Paint Out Royal Norfolk Show 2017 Art Gallery

Paintings created at the Royal Norfolk Show 2017

Paint Out 2017 saw an en plein air invitational event at the Royal Norfolk Show. Fifteen hardy artists painted all the colour and character of the UK’s largest two-day agricultural event amidst torrential downpours and mud to rival Glastonbury! From fairground to farriers, and pigs to poultry, there was plenty to paint. Our artists were positioned around the Norfolk Showground site, returning their wet artworks every few hours to our tent for a live art auction on the first day, and continually refreshed rolling exhibition over both days.

Royal Norfolk Show Plein Air Invitational, June 2017

Royal Norfolk Show Art & Music, Paint Out
Paint Out – part of the RNS Art & Music show

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.

Fifteen hardy artists painted all the colour and character of the fauna, flora, and fun of the fair amidst torrential downpours and mud to rival Glastonbury! From fairground to farriers, and pigs to poultry, there was plenty to paint. So long as the rain held off! That said, we pushed the artists out irrespective of the weather. (See the gallery)

First Prize-winning artist Robert Nelmes painting blacksmiths under sponsor Leathes Prior‘s big umbrella at Paint Out RNS17. Photo by Katy Jon Went

It took, however, an adventurous, as much as artistic, spirit in each artist to seek out semi-sheltered locations from which to paint some challenging views with overbearing skies and a sea of tents and puddles.

Some artists ended up sharing a sty with pigs, a tent with an owl, a marquee with chickens, the back of a van with rescued greyhound, or the awaiting-judging ring with cattle.

Our artists were positioned around the Norfolk Showground site, returning their wet artworks every few hours to our tent for labelling, pricing, and display in our contemporary pop-up art gallery.

Keys Auctioneers Paint Out Art Auction at RNS 2017. Photo by Katy Jon Went

Sat next to the main art tent at the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association showground the Leathes Prior sponsored Paint Out tent was filled with art made on the day. There was an auction of the still-wet fresh art on the Wednesday 28th by Arnolds Keys fine art auctioneers and a rolling gallery exhibition and sale of paintings from shortly after 8am 28 June to 6pm 29 June.

Paint Out Royal Norfolk Show Prizes

Archant newspapers sponsored and presented £500 of prizes for First and Second places “Best in Show” paintings to Robert Nelmes and Tom Cringle. Norwich Art Supplies provided the art materials voucher prizes, presented to Haidee-Jo Summers and Mo Teeuw, for the jointly-shared ‘Spirit of Plein Air‘ award.

View the Gallery of artworks painted at the Royal Norfolk Show, the winners, and those still for sale.

First Prize Robert Nelmes, Second Prize Tom Cringle at Paint Out Royal Norfolk Show 2017. Photo by Katy Jon Went
First Prize Robert Nelmes, Second Prize Tom Cringle at Paint Out Royal Norfolk Show 2017. Photo by Katy Jon Went

Art Exhibition Gallery of Plein Air Paintings

Galleries of Paint Out events

Our events offer everything from mass public plein air paint outs, to one-day pop-up explorations of East Anglian towns and countryside, intense weekend events painting dawn to dusk, and our premier fully-juried and selected 8-day event in Norwich & Norfolk. Click the links below to view the historic event galleries or scroll down for the most recent events. Paint Out Norfolk 2023 online galleries is seeing daily updates/uploads – partial previews showing now – or visit the physical exhibition. Contact us if interested in any paintings for up-to-date availability.

Paint Out Norwich 2022Paint Out Norfolk 2022 | Paint Out Ludham 2022

Paint Out Norfolk 2021Paint Out Norfolk 2020 | Paint Out Norfolk 2019

Paint Out Cambridge 2019 | Paint Out Holt | Paint Out Gardens Series

Paint Out Great Yarmouth 2018Norwich 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | Royal Norfolk Show 2017 | Sudbury 2018Wells 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

Paintings created at Paint Out Norfolk 2023

Paintings created at Paint Out Norwich 2022

Paintings created at Paint Out Norfolk 2022

Paintings created at Paint Out Ludham 2022

Paintings created at Paint Out Norfolk 2021