Paint Out‘s first public en plein air art event of 2017 saw a dozen or so artists find fresh views and a new perspective of Norwich seen across the Market to the Castle, the Guildhall, and St Peter Mancroft, on a sunny bank holiday weekend Sunday.
The vision of James Colman to keep landscape artists challenged by looking at the urban environment in new ways has seen a hundred artists gather on Mousehold Heath in 2015 for panoramic views of Norwich, and in 2016 saw artists amass in Tombland and take to canoes on the River Wensum.
Last weekend was the turn of an open-top double-decker bus, supplied by Dolphin Travel with amiable driver, Andrew – who also supplied the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack that kept the artists painting in the hot sun during the afternoon session.
Artists featured
Paint Out artists Mary Kallagher and Jan Halliwell
As well as members of the public including an artist’s teenage son joining in, there were Paint Out regulars including the artists: John Behm, Mary Brady, Karen Adams, Jack Godfrey, Mary Kallagher, and James Colman himself.
Some artists like Jan Halliwell travelled down from Lincolnshire to join the Norfolk paint out on the streets of the city, alongside the bus.
Paint Out welcomes experienced artists to its juried-entry art competitions but also runs public entry paint-outs for artist of all ages and abilities to encourage people into discovering and furthering their artistic creativity.
Art skills workshops were run the day before to tutor budding and honed talents alike.
The Paint Out Bus will return
Artists on the Paint Out bus
“The Paint Out bus this weekend provided us with a fantastic hub from which to tell the world about our forthcoming 2017-18 programme plans. Our artists found their elevated experience inspirational.
For contestants at Paint Out Norwich and Wells, it provides a great add-on for our Nocturne and main events and provides a forum with which to engage with the public. Chameleon-like, expect the bus to take on many guises in its quest to take plein air painting across the UK.” – James Colman
Public Paint Out “on the bus” for Artists of all ages & abilities
This Sunday 28 May we’re calling amateur and professional artists to draw and paint with us around the Chapelfield, Forum and Norwich City Hall area. For extra height and a fresh view of the city you can opt to paint from a static double decker open top bus.
The 28 May paint out is available all-day 9-5pm but do come along, morning or afternoon or both.
Bus stop times are 9-9:30am & 1-1:30pm for pick ups from Guildhall/City Hall parking bays from which we may drive to painting spots. If you miss the bus, or can’t find us, call 07808 970429 or 07432 608015 to find out where we are.
We’ve also art workshops to brush up your skills on Saturday 27 May, the day before.
Artist Richard Bond, Paint Out Norwich 2015 winner painting Norwich Cathedral from Tombland during Paint Out 2014
In 2015 Paint Out ran a 100-person mass public paint out on Mousehold Heath, Norwich and also a sunrise on Wells Beach, North Norfolk. This year we are running a Sunday afternoon paint out for all in and around the historic Tombland and Cathedral Close/Quarter district. These public paint outs are great opportunities to paint alongside experienced competition artists. If you want to brush up your drawing or painting skills, there are art workshops the day before at Anteros Arts on Fye Bridge St.
Sunday 16 October 2016, Norwich, Tombland afternoon paint out (1-4pm)
The cost is just £10 for individuals or £20 for families to come out and paint together with the opportunity to have the best and most varied paintings, drawings, collages, hung in Anteros Arts Centre.
There are plenty of places you could paint including Princes Street, Fye Bridge, Tombland, around the Cathedral Gates, Cloisters and Close. Dozens of artists will be there, come and join them and take art back out onto the streets of Norwich.
From midday, you can also get a prix fixe special lunch+drink deal at North Cafe Bar for just £7.
Norwich Tombland Sunday Paint Out
Artists painting on Mousehold Heath at Paint Out Norwich 2015
Paint Out Wells runs 16-18 September on the North Norfolk Coast and invites artists of all ages and abilities to join the competition artists on the Wells quayside this Sunday morning to paint the dawn. Be among the silhouetted ship masts, cast shadows of the crab nets and rising morning sun at it looms over the prominent Granary gantry on Wells seafront.
Artist Jane Hodgson at Paint Out Wells 2015 sunrise
Last year’s sunrise event was on the beach, this year it’s on the docks among the boats and birds.
Pre-dawn emerges from the darkness of night just before 6am, creeping around the ship masts, turning the sky purple and orange, before the 6:36am sunrise proper illuminates the haze of a September summer Sunday.
So grab your sketchpads or easels, paints, pastels or pens, and come and join two dozen artists on the quay painting, sketching, drawing, and even collaging the changing morning light. The weather forecast is good and we will be on the seafront 6-10am.
Artist Mary MacCarthy at Paint Out Wells 2015 sunrise
After painting, there is an optional subsidised Brunch aboard The Albatros, for just £5/head. It is only £10 for adults, £5 for children, or £20 for a whole family to participate, and have your art shown in the big marquee art exhibition on The Buttlands, 2-7pm, later in the day. The afternoon event also features street food vendors and take-out drinks from The Globe and The Crown, as well as the showing of around 100 works of art and a live competition paint out 3-6pm by Paint Out artists, as the culmination of their weekend event.
Sunrise at Wells, Norfolk by Katy Jon Went
Artists will have painted a sunset on Wells-Next-The-Sea Beach on Friday, and spent Saturday morning in Burnham Market and Brancaster Staithe. On Saturday afternoon many artists will be found about Wells painting or joining the “Painting under pressure of changing light” art workshop (£45) with Michael Richardson, UA.
