Wells hosts its third Plein Air Art Event
Following the huge success and beautiful beach sunrise at Paint Out Wells in 2015 and the weather-challenged multi-location 2016 – great for bold plein air artists, Paint Out announces the Wells-next-the-Sea 2017 third-year art competition on North Norfolk‘s colourful coastline. James Colman is delighted to confirm the third pop-up guerrilla painting packed weekend from September 15th-17th and public sunrise ‘paint out‘ September 17th including a food and art festival on The Buttlands.
Wells Submit entry Wells Rules Register Interest Public paint outs
“Artists with their easels, paints and sunhats will descend on North Norfolk’s bustling coastal port of Wells-next-the Sea for a two-and-a-half-day juried art competition and exhibition. We believe Wells to provide the ideal backdrop for a coastal outdoor art competition with its variety of subject matter – beach, harbour, salt marsh, and its close proximity in both directions to North Norfolk’s other coastal villages and landmarks.” – James Colman, Paint Out founder
Artists | Competition Entry | Events Calendar | Exhibition & Art Sale | Schedule | Sponsors | Sunrise | Weather | Workshops
Join up or come and see over two-dozen artists in action around the streets, quayside and beach at Wells, ‪Norfolk‬.
Our hub for the weekend event is the Congregation Hall (NR23 1EZ), between Clubbs Lane and Newgate Lane, opposite the Buttlands (NR23 1EX), however, we may also be using the Albatros, Quayside, and Beach Cafe as meeting points.
Selected Plein Air Artists 2016
Some 20 artists were selected to compete at Wells-next-the-Sea in challenging light and weather, from sunrise to sunset, from sunshine to predicted downpour.
Karen Adams, John Behm, Julie Bradwell, Mary Brady, Alfie Carpenter, Jack Godfrey, Jane Hodgson, Andrew Horrod, Jerome Hunt, Brian Korteling, SuE Mann, Vicki Norman, Eloise O’Hare, Tanya Pawsey, Michael Richardson, Christina Sabberton, Jennifer Sendall, Jenny Swann Homewood, Pat Tinsley, Will Topley
The Sunday 19th 6:36am sunrise and even earlier pre-dawn for early risers was a public ‘paint out‘ open to competition and public artists. Members of the public were able to join the artists on painting workshops, at a public sunrise event and at the artists brunch aboard the Albatros, or watching them paint live on the Beach, about the town, or on the Buttlands, Sunday afternoon at the art and food fest.
Workshop Wells Schedule Public paint out & brunch
Art & Painting Workshops
As an optional extra to competing artists and also open to non-competition painters plein air painting workshops may be run. Details to follow later.
Pre-dawn Paint Out on the Quayside
In addition to the 2-days Wells Paint Out competition, the weekend event will also feature a mass open to the public pre-dawn Paint Out on the quayside among the boat masts and black-purple-orange early morning silhouettes and crepuscular light at Wells on the Sunday morning of September the 17th, 6-10am.
More details and to book your place in the public Quayside paint out.
Competition features and benefits
Paint Out events give artists and public the chance to engage with each other, to paint or use other media en plein air, in full gaze of public view.
“There is no better way to learn how to paint than to be able to watch and talk to people actually painting. It is the opposite of watching paint dry.” – Will Buckley & James Colman, founding organisers of Paint Out
Apart from having an inquisitive audience, the 3-hours per work timed sessions apply both competition and creative pressures, that, at the similar event in Norwich each year, surprised the judges at the range and quality of submitted works on display.
Albatros, Congregation Hall & Buttlands
The hub of operations and social hangout for the jury-selected artists will be a large quayside boat standing out and attracting the public’s attention to follow a trail map and go in search of the art being made on the spot in the surrounding locales. The Albatros is a now a central feature of Wells’ harbour and has its own tales to tell. In addition to the Albatros, landlubbers have access to the Congregational Hall at the north end of The Buttlands.
Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells was chosen for its local and national popularity as a tourist resort, one with varied views from beach to harbour, idyllic inland lanes, and 30-mile proximity to Norwich.
Read more about the history and diversity that Wells offers here.
The artists will be given free rein to paint where they wish among the many and diverse locations that Wells has to offer.
Call to Artists
Prizes, artist companionship, iconic views, and the late summer sun – it is hoped, aim to draw national and international artists to this wonderful seaside town this September. Artists can view the rules and requirements, register their interest, and apply to take part.
Wells Submit entry Wells Rules Workshop Wells Schedule Public paint out
Artists are also welcome to register interest in or apply to take part in the Paint Out Norwich competition, that runs the following month, 14-18 October 2017.