a variety of mediums to create work in response to Norwich’s vibrant cityscape during a timed competition in full view of the public. This year, the enlarged pool of artists, painted over 3 days and nights, to include daytime and nocturne painting, a mass “paint out” from Mousehold Heath with around 100 artists overlooking Norwich, youth/student entry prizes, and new location options. Register interest in our 2017 competition.
The 2015 Prize Winners were Richard Bond (1st), Mo Teeuw (2nd), Eloise O’Hare (3rd), Michael Richardson (Nocturne 1st) with judges commendations to Brian Korteling, Gennadiy Ivanov, Liam Wales, additional prizes including the ‘Spirit of Plein Air’ award to Alex Egan.
Paint Out Norwich 2017 Register interest
Mission statement
Paint Out News, Updates & Social Media
You can read our latest blog posts, news and updates here. You can also contact us by Email and follow us on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube to keep up to date with local art exhibitions, progress of the 2016 competition, and news about our artists.
Paint Out © 2017 is a James Colman Project
