The Bristol Plein Air Painters were founded by Helena Traill following her move to the city.
Having spent several years painting outdoors internationally, Helena sought to continue a practice rooted in direct observation – yet found no existing group dedicated to plein air painting in Bristol. The collective emerged from this absence.
What began as a small gathering has grown into a regular meeting of artists, each bringing their own approach to landscape, yet united by the shared act of painting on site.
Painting, often a solitary pursuit, becomes here a social and evolving dialogue: a space to learn, to exchange, and to return repeatedly to the act of looking.
