Making a Mark - plein Air sessions

North Devon Arts and The Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon are working in partnership to celebrate the museum's major summer exhibition, 'Sir Alfred Munnings: Exmoor Through The Seasons’, which brings together art works and selections from Munnings’ published diaries and poetry written while living in Withypool on Exmoor. These works offer a rare personal insight into his artistic process, the people he befriended while living there, and his relationship to the land.

Inspired by Munnings work, North Devon Arts have organised five En Plein Air sessions for members of the public, taking place every Saturday morning throughout August (10am - 12.30pm). Each session will have a different lead artist to give guidance and encouragement on sketching and painting within the North Devon countryside.

Passionate about getting people to draw and ‘make a mark', North Devon Arts are delighted to link these En Plein Air sessions to The Big Draw Festal of Drawing 2026.

Two of the En Plein Air sessions, led by artists, Richard Towers and Jennifer Schamotta, will greet people at the Munnings exhibition, giving them a feel for the man and his paintings, then take them out along the River Taw to sketch or paint their surroundings.

The other three En Plein Air sessions, led by artists, Anne Ware, Maria Rose and Sue Proudfoot, will take place at Withypool Village on Exmoor, meeting for coffee first at The Withypool Tearooms, then onto Exmoor to sketch and paint the very scenes that so captivated Munnings many years ago.

All sessions will end with an informal, friendly viewing of the work produced, with our lead artists encouraging everyone to chat together about their experiences.

Please bring:
Your own chosen art materials - you will find details of what to bring on the Museum’s website: https://barnstaplemuseum.org.uk/whats-on/ where you’ll find each artist is listed separately on their events page.
Suitable clothing, hat and shoes/boots, umbrella, etc. for different weather situations, Exmoor can be a little unpredictable.
Please note, the sessions will run come rain or shine!

Age range:
Suitable 18+

Accessibility:
Museum is good, with a lift.
River Taw has some public seating nearby.
Exmoor, Withypool Tea Rooms has outside seating depending on weather, otherwise bring a portable stool.

Price:
£10 per session - £45 for all five sessions.

Booking essential via:
https://barnstaplemuseum.org.uk

Anyone 18+ with an interest in plein Air sketching

Barnstaple museum
The Square
Barnstaple
Devon
EX32 8LN
GB

• Has wheelchair-accessible entrance
• Has wheelchair-accessible toilet
• Has gender-neutral toilets