From May 1 to 4 more than 60 watercolourists from throughout the country will descend on Clyde and its surrounds ‘‘Plein Air’’ — French for painting outdoors — painting up a storm on one of two annual ‘‘paintaways’’ for Watercolour New Zealand members.
Organiser Pete James, from Watercolour New Zealand, said people would likely notice artists painting on roadsides and at special selected locations, trying to capture some of Central Otago’s autumn scenery, attending social functions and at a free pop-up gallery at the Clyde Memorial Hall.
Several were professional artists and some were beginning their watercolour journey, but with each artist probably producing two or three paintings a day, by Sunday evening there would be hundreds of original paintings on display, he said.
The visitors would be keen to engage with the local community, so locals were encouraged to stop and see the painters at work, Mr James said.
Recent South Island Paintaways had been held at Blenheim, Cheviot and Lake Brunner.
