This year’s Spirit of the Landscape Exhibition features spectacular artworks by 13 award-winning Australian and International plein air artists. The exhibition celebrates the vast landscapes of rural, regional and remote Australia, with an international twist.

In telling their stories, artists may choose to reference place, the people of remote communities or the topography of the landscape.

A particular feature will be the inclusion of renowned international artists Lori Putnam (USA), Tony Robinson (Ireland), Matt Ryder (UAE) and Leon Holmes (Aus).

• Lori Putnam is a contemporary American painter whose work is characterized by loose and expressive brushwork, intelligent use of colour, and modern composition. Her art encompasses diverse subjects, including landscape, still life and figurative works and is rendered with remarkable skill, passion, and creativity.
  
• Whether for a landscape or portrait, Tony Robinson prefers to work alla prima, from life. His style is both direct and nuanced, moving swiftly towards a resolution of the image, while remaining ready to capitalise on random marks or effects and what they can contribute to the end result.
• Leon Holmes is an international award-winning plein air artist, lecturer and ambassador. He paints from life on location, without the aid of photography, using his small studies as reference for larger studio works created in his home studio in Mandurah. Leon paints outdoors in the old masters’ style of impressionistic realism.  He works in oil to quickly capture natural light and colour.

Lori Putnam, Tony Robinson and Leon Holmes are Feature Artists at Plein Air Down Under’s Outdoor Painting Festival, held in Mandurah, Pinjarra and the wider Peel Region, from 17 – 24 September 2024.

•  Matt Ryder is an award-winning British artist living and working in Dubai, UAE.  He has gained critical acclaim for his landscapes and florals, focussing on light, colour temperature and beautiful brushwork to bring his paintings to life. Matt attended Plein Air Down Under 2023 as a Feature Artist.

Other exhibiting artists include Andy Dolphin, Gordon Alexander, Andy Conlin, Leanne Pearson, Susan Penfold, Tiffany Forster, Jos Coufreur, Sam Swadling and Peter Studley – all previous winners of Plein Air Down Under awards.

The Spirit of the Landscape exhibition opens on Saturday 7 September 2024 at 2.30pm (following the World-Wide Paint Out in Mandjar Square) and runs until Sunday 6 October 2024 at the Alcoa Gallery, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre.

The exhibition is free and visitors are invited to vote as part of  the People’s Choice Award.

“Nothing in the history of art has ever seen a movement this large, a movement that has become a lifestyle.”   Eric Rhoads, Publisher of PleinAir Magazine, USA.

“Plein Air Down Under is up there with the best of the international plein air festivals I’ve attended. It has the spirit of community and excitement in the artists that reminded me of that cloud I couldn’t get down from after I first attended Ireland’s ‘Art in the Open Festival’ – I’m so happy to see so many smiles on so many faces.”   Leon Holmes, award winning plein air artist.

Full program of events – Program at a Glance 2024 – Plein Air Down Under

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