Suffolk

Artist Amanda Barrett

Artist Amanda Barrett painting at Elsing Hall, Norfolk, during Paint Out Gardens 2019
Artist Amanda Barrett painting on Wells-next-the-Sea quayside at Paint Out Norfolk 2020
Artist Amanda Barrett painting on Wells-next-the-Sea quayside at Paint Out Norfolk 2020. Photo © Katy Jon Went

Newmarket-based artist Amanda Barrett studied at the British Institute, Florence (Renaissance Art), Brighton Art College (Fine Art Painting) and Chelsea School of Art (Graphic Design). Having been a Graphic Designer and Illustrator in the UK and Australia she has spent the last half-decade painting more en plein air. Her art practice now focuses on observation, rhythm and stroke-making, and the use of colour in transparency and layers.

Awards | Art Gallery | Purchase

Amanda cites as influences:

“Huge thanks to the following: Trevor Osborne who kick-started me back into painting through his inspirational teaching, James Colman founder of Paint Out whose vision has inspired many to leave their studios and come outside and just paint!, Michael Carlo RA who showed me the art of not being precious through wood cutting and print making. And my father John Barrett who from the most disadvantaged start fought through the depression to achieve his ambition, he taught me to learn from setbacks, be true to your instincts and be up for the challenge whatever the outcome!”

Paint Out History

Paint Out Norfolk – Third prize (2020), selected and participated (2019)
Paint Out Norfolk Gardens – Judges Commendation (2019)
Paint Out Holt, selected and participated (2019)
Paint Out Wells, selected and participated (2019)
Paint Out Cambridge, selected and participated (2019)

Other Awards

IBBAS Society Plein Air Competition, 2nd place

Suffolk

Paint Out‘s plein air art events and exhibitions in Suffolk, UK, including Southwold & Sudbury and other future Suffolk towns and locations.

Stop Press: We are back in Suffolk in 2024! Paint Out Suffolk will be in Southwold, 5-7 July Apply here.

Paint Out Suffolk, 5-7 July 2024Paint Out Suffolk, Southwold 5-7 July 2024

Three-day art event in Southwold including coast, town and Reydon marshes nr Old Hall Farm Cafe. [Info here…]

 

Paint Out Sudbury, 30 Jun 2018

One-day art event in Gainsborough’s hometown with options to paint the town, Gainsborough garden, old railway line walk, the Watermeadows, Mill, River Stour, and more. Great views and amazing local countryside on the Suffolk/Essex border. [Info here…]

 

Paint Out’s open air art event comes to Sudbury, Gainsborough’s hometown

Artists Robert Nelmes & James Colman painting from old railway in Sudbury, Suffolk. Photo © Katy Jon Went

Paint Out, which began life in Norwich five years ago, takes to the road and will bring a dozen or more plein air artists to Sudbury, Suffolk, on 30 June 2018. This will be followed by a same-day pop-up art exhibition at St Peter’s of fresh artworks, straight off the easel.

The wool (and now silk) town was home to Thomas Gainsborough, founding member of the Royal Academy, who inspired fellow notable artist, John Constable. Modern outdoor artists follow in their tradition, painting in situ, and in Paint Out’s case with curious public onlookers as we invite passers-by to ‘experience art, live’.

Sudbury Stour Valley Trail, Suffolk. Photo © Katy Jon Went
Sudbury Valley Trail, Suffolk. Photo © Katy Jon Went

The picturesque scenery including the Water Meadows trail and River Stour, the bridges and old railway line, Mill, the market town itself, St Peter’s Church, Gainsborough’s house and period-planted garden, will all serve as landscape inspiration for our experienced outdoor painters and illustrators.

Artists Robert Nelmes & James Colman painting from old railway in Sudbury, Suffolk. Photo © Katy Jon Went
Artists Robert Nelmes & James Colman painting from old railway in Sudbury, Suffolk. Photo © Katy Jon Went

The artists will spend one day, across two intense open air painting sessions, 10-1pm and 2-5pm, recording local views on canvas, and then displaying and selling them in a pop-up one-hour art exhibition in St Peter’s Church, 6-7pm, which also hosts the Sudbury Summer Art Fair, 2-8 July.

The artworks will all have been painted in under three-hours and many will still be wet, even with the sunny forecast! Just like the weather, they will be hot off the easel, and sold unframed, ‘painting-to-go’ so to speak, in carry away boxes, not unlike pizza boxes!

This is a process Paint Out first tried at the Royal Norfolk Show, last year, and has since continued, enabling art lovers to take away a fresh artwork, moments after it is painted, and then to frame it at their leisure and according to their preferred style.

Paint Out began in Norwich in 2014 and has since run a dozen events in Wells-next-the-Sea, other North Norfolk towns, and five large scale multi-day events in Norwich itself, during the annual Hostry Festival (October 2018). Sudbury, is the first of many planned wider East Anglian events.

Paint Out Sudbury, 30 June 2018

Artist Robert Nelmes painting from old railway in Sudbury, Suffolk. Photo © Katy Jon Went

Stop Press: We are back in Suffolk in 2024! Paint Out Suffolk will be in Southwold, 5-7 July Apply here.

Paint Out Sudbury took place on 30 June 2018, on the Essex/Suffolk border, home to Thomas Gainsborough who inspired John Constable, with picturesque scenery including the Water Meadows and River Stour, an old railway line, the market town itself, St Peter’s Church and Gainsborough’s house. One day, two sessions, en plein air! 

A baker’s dozen of plein air artists took to the historic wool town of Sudbury, birthplace of Gainsborough with its snaking River Stour, Suffolk countryside and some 247 Heritage Listed buildings in the town itself. It was a veritable treasure trove of idyllic painting locations on one of the hottest days of the year.

Participating artists included: Eleanor Alison, John Behm, Sarah Berbank Green, Mary Blue Brady, James Colman (non-competing), Tom Cringle, Robin Drury, Jack Godfrey, Julie Hodgson, Andrew Horrod, Robert Nelmes, Eloise O’Hare, Sue Willmer.

Join our mailing list to register interest in future Paint Out events and a return to Sudbury and other towns in Suffolk.

Join Our Mailing List   Paint Out Register interest   Paint Out Sudbury Art Gallery

Artist Robert Nelmes

Artist Robert Nelmes
Robert Nelmes painting his First Prize winning painting at Norwich Market, 2016

Robert Nelmes paints in oils and watercolour, both with their own unique set of challenges, particularly en plein air with environmental pressures and “greater sense of urgency, with a level of intensity and concentration unique to the discipline.” He says that creating a plein air painting and leaving it in its raw state is a very “honest representation of you as an artist.”

Awards | Art Gallery | Sales

Robert was born in Leeds and moved to the Isle of Skye when he was 16, completing his education in drawing and painting at Edinburgh College of Art in 1987. Whilst illustrating for the last 25 years he has maintained his passion for painting and drawing. Illustration clients have included: BP, Diageo, Jura Whisky, Standard Life, RBS, National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland.

“The shifting light and changing weather will always present a greater test to the artist than the safety of the studio can. For me this increases the sense of urgency, promoting a more instinctive reaction and vibrant result.” – Robert Nelmes

He has taken part in Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2015 and has been teaching landscape painting in Italy as well as getting out into the local Norfolk countryside from his new base in Roydon, Diss – close to the Norfolk/Suffolk border.

“I enjoy capturing the essence of what makes each landscape unique, be it the light, a majestic mountain range or the vastness of the ocean and now the big skies and patchwork landscape of Norfolk draw me in.”

Robert Nelmes painting Blacksmiths at RNS17
Robert Nelmes painting Blacksmiths at RNS17

Robert Nelmes scooped the Paint Out First Prize at Paint Out’s inaugural Freestyle competition (2016) and again for his painting ‘Blacksmiths‘ at the Royal Norfolk Show (2017), presented by Keys Fine Art Auctioneers and the Chairman of Archant Newspapers.

“I am over the moon and amazed because the standard was so high. I decided to paint the blacksmiths because the subject suits the way I paint. It’s all about light and dark, energy and movement and contrast, and it’s a challenge too.” – Robert Nelmes, EDP

He also sold at the Royal Norfolk Show Paint Out art auction run by Keys Auctioneers, exceeding the list price. One to watch, and invest in!

Paint Out Awards

Paint Out Great Yarmouth – First Prize & People’s Choice (2018)
Paint Out Sudbury – Participated (2018)
Paint Out Norwich – Freestyle First Prize (2016), Nocturne First Prize (2017)
Paint Out Wells-next-the-Sea – Judge’s Commendation (2017)
Paint Out Royal Norfolk Show – First Prize (2017)

 

Art Sale Enquiry

Artist Jennifer Sendall

Artist Jennifer SendallAfter obtaining a degree in Graphic Design, Jennifer Sendall trained atelier-style in “classical” studio painting techniques under Nicholas Beer. She has a special interest in the practice and techniques and practices of painters from the Renaissance to today.

Since then she has also developed skills in painting landscapes en plein air (in the open), and is an award-winning participant in many plein air festivals and competitions.

Jennifer now focusses on the countryside close to home in Suffolk and Norfolk, with a small proportion of still life, figure and commissioned portraiture. She is currently working towards a Masters at UCS Ipswich.

Her work has been exhibited in the Mall Galleries, Chelsea Old Town Hall, Maryland Hall, Annapolis, USA, De Posthoornkerk, Amsterdam, Netherlands and Greenacres Gallery, Wexford Eire as well as throughout East Anglia.

Paint Out Awards

Paint Out Norwich – selected and participated (2015)

Paint Out Wells – selected and participated (2016), Commended (2015)

Paint Out Royal Norfolk Show – selected and participated (2017)

Sample Gallery & Works for Sale

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