NEWCASTLE Emlyn artist Helen Elliott was one of 200 European artists taking part in Pintar Rapido in Amsterdam, the biggest outdoor painting festival and exhibition in the Netherlands.

In the yearly event artists have one day to create a painting from start to finish on the streets of Amsterdam.

The following day the paintings are exhibited in an old Dutch church in the city centre.

Helen arrived two days before the event and spent the next day walking the canals to find a suitable place to paint.

“On the painting day my canvas was stamped at nine o’clock. I spent all day painting with a few short breaks for coffee,” said Helen.

“At five o’clock we handed in our completed paintings, which were then expertly hung.

“The doors to the one-day show opened early the next morning, and by six o’clock it was all packed away again. Really rapido.

“It’s a very exciting atmosphere. My husband David and I stayed in a superb house on the side of a canal. Our Dutch hosts were lovely and introduced us to the local area and local speciality food and drink.

“The coffee was excellent, the people were friendly and the sun shone.

“It was more follows fabulous meeting artists from all over Europe. There was a brilliant atmosphere at the exhibition. The weather was perfect for painting, not too hot and without any wind.”

Helen was delighted to sell her painting to a local couple on the day of the exhibition.