LIGHT TOUCH: Susanna Heath is one of the four artists showing work at the Plein Air North East exhibition at Bowlees Visitor Centre
LIGHT TOUCH: Susanna Heath is one of the four artists showing work at the Plein Air North East exhibition at Bowlees Visitor Centre

A GROUP of artists dedicated to painting outdoors are exhibiting their work in the heart of upper Teesdale.
Susanna Heath, Sue Abel, Stuart Jones and Luke McTaggert are all members of Plein Air North East, an informal group of more than 40 artists from across the region who work in the manner of 19th-century style outdoor painting.
Their work in on show throughout September at the Bowlees Visitor Centre.
Ms Heath, a professional artist and art teacher, said the advantage of working outdoors was the ability to make best use of light.
“When you are painting from a photo, for example, it is losing a lot of the light, so we head out and paint whether in the rain or the blistering sunshine.”
She said the group was mix of professional and part time artists plus those who pursue art as a hobby.
She came across Bowlees Visitor Centre as a venue for the exhibition through a contact at the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership, which manages the former chapel.
“I asked the group and this is what they produced,” she said.
Like many organisations, this is the first event the group has organised post-Covid and Ms Heath said the artists were happy to be back exhibiting in public.
Admission to the exhibition is free and more information about the group is available on Instagram – search for Plein Air North East.