David Diaz (far left), Lyn Mehta (background), and Lori Putnam painting during the quick draw

The Art in the Open festival had 128 artists registered to participate, including U.S. artists Lori Putnam, David Diaz, Matthew Daub, Gordon Fowler, Debra Joyce Dawson, Bets Cole, and four others. In addition, there were several prominent artists from Europe, including the Finnish artist Antti Rautiola; Russian painter Natalia Dik; Marc Dalessio, currently living in Zagreb, Croatia; Dutchman Rene PleinAir; UK artist Michael Richardson; and Haidee-Jo Summers, who lives in France.

Marc Dalessio

"The weather was very different to the temperatures you have been experiencing in the U.S. this summer," says Tony Robertson, "with our artists regularly dodging showers and ducking inside the local pubs for hot soup or perhaps a glass of Guinness."

Florence Champ


Leon Holmes

The dates of next year's festival will be July 19-August 5, 2013, and the organizers are looking forward to another memorable experience in outdoor painting. For more information, visit www.artintheopen.org.