Norwich

Artist Stephen Johnston

Artist Stephen Johnston painting plein air at Paint Out Elsing Hall Gardens, Norfolk
Artist Stephen Johnston painting plein air at Paint Out Elsing Hall Gardens, Norfolk

Part-time teacher and artist, Stephen Johnston lives in Norwich and regularly paints with the Norwich Outdoor Painting Group. He first participated at Paint Out Norwich in 2017 and also entered two Paint Out events in 2018. In 2019, he was the only artist to manage all 7 Paint Out Gardens visits around the county of Norfolk across the seasons producing 14 artworks and winning Third Prize at the Awards and Exhibition.

Awards | Art Gallery | Purchase

He describes himself as a creative person who gains much satisfaction from producing artwork.

“Being outdoors and in nature’s grip gives me space to be inspired and refreshed. The process is the most important aspect in my journey, I am often dissatisfied with the results but keep the outcome as a record of my observations, aspirations, application, time spent outdoors painting plein air.” – Stephen Johnston

Paint Out History

Paint Out Gardens Series – Third Prize (2019)
Paint Out Norwich – Winter Nocturne First Prize (2018)
Paint Out Great Yarmouth – selected and participated (2018)
Paint Out Norwich – selected and participated (2017)

 

Art Sale Enquiry

Artist Sarah Allbrook

Artist Sarah Allbrook painting Norwich Market, Paint Out Norwich 2018. Photo © Katy Jon Went
Artist Sarah Allbrook painting at Anglia Square, Paint Out Norwich 2018. Photo © Katy Jon Went

Sarah Allbrook studied for a Fine Art Painting degree at Norwich University of the Arts and have been painting landscapes around East Anglia since graduating in 2009.

Awards | Art Gallery | Purchase

“I predominantly paint in oils as I love the creamy texture, consistency and variety of marks that can be made, from washes and thinly scraped back brushstrokes to thick impasto.”

Sarah began painting en plein air in 2017 and joined Norwich Outdoor Painting group in 2018. Paint Out Norwich was the first time she had entered a painting competition and she proceeded to scoop the Third Prize in Oils and People’s Choice Exhibition Vote, and sell extremely well during the PV and Exhibition. One to watch!

“I love the thrill of painting on location, reacting directly to the light, movement and atmosphere of the scene in a limited time period.”

Paint Out History

Paint Out Cambridge – Judge’s Commendation (2019)

Paint Out Norwich – Oils Third Prize & Exhibition People’s Vote (2018)

“I am absolutely thrilled to have won two awards at my first Paint Out Norwich. Doing the competition was such a valuable and unforgettable experience and I learnt a great deal through painting so intensely for four days in the company of other artists, and working on a larger scale than I am used to. During my time studying in Norwich I was never brave enough to get outside to paint and so I particularly loved trying to capture the city at night for the first time!”

Art Sale Enquiry

Norfolk

Paint Out‘s plein air art events and exhibitions in Norfolk, UK, including Great Yarmouth, Holt, Ludham, Wells-next-the-Sea and other North Norfolk coastal towns, Norfolk Broads, seaports, market towns, country houses and gardens. We’ve stretched far and wide across the coast from Hunstanton to Wells and Mundesley down to Happisburgh, Waxham, Horsey and Winterton. Inland, we’ve explored Gooderstone Water Gardens, Gunton Park, Blickling Hall, Wolterton Park, Norwich and Whitlingham. Visit the online gallery of the events (2020, 2021, 2022). 

If you are a participating artist use the Logging, Location and Logistics pages for Event information and the password previously sent you (contact info@paintout.org or 07432 608015 if you have not received this).

Paint Out Norfolk, 13-22 July 2023

Our outdoor painting programme builds upon 9 years of plein air art events across of Norfolk and Norwich with an open-air exhibition that sees dozens of artwork sales. We expect to welcome over 100 artists from UK, Europe & USA, do sign up early to join the UK’s most innovative plein air art event – the July 2023 event is open for entries with over 100 artists entering via the early bird pricing (save up to £150). Come and capture the height of summer in county, city, coast and countryside locations including Norwich, Norfolk seaside, inland Broads, market towns, and historic houses, gardens and parks, allotments and cemeteries, and forays into Constable country in Suffolk!

Paint Out Norfolk 2023   Plein Air Painting Workshops & Demos   Join Our Mailing List   Paint Out Register interest   

Paint Out Norfolk PV, Awards & Exhibition, July 2023

You can be among the first to see the judging, awards, prizes and scoop up some amazing paintings. 

Paint Out Norwich 2022 & Norfolk 2023 Awards & Exhibition   Paint Out Norfolk 2022 Gallery 

Past Events

Paint Out Norwich Nocturnes, 27-29 October 2022

This autumn, we are revisiting Norwich and its contrasting medieval streets and modern shops with a specific emphasis on a Nocturne painting festival running Thursday evening through to a Saturday Private View and Sunday exhibition in Cathedral Close, Tombland.

Paint Out has showcased Nocturne painting since we began in 2014. This year’s October event will be primarily focused on the plein air skill of painting as the sun disappears and evening lights appear, perhaps reflecting off damp cobbles the neon glows of shops and yellowed street lamps.

Paint Out Norwich Nocturnes 2022 Gallery 

Paint Out Norfolk, 15-24 July 2022

8-day tour of Norfolk saw some 75 artists attending, despite the cost of living crisis and hottest weather on record. Check out the painting locations Google map here. View the gallery of some of the finished artworks and Exhibition Catalogue. Well over 600 paintings were created and judged by: art critic and curator Hugh Pilkington, Dr Sally Anne Huxtable (National Trust Chief Curator) and artist Michael Richardson.

Paint Out Norwich Exhibition Catalogue   Paint Out Norfolk 2022 Gallery    

Paint Out Ludham, 26 June 2022

In June we painted 16 open gardens and a 14th-century church based in the beautiful Ludham, on the Norfolk Broads. Home to Edward Seago and Kieron Williamson, this event will also see classic cars, heritage boats, and the village life of a summer festival celebration in full swing.

Paint Out Ludham 2022 Gallery 

Paint Out Norfolk Churches, ** postponed ** 2022

This year sees two warm-up events ahead of July’s art festival and competition. In May we will paint a historic 1000-year-old church in order to help fund its preservation and also paint the sweeping views to the East Coast, lakes and arboretum belonging to James Colman nearby.

Paint Out Norfolk Churches 2022   Join Our Mailing List   Paint Out Register interest   

Paint Out Norfolk, 16-24 July 2021

An 8-day tour of Norfolk and Norwich, coast and countryside which saw over 70 artists participate and paint from Hunstanton to Winterton, Gooderstone Water Gardens to Gunton Park, and across Norwich and the Norfolk Broads.

Judges included artists Maggi Hambling and Rob Adams, and curator/art historian Giorgia Bottinelli.

(See our 2020 Covid update for how we handled safety with a socially distant safe practice event and exhibition)

Paint Out Norfolk Galleries   Paint Out Norfolk 2020 Gallery  

Paint Out Norfolk, 16-23 July 2020

Visit the online gallery of the event attended by 50 artists over 8 days creating over 400 paintings. See the locations painting Google map here.

Paint Out Norfolk 2020 Gallery  

Paint Out Norfolk Gardens, May-Oct 2019

Throughout the year we will also be exploring Norfolk’s great gardens through one-day events including:

Paint Out Norwich, 14-15 Oct 2019

This year, Paint Out Norwich will provide a finale paintout in the Plantation Garden to the Paint Out Norfolk Gardens series which will have taken place May-October, through the year’s changing seasons, light, and colour. We are now painting Norwich Bishop’s Garden (14 Oct) as well as Plantation Garden (15 Oct) and hope to have sessions exploring other urban parks and gardens in and around Norwich. 

Paint Out Holt, 19-20 July 2019

The Holt Festival (21-27 July), now in its eleventh year, has invited Paint Out to open this year’s Festival with a two-day Paint Out and Private View (19-20 July) around the charming North Norfolk town. Robert Upstone a Tate curator will be judging at Paint Out Holt.

Home to 500-year-old Gresham’s School (alumni include WH Auden, Olivia Colman, Benjamin Britten, James Dyson, and the artist Ben Nicholson), this two-session Paint Out will be backed up by a ten-day exhibition in Picturecraft of Holt, a gallery and Art material supplier with the winners exhibiting alongside the now well established Holt Art Prize. 

Join Our Mailing List   Paint Out Register interest   Paint Out Holt 2019 Gallery

Paint Out Norfolk, 1-7 July 2019

Paint Out Norfolk takes place in conjunction with The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts 1-7 July (painting days 1st-5th, PV 5th, Exhibition 6th-7th) based around the Sainsbury Centre/UEA campus site and painting further afield including Wells-next-the-Sea, the Broads, and Houghton Hall park. 

Join Our Mailing List   Paint Out Register interest   Paint Out Norfolk 2019 Gallery 

Paint Out Norwich, 13-17 Oct 2018

Premier plein air juried art competition since 2014, workshops and talks, public paint out, private view & awards, Hostry exhibition – more information

Paint Out Wells-next-the-Sea, 8 Sep 2018

North Norfolk coast plein air painting competition. Since 2015 this event has seen workshops, demos, beach public paint outs at sunrise, Buttlands exhibition, day trips to neighbouring towns such as Blakeney, Burnham Market, Brancaster Staithe etc. Apply here or more information about our long-running Wells events.

Paint Out Great Yarmouth, 1 Sep 2018

A new one-day event is taking place – Paint Out Great Yarmouth on 1 September, from Seaside to Quayside, in collaboration with Norfolk Museums Service and particularly the Time and Tide Museum’s event ‘Drawn to the Coast: Turner, Constable, Cotman‘ which explores the identity of Great Yarmouth and its surrounding landscape through the artwork it has inspired. Apply here.

Paint Out at the RNS 28-29 June 2017

Paint Out 2017 featured 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.

Public Paint Outs & other One-Day Paint Outs

More of these to follow…

Artist John Behm

Artist John Behm painting like a modern Monet on the River Wensum, Paint Out Norwich 2017. Photo © Katy Jon Went
Artist John Behm painting like a modern Monet on the River Wensum, Paint Out Norwich 2017. Photo © Katy Jon Went

John Behm has a natural affinity for the landscape of Norfolk and the Scottish borders where he was occupied in the conception and execution of public sculptures. He had been unable to work for a while due to a near fatal accident but fortunately has sufficiently recovered to be back to creating art and sculptures and has been making some beautiful paintings en plein air.

Awards | Art Gallery | Purchase

John studied Drawing & Painting, Sculpture and Architectural Design in the US, and at the Edinburgh College of Art.

Several decades of working within art and design with turns in teaching, writing, portraits, life-drawing, and several exhibitions means that John has a strong background in art that he is currently augmenting by studying Art History. He has numerous sculptures on past and/or present display in Scotland and Norfolk, as well as work in public collections including the City of York, the National Museums of Scotland, “The House for an Art Lover” in Glasgow, and the Coldstream Museum.

Artist John Behm painting Anglia Square outside Hollywood Cinema, Paint Out Norwich 2018. Photo © Katy Jon Went
Artist John Behm painting Anglia Square outside Hollywood Cinema, Paint Out Norwich 2018. Photo © Katy Jon Went

Whilst mainly painting in oils, when not carving stone and wood, and casting sculptures in bronze, he has occasionally gone mixed media including adding twigs to a three-dimensional painting at Paint Out events; he is always willing to try something new. His preference of subject includes landscape as palimpsest, the spirit of place human experience, history, family, and sensory delights.

John says of his work that:

“The idea is first, then I choose the medium – paint, wood, bronze, steel, stone, film. The word ‘art’ comes from Sanskrit, from a root meaning simply to make: it’s the making, and what, that keeps me going.”

Artist John Behm dives in River Wensum from Fye Bridge to save another artist's painting. Photo © Katy Jon Went
Artist John Behm dives in River Wensum from Fye Bridge to save another artist’s painting. Photo © Katy Jon Went

John made the press when, in 2018, he dived into the River Wensum to rescue fellow artist and Paint Out founder James Colman’s artwork that has fallen in, easel and all, and was floating face-up in the water, heading towards Fye Bridge. Despite the October chill, John handed over his own painting, stripped off his art clothes, mounted the bridge wall and dived in the cold river to cheers from onlookers. He swam towards the waterlogged gouache and dragged it to dry land, lifesaver-style!

Now a four-times winner of the Paint Out Spirit of Plein Air prize in two locations, John is renowned for getting into deep water! Back in 2009, he waded chest-deep into the sea to install bronze sculptures in the sea off the Berwickshire coast. “All in the name of art,” was his explanation or perhaps excuse, looking for any reason to get wet!

“Ultimately it was an adventure that took us over two hours in the sea wading about bringing everything ashore. We lit a fire to warm ourselves up then installed the waymark without two much trouble.” – John Behm

Paint Out History

Paint Out Norwich – Spirit of Plein Air Award (2018)
Paint Out Norwich – selected and participated (2014-2018)
Paint Out Wells – Spirit of Plein Air Award (2015, 2016)
Paint Out Wells – selected and participated (2015-2018)
Paint Out Great Yarmouth – selected and participated (2018)
Paint Out Sudbury – selected and participated (2018)

 

Art Sale Enquiry

Artist Michael Richardson

Michael Richardson painting an artist painting Tombland public paint out. Photo © Katy Jon Went
Michael Richardson painting an artist painting Tombland public paint out.

Michael Richardson was educated at Ipswich College of Art and later in Paris. His work has been exhibited in the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA), the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA), the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI), the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours’ shows at the Mall Galleries and at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition.

Michael is a member of the Wapping Group of Artists (probably the oldest outdoor painting society in the UK), The Chelsea Art Society, and council member of the United Society of Artists. He is also a founder member of the Brass Monkeys Art Society, a hardcore group of winter outdoor painters.

He won the inaugural Paint Out Norwich Nocturne Prize in 2015 and was runner-up in 2016. He regularly delivers oil painting and nocturne workshops during Paint Out events. At Wells-next-the-Sea in 2017, Michael was a guest artist, demonstrator, and prize judge for Paint Out Wells.

Paint Out Awards

Paint Out Norwich – Nocturne Second Prize (2016)
Paint Out Norwich – Nocturne First Prize (2015)

Register interest in Paint Out Events

Paint Out plein air art competition event dates go live early each year but additional events may still be announced throughout. You can lodge a registration of interest in our various events – this is not an entry to an event, it just gets you on the Call to Artists announcement mailing list. The buttons below will also take you to live entry forms within the event entry-date windows.

You can register your interest below to be kept up to date when submission forms for each event are live and to be a part of future Paint Out events as well as other locations, and even suggest your own.

Paint Out Norfolk 13-20 July 2023   Paint Out Norwich 2023  

Paint Out plein air art competition UK events

Suggest a location for a plein air art event
reCAPTCHA is required.

 

Artist John Patchett

Artist John PatchettJohn Patchett is a well-known East Anglian professional artist, who is a member of the East Anglian Institute of Artists and whose pastel paintings are much sought after, both in England and abroad.

After attending Grimsby School of Art, Kingston-upon-Thames College of Art and Brighton College of Art, John settled in Australia where he lived for 19 years. In 1994, he returned to this country, settling in East Anglia where he has easy access to some of his favourite locations.

Besides holding over 40 successful solo shows in Australia and England, John’s pastel paintings have been exhibited in Japan, New Zealand and with the Pastel Society, The Royal Society of Marine Artists and the ‘Laing Exhibition’ at the Mall Galleries, London.

His pastel paintings cover a wide range of subject matter, including East Anglian and French landscapes, cityscapes, Broadland scenes, gardens, sunlit markets, street cafes, marine and coastal locations.

In recent years, John Patchett’s pastel paintings have become a regular feature in articles in the Leisure Painter magazine.

Recent recognition by the International Pastel Artist magazine, America, of John Patchett as a ‘Master Pastelist’ reiterates the impact of his artwork on a global scale.

A local ‘claim to fame’ is that a photograph of John painting at his easel in Norwich market is printed on the box lid of the Norwich edition of the Monopoly game!

Paint Out Awards

Paint Out Norwich – People’s Choice Exhibition Vote Winner (Red Beret) (2017)
Paint Out Royal Norfolk Show – selected and participated (2017)

Other Awards

Laing Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London – Guest’s Choice prize (1997)

Sample Gallery & Works for Sale

Art Sale Enquiry

Artist Eloise O’Hare

Artist Eloise O'HareEloise O’Hare is a mixed media artist using Quill and Ink and Watercolour wash. She is a veteran of Paint Out Norwich, Norfolk and Paint Out Wells-next-the-Sea since 2015 and regularly winning prizes for her humorous illustrative quirky view of life in front of her. A rare artist who often concentrates on the characters in her paintings where they have a real-life feel to them with a bold dash of fun and colour. She trained at Bradford and Ilkley Art College, BA Honours Degree, Cleveland College of Art, Illustration, and Great Yarmouth art school, Art & Design and Art History.

Awards | Art Gallery | Sales

Eloise’s political cartoons have been published in VN magazine in the Netherlands and have been included in several books and online websites. She is a full-time professional artist having shown work in Gallery Norfolk’s Summer Show (2017) and Dandifest!

She took a Third-placed prize at Paint Out Norwich 2015 and, more recently, a First in 2017 when the famed artist John Wonnacott loving her winning artwork. Since then, she has become more visible and popular in galleries. Painting is her passion and she describes landscape painting as good for her soul. She paints in dip ink pen and watercolour as it gives “the feeling of movement and joy”, a style she started painting in after sitting on Cromer beach.

Paint Out History

Paint Out Norfolk, selected and participated (2020, 2021)
Paint Out Cambridge, selected and participated (2019)
Paint Out Norfolk Gardens, Spirit of Plein Air Award (2019)
Paint Out Norwich, First Prize (2017), Third Prize (2015), selected and participated (2018, 2016)
Paint Out Wells, selected and participated (2016, 2017, 2018)
Paint Out Royal Norfolk Show, selected and participated (2018)
Paint Out Great Yarmouth, selected and participated (2018)
Paint Out Sudbury, selected and participated (2018)

Other Awards

Best independent artist in Norfolk – Top Ten, nominated (2016)

 

Art Sale Enquiry

 

 

Apply to Paint Out Plein Air Art Events

Artists silhouetted at Paint Out Wells 2015 sunrise. Photo by Katy Jon Went

Paint Out 2023 Plein Air Art Competitions

ENTER Paint Out Norfolk, July 2023   Paint Out Register interest   

Paint Out Norfolk, July 2023

Artist Kate Gabriel painting Winterton allotments, Paint Out Norfolk 2020
Artist Kate Gabriel painting Winterton-on-Sea allotments during Paint Out Norfolk 

Our outdoor painting programme builds upon 9 years of plein air art events across of Norfolk and Norwich with an open-air exhibition that sees dozens of artwork sales. We expect to welcome over 100 artists from UK, Europe & USA, do sign up early to join the UK’s most innovative plein air art event – the July 2023 event is now open for entries with early bird pricing (save up to £150). Come and capture the height of summer in city, coast and countryside locations including Norwich, Norfolk seaside, inland Broads, market towns, and historic houses, gardens and parks, allotments and cemeteries!

Paint Out Norfolk 2023 Application  

 

Past Events

Paint Out Events History 

Paint Out Norfolk, 15-24 July 2022

Our third 8 days+ summer format saw 80+ artists brave the hottest heatwave in UK history. Artists painted from the North Coast and its creeks to the sublime serenity of Gooderstone Water Gardens, the National Trust’s Blickling Hall to Wolterton Hall and Park, and across Norwich and the Norfolk Broads. 

Judges included Dr Sally Anne Huxtable, Michael Richardson, and Hugh Pilkington.

Paint Out Norfolk 2022 Gallery 

Paint Out Norwich, 15-17 October 2021

We returned to the autumn and Norwich for a Hostry Festival anniversary special and exhibition in the Maddermarket Theatre.

Paint Out Norwich 2021 Gallery 

Paint Out Norfolk, 16-23 July 2021

We continued the new 1-8 days+ summer format with 70 artists and double the exhibition capacity. Artists painted from Hunstanton to Winterton, Gooderstone Water Gardens to Gunton Park, and across Norwich and the Norfolk Broads. 

Judges included artists Maggi Hambling and Rob Adams, and curator/art historian Giorgia Bottinelli.

Paint Out Norfolk 2021 Gallery 

Paint Out Norfolk, 16-23 July 2020

Moving our premier event to the summer allows us to spend up to 8 days in Norwich and Norfolk, around city, coast and countryside, including seaside and market towns as well as the iconic historic medieval city of Norwich itself.

Paint Out Norfolk 2020 Gallery 

Paint Out Norwich Midwinter, 18 Dec 2019

Following 2018’s midwinter free event we returned to Norwich Market, Jarrolds, Haymarket and the surrounding area to paint the seasonal scenes. Some 20 artists participated, painting early for the light as well as late for the Christmas lights.

Paint Out Norfolk Gardens, May-Oct 2019

Throughout 2019 we explored Norfolk’s great gardens with a succession of one-day events at:

Paint Out Gardens 2019 Gallery

Paint Out Holt, 19-20 July 2019

The Holt Festival (21-27 July), now in its eleventh year, invited Paint Out to open this year’s Festival with a two-day Paint Out and Private View (19-20 July) around the charming North Norfolk town. Robert Upstone a Tate curator judged the event at Paint Out Holt as well as Charlotte Crawley (Art Historian, former EAAF).

Home to 500-year-old Gresham’s School (alumni include WH Auden, Olivia Colman, Benjamin Britten, James Dyson, and the artist Ben Nicholson), this two-session Paint Out will be backed up by a ten-day exhibition in Picturecraft of Holt, a gallery and Art material supplier with the winners exhibiting alongside the now well established Holt Art Prize. 

Join Our Mailing List   Paint Out Register interest   Paint Out Holt 2019 Gallery

Paint Out Norfolk, 1-7 July 2019

Paint Out Norfolk took place in conjunction with The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts 1-7 July (painting days 1st-5th, PV 5th, Exhibition 6th-7th) based around the Sainsbury Centre/UEA campus site and painting further afield including Wells-next-the-Sea, the Broads, and Houghton Hall park. 

Join Our Mailing List   Paint Out Register interest   Paint Out Norfolk 2019 Gallery 

Paint Out Cambridge, 13-17 May 2019

The inaugural Paint Out Cambridge took place 13-17 May (painting 13-15th, PV 16th, exhibition till 17th) in collaboration with Cheffins Fine Art. Iconic views, Cambridge colleges, Kings College Chapel, the River Cam – its punts and bridges, the Market, may all feature in our first plein air Cambridge art event.

Join Our Mailing List   Paint Out Register interest   Paint Out Cambridge 2019 Gallery 

 

What is Paint Out & Plein Air?

Paint Out™ is a multi-faceted event aiming to redefine en plein air art practice. Our core event is the premier and only fully juried en plein air competition in the United Kingdom, celebrating the talents of national and international artists before a wide and growing audience in the heart of medieval and iconic Norwich and at satellite locations. Our events aim to push the experience of painting en plein air and its challenges in all weather conditions, times of day and light, and varied locations and points of view. 

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 embracing drawing, pastels, oils, watercolour, and even screen-printing. Innovation and originality are encouraged alongside traditional art forms.

History of the Paint Out Competition

Paint Out Norwich launched in 2014 during the city’s October Hostry Festival, that itself began in 2011. Some 30 artists participated in the first Norwich event, 35-45 in subsequent events. Read about the prizewinners from Paint Out Norwich 2014, Norwich 2015, Norwich 2016, Paint Out Norwich 2017 and Paint Out Norwich 2018. Paint Out events also hit the North Norfolk coast of Wells-next-the-Sea, Blakeney, Brancaster Staithe, and Burnham Market, in 2015-2018 and Great Yarmouth in 2018. See some of the past winners: Paint Out Wells 2016, 2017, 2018. Paint Out Norfolk 2020-23 saw us move the main event to the summer months and now attracts 70-100 artists.

Paint Out Plein Air Painting Competition, Exhibition & Live Art Experience

Oxana Klip and James Colman painting Houghton Hall at Paint Out Norfolk 2019

Paint Out™ is an art event aiming to refresh and redefine 21st century en plein air art practice. Founded in 2014, we are the UK’s premier and only fully juried en plein air art competition, celebrating the talents of national and international artists before a wide audience in the heart of medieval and iconic Norwich, around beautiful Norfolk‘s towns, countryside, broads and coast. We also hope to visit Suffolk again soon and have also painted Cambridge. Many of our events are about extreme painting challenges, in any weather, up against the clock and the gaze of the art-loving public. Come and Experience Art, Live! 

Our last event in our 10th anniversary year – Paint Out Norfolk, 13-22 July 2023 attracted over 140 artist entries and 80 participants, and included art workshops and demos, a multi-day selling Exhibition, PV & Awards of the best art of the week.

Paint Out Suffolk 2024 POSTPONED Volunteer/Intern/Work with us  Paint Out History   

Paint Out 2024

Stop Press:
Paint Out Suffolk has been postponed due to the founder-director’s surgery and recovery. We look forward to running this event around the idyllic seaside town of Southwold on the Suffolk heritage coast, on another occasion.
Paint Out Suffolk 2024 POSTPONED    View Paint Out Norfolk 2023 Gallery Paint Out Norfolk 2023 Art Catalogue  Participating Artist Info  Paint Out Workshops & Demos  Paint Out Exhibition  Volunteer/Intern/Work with us  Paint Out History   

Paint Out 2023

Artist Kate Gabriel painting Winterton allotments, Paint Out Norfolk 2020
Artist Kate Gabriel painting Winterton allotments, Paint Out Norfolk 2020

Our outdoor painting programme builds upon over 9 years of plein air art events and 3 years of 8-day tours of Norfolk and Norwich with open-air exhibitions seeing dozens of artwork sales and thousands also raised for charity. Each event sees interest from over 100 artists from UK, USA, France, Ireland, Malta, Scandinavia and elsewhere; do enter the UK’s most innovative plein air art event running each July with applications exceeding 140+ artist entries.

Artist Karen Adams painting on Winterton Beach dunes during Paint Out Norfolk 2020
Artist Karen Adams painting on Winterton Beach dunes during Paint Out Norfolk 2020

It’s an opportunity to brush up alongside new and familiar faces of the plein air art community. Challenge your creativity. Develop your skills – we have optional extra workshops and demos from guest artists Haidee Jo Summers, Roger Dellar, and Rob Nelmes. Come and capture the height of summer in county, city, coast, and countryside locations including Norwich, Norfolk seaside, inland Broads, seaport and market towns, several historic houses and gardens, and over-the-border forays to Constable country in Suffolk. There will be guest artists, painting demos, talks, socials, and art world judges.

Paint Out Norfolk 2023 Exhibition and Private ViewRecent judges have included Dr Sally Anne Huxtable, Michael Richardson, Maggi Hambling, Rob Adams, Hugh Pilkington and the Castle Museum’s Giorgia Bottinelli.

This year the judges include art historian and award-winning author Frances Spalding; art history at UEA alumni, Aylsham Picture House chair, art and antiques expert on Dickinson’s Real Deal, James Layte; and Andrew Bowyer, formerly head of Phillips’ Picture Department, and Sotheby’s Old Masters and now a Fine Art Consultant for Sworders. 

Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers will also be on-site during the PV on 20th July and through to 22nd July offering a free art appraisal service for one piece of your art/antique collection (Antiques Roadshow style!). They are the main sponsors of the event this year along with Rosemary & Co Brushes, Michael Harding Paints, and Norwich Art Supplies.

Enter Paint Out Norfolk 2023  Interactive Map of Painting Locations  Paint Out PV & Exhibition  Paint Out Norwich 2022 Gallery   View Paint Out Norfolk 2022 Gallery  Paint Out History  Paint Out Workshops & Demos    

Plein Air Painting DemoArt Workshops

Available to Paint Out Norfolk participating artists and non-entrants of any level alike

Experience Art – Live!

Get inspired by experiencing art “live”, watching its creation and creators and then come to an exhibition to see the finished paintings and artworks. 

Artist Will Topley at Paint Out Wells 2016 by Giacomo Gex on Vimeo.

Stay in Touch

Join our mailing list or register interest in our events to stay informed.

Art & Painting Workshops  Art Talks  Public Open Paint Outs  Join Our Mailing List  Paint Out Register interest