PLEASE Scroll down for Montpellier Gardens registration

- You must start and finish your artwork on the day

 - All works must have a stamp on the back, administered by the team on arrival 

- Original artwork can be in any medium & any size  

- iPad and photography artwork does not qualify 

- We accept no responsibility for loss, damage or injury during the day 

- Any work bought back after 4pm, will not be eligible for judging. 

- You can create more than one piece on the day, but  you  can submit only  one item for judging, 

- Criteria for judging is that any winning entry agrees to participate in the selected exhibitions as part of the competition. Artwork will need to be delivered and collected, by the artist, to the galleries framed and ready to hang by the end of May 2024. Artwork for sale is optional, and must be specified. Commission on any sales agreed direct with the individual venues.

- Watch This Space accepts no responsibility for loss, damage or injury during the day.

Arrive at the  Garden, having pre-registered, with your blank surface, be that, canvas, paper, board to be stamped on the back and your materials ready. and your name on the back of your piece.

Go and spend the day creating your artwork within  the confines of the Garden. Come back (location TBC) by 4pm for judging. 

There will be a  30 minute window for visitors to the garden to see the work created from the day.

Judging  is at 4.30pm, winners will be announced by 5.30pm  The garden is open until 6pm.

Prizes:

1.  Overall winner - £250 cash prize 

sponsored by CGT Lettings and a private sponsor.  WINNER: Caroel Conde

2.  Contemporary landscape- £100 cash prize  

sponsored by Rupert Aker and Spencer House Gallery. WINNER: Lucy Birkinshaw

3.  Drawing/illustration - £100  cash prize

(sponsored by Tetbury Goods Shed). WINNER Sophie Wardle

Plus the top three prize winners will be included as part of the Spencer House Gallery exhibition from 21 June –  30 August 2024. 

4.  Youth prize, (under 25s)  - £50 arts material voucher (sponsored by Pegasus Art)

Sofia Kashoo (under18)

5.  Painswick Rococo Garden - this winning entry will be selected to have their image used as part of the PRG greeting card series and will be printed by the garden team and will be for sale in the Rococo shop.  Commission on all sales made will be shared with the artist.    WINNER: Ali Edgson

              + 4 Highly Commended who will also win inclusion in the Tetbury Goods Shed exhibition Nature's Garden, running from end of June to mid August - 

WINNERS

-  Julie Dunster

-  Nicki Heenan

-  Liz Freedman

-  Anna Rojek

The Plein Air Competition will be the start of a collaborative programme of events between Painswick Rococo Garden,  Tetbury Goods Shed (TGS) and Spencer House Gallery (SHG).  

The SHG exhibition will be entitled Everything in the Garden and will feature garden themed work by Angie Spencer (Rococo artist in residence) and other artists.  The winners of the overall Plein Air Competition, the contemporary landscape and drawing and illustration prize will be hung as part of this.  The TGS exhibition Nature's Garden will feature a range of other work by Angie Spencer,  plus the work of the 4 highly commended from the Plein Air. 

Please Note:

Criteria for judging is that any winning entry agrees to participate in the selected exhibitions as part of the competition. Artwork will need to be delivered and collected, by the artist, to the galleries well framed and ready to hang by the end of May 2024. Artwork for sale is optional, and must be specified and price agreed with the galleries. Commission on any sales agreed direct with the individual venues, at their usual rates.

We are hugely grateful to all of our sponsors, for supporting this event:

CGT Lettings -  https://www.cgtlettings.co.uk

The Painswick - https://thepainswick.co.uk

Spencer House Gallery - https://www.spencerhousegallery.co.uk

Tetbury Goods Shed  - https://shed-arts.co.uk

Rupert Aker - https://rupertaker.art

Falcon Pub - https://thefalconpainswick.com

Pegasus Art - https://www.pegasusart.co.uk

Roger Dellar, award winning artist and acclaimed en plein air specialist painter and awarded by the following socities: New English Art Club, The Royal institute of oil Painters and The Royal society of British artists, amongst others.

* Jaynie Tricker, professional artist and prize winning en plein air specialist painter, passionate about the creative process, with a love for the outdoors, colour and painting directly from life.    

Chris Woodcock, Owner and Curator at Spencer House Gallery in Tetbury , one of the galleries offering prize winners an opportunity to exhibit as part of thir summer show.
 

Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?

The competition is open to anyone aged 16 years of age and over. 16 - 18 year olds are able to paint but they are not required to register and pay the registration fee, and would just pay for entry into the garden.  There is a specific youth prize for under 25's as well as the opportunity to have your work judged for the main prizes.  . if you are under 18, to be eligible for judging, please get your work surface stamped, on arrival to the garden.

Do I have to pay to get into the garden?

For all over 18’s who have registered for the event, the entry price to the garden is included in your registration fee of £20. 

* What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event? 

By car: enter GL6 6TH into your satnav, or follow the brown tourism signs on all major approach routes. Painswick Rococo Garden is 15 minutes’ drive from junction 11a of the M5. Parking is free, of which there is plenty.

By train: The nearest station is Stroud (5 miles). Trainline is a useful website.

By bus: Stagecoach service 66 from Cheltenham to Stroud via Brockworth (Mon-Sat), The nearest stop is Pullens Road. Service 166 on Sundays.

On foot: Rococo are just off the Cotswold Way, in beautiful countryside, and well signposted from the corner of Golf Course Road and Gloucester Road.

By bike: cyclists are very welcome. There are no bike racks but you’re welcome to lock your bike near the café. We’re surrounded by hills so you’ll have earned a slice of homemade cake by the time you reach us!

* What can I bring into the event?

All you need to bring is your blank canvas and all materials ready to paint for the day, including an easel and a chair if you wish. No materials are supplied. Plain background cover only, no preparatory drawings or painting to be on your artwork prior to the day. Please note that your canvas will need to be stamped on the back upon arrival to qualify for the judging process at the end of the day. You will also need to provide your own refreshments for the day. There is a fantastic cafe onsite.

* Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

If you're able to arrive with a print out of your booking confirmation that would help us out immensely on the registration desk, alternatively you can have it on your phone, 

* Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable?

If you wish to transfer your booking to another name and it is not within 30 days of the event, then please do email through the details to hello@wtscollective.co.uk and we will endeavour to transfer the details for you. We will not be able to make these changes within 30days of the event and certainly not on the day .

* How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch, via email hello@wtscollective.co.uk , or phone

Niki Whitfield on 07821 098171.

* What's the refund policy?

Refunds are available up to 30 days before the event, however you will still be required to pay the booking fee. We are unable to refund any payments within 30 days of the event. 

Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham

15 June 2024, 10am - 5pm 

Come and make art in the regency elegance of Cheltenham’s Montpellier Gardens.

Registration is NOW OPEN for the second plein air ART competition in the Gardens 

Open to traditional (as opposed to digital) 2D artists of all ages media and styles, the criteria to get your work judged by our expert panel is that your entry is started and completed in the gardens or within 200 metres from the garden boundaries, on the day, within the time allotted, and is made in direct response to the surroundings.

Registration is £15  per person  

(14-18 year olds £5). 

Under 14's are FREE , so do not need to register, and will not be eligible for judging - but are more than welcome to come and paint for the day with the other artists. 

Adults click HERE to register

14 - 18 years click HERE to register 

- You must start and finish your artwork on the day

 - All works must have a stamp on the back, administered by the team on arrival 

- Original artwork can be in any medium & any size  

- iPad and photography artwork does not qualify 

- We accept no responsibility for loss, damage or injury during the day 

- Any work bought back after 4pm, will not be eligible for judging. 

- You can create more than one piece on the day, but  you  can submit only  one item for judging, 

- Watch This Space accepts no responsibility for loss, damage or injury during the day.

Arrive at the Gardens Gallery in the centre of Montpelier Gardens having pre-registered, with your blank surface, be that, canvas, paper, board to be stamped on the back and your materials ready and your name on the back.

Go and spend the day creating your artwork within  the confines of the gardens or within 200 metres from the garden boundaries.

End of day logistics:

Please bring work back at 4pm.  Any work received after 4pm will not be eligible for judging

There will be a viewing window of 30 mins, for those wanting to see the collections of work from the day, ready for judging. 

Judging will commence at 4.30pm 

Prizes will be announced at 5.30pm.

All work will be for sale, if agreed by the artist, and available to do so post judging. Purchases can be made direct with the artist and no commission will be taken. 5.30 – 6pm

Prizes :

1.  Overall winner - £250 cash prize, sponsored by Gardens Gallery

WINNER: Martyn Dymott

2.  Bob Freeman Contemporary artwork - £100 cash prize, sponsored by Gardens Gallery . WINNER: Sophie Wardle

3. Drawing/illustration - £100  cash prize 

Sponsored by Friends of Montpellier Bandstand and Gardens (FOMBAG)r

WINNER: Angela Lord

4. Urban artwork £100 cash prize  

WINNER: Abdul Malik Nobel

5.  Youth prize, (under 25s)  - £50 arts material voucher  

sponsored by Seymour John Ltd 

WINNER: Orla Janes

              + 4 Highly Commended  - WINNERS:

Sarah Stanley

Martin Taylor

Anne Hopkins

Owen Eaddy

We are hugely grateful to all of our sponsors, for supporting this event:

- Friends of Montpellier Bandstand and Gardens (FOMBAG)

https://www.facebook.com/MontpellierGardens/?locale=en_GB

- Seymour John Ltd 

https://www.seymourjohn.com

- Gardens Gallery 

https://www.gardensgallery.co.uk- 

* PJ Crook, MBE

An internationally acclaimed artist whose work is held in many private collections around the world including Billy Joel; Peter Gabriel; Robert Fripp & Toyah Willcox and her work can be seen on CDs and vinyls by King Crimson and on book covers such as for Oxford University Press; Penguin; Live de Poche and Editions Léon.  An extensive number of her works are in the permanent collection at The Morohashi Museum of Modern Art, in Japan and the Imperial War Museum in London or closer to home at The Wilson, Cheltenham’s art gallery & museum; City Museum Gloucester and the Holst Birthplace Museum. Patron to many local charities, including Cheltenham Open Studios, who will be holding a taster show in the Gardens Gallery during the week of the Plein Air competition.

PJ was awarded an MBE for services to art in 2011 and an honorary doctorate by the University of Gloucestershire in 2010.

* Conrad Clarke, SPRING gallery owner and award winning professional contemporary landscape artist. His work draws inspiration from the natural world around him and often focuses on the interaction between plants and their environment.

* Nicola Millington is a painter, arts educator and owner of Cheltenham's 'The Art Studio'. She was a wildcard entrant for the Sky Arts Landscape Painter of the Year 2022 and painted en plein air at Compton Verney. 

* How do we register and how much is registration: 

Please click the relevant link BELOW

Registration is £15 per person - REGISTER 

(14-18 year olds £5) - YOUTH TICKET

* Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event? 

The competition is open to anyone aged over 14. 14 - 18 year olds are able to paint for £5. There is a specific youth prize for under 25’s as well as the opportunity to have your work judged for the main prizes. 14 – 18 year olds, please bring ID with you on event day. Under 14’s can join in for free and must be accompanied by an adult. 

* What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event? Montpellier Gardens is situated in the centre of Cheltenham, so there are lots of parking options available in the vicinity, including on-road paid parking and pay and display car parks only a 5-10min walk away. The Montpellier Park is only a short 5 min walk from the centre of town where all public buses drop off and pick up. Cheltenham Railway station is a 20 min walk or a 5min taxi ride away. 

* What can I bring into the event?

All you need to bring is your blank canvas and all materials ready to paint for the day, including an easel and a chair if you wish. No materials are supplied. Plain background cover only, no preparatory drawings or painting to be on your artwork prior to the day. Please note that your canvas will need to be stamped on the back upon arrival to qualify for the judging process at the end of the day. You will also need to provide your own refreshments for the day. There are two cafés in the park that serve light meals, snacks and refreshments.

* Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

If you're able to arrive with a print out of your booking confirmation that would help us out immensely on the registration desk, alternatively you can have it on your phone, 

* Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable?

If you wish to transfer your booking to another name and it is not within 30 days of the event, then please do email through the details to hello@wtscollective.co.uk and we will endeavour to transfer the details for you. We will not be able to make these changes within 30days of the event and certainly not on the day .

* How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch, via email hello@wtscollective.co.uk , or phone

Niki Whitfield on 07821 098171.

* What's the refund policy?

Refunds are available up to 30 days before the event, however you will still be required to pay the booking fee. We are unable to refund any payments within 30 days of the event.