THURSDAY morning saw about a dozen artists dotted around Fremantle painting the town’s landscape gearing up for a watercolour competition over the weekend.

The Perth Plein Air Painters are a group of artists who paint outdoors together on Thursday mornings – with the location changing weekly. 

Organiser Alan Pickering said this week the group decided to assemble in Fremantle to get some practise in before some members entered the WA Watercolour Society competition on Sunday.

The competition, returning back to Fremantle, after having a stint in Perth last year, is free to enter and involves heading outdoors and painting what you can see with watercolours. 

• Perth Plein Air Painters Carine Nemery, Debbie Hindley, Greg White, Steph Bardsden and Andy Dolphin. Photos by Isla Tomlinson

Competition organiser Jane Zani said the event would not only help promote WA’s fourth international watercolour exhibition but bring people together. 

“When you’re painting out in public, you become public property,” Ms Zani said.

“People come up to you and say, ‘Oh, what are you painting? My auntie paints. Do you know my auntie?’

“The fact that I’m painting means people can come and ask me things, and it’s true — the minute you put your paints away, no one notices you. 

“But when you’re painting in public, everyone notices you. It’s one of the best ways to attract attention for an exhibition: to go out and paint,” Ms Zani said.

The competition is located at the Old Courthouse and runs from 9.30am – 2pm Sunday May 24.

by ISLA TOMLINSON