Paint Out Wells-next-the-Sea 2015 Prize Winners
The Paint Out Wells-next-the-Sea 2015 Artist Prize Winners were: Lara Cobden (1st), Alfie Carpenter (2nd), Jack Godfrey (3rd) with judges commendations to Susan Mann, Jennifer Sendall, Candide Turner-Bridger, and the Sunrise Prize award went to Roy Connelly. The Exhibition Vote People’s Choice award of £200 went to Chris Daynes. Two further prizes recognising artist merits include an award of £100 to John Behm, as a Team recognition for someone who embodied the “Spirit of Plein Air”, for painting from a canoe and ankle-deep in mud to the viewpoints he was after. In addition, a Community recognition award of £100 went to Will Topley for the positive feedback overheard in public and at the Exhibition that he had “captured the spirit of Wells”.
First Prize – Lara Cobden
The Paint Out Wells judges awarded Lara Cobden the £1,000 first prize donated by sponsor Hopkins Homes for her 12″x12″ acrylic painting “From The Albatross” painted from the decks of The Albatros ship at Wells-next-the-Sea quayside.
Lara said she was “slightly gob-smacked” and described her Paint Out week as “well organised, fun, exhausting and fabulously enjoyable”.
Second Prize – Alfie Carpenter
Alfie Carpenter provided a contrast to the oils, watercolours and acrylics with his mixed media artworks that added extra complication to work with in the windy weather. He won the second prize of £500 donated by sponsor Archant for his work entitled “Huts Through the Trees”.
Alfie described the fun had in his “wonderful week in Wells-next-the-Sea as part of a plein air competition… creating 5 pieces over 3 days (including a 6am sunrise session) whilst scrambling around with scrap bits of collage in the wind.”
Third Prize – Jack Godfrey
Jack Godfrey was awarded the third prize of £250 donated by sponsor Archant for his work entitled “Made in Wells”.
Jack found the painting competition a great challenge and pushed his practice out of his comfort zone. Like Alfie Carpenter’s work it was his first session painting that won a prize – the morning session beset by bad weather and moody skies and even some rain – all part of the en plein air challenge. He was constantly interrupted by members of the public and had to hone his skills of concentration to complete it on time.
Judges commendations
Apart from having to agree on the top three prize awards the three judges: Hazel Ashley, Laura Williams, and James Glennie, were also given the freedom to award a personal commendation outside the top rankings with a £100 prize going to each of the following highly commended artists: Susan Mann, Jennifer Sendall, and Candide Turner-Bridger.
Sunrise Prize Award
The Sunrise Prize award went to Roy Connelly donated by sponsor Cass Art for his work “Ebb Tide, Wells” a 16×20 oil painting completed in the early hours of dawn at Paint Out‘s first sunrise mass en plein air gathering that featured Paint Out competition artists, members of the public, and a local school art class. (Read more…)