J. M.W Turner 250th Anniversary Plein Air Painting 2025

Queen Street Galley and Studio 40 invites En plein air artists to participate in the J. M. W. Turner Plein Air Painting Event we are holding at Aberdulais Falls this Autumn, to commemorate Turner's 250th Anniversary.

The event encourages artists to capture the beauty of the falls and submit their work for selection to be display at the Falls during the Turner Celebration on October 30th and 31st. The deadline for registration/entry form is September 12th 2025.

Joseph Mallord William Turner visited South Wales in 1795 and captured many sketches of its industry and breath-taking waterfalls which includes Aberdulais Falls, Neath. Overtime the industrial landscape has been reclaimed by nature, and you can see first-hand the inspiration that prompted Turner to capture some of South Wales’s most dramatic scenes.

He depicted the waterfall and the surrounding industrial landscape, including the mill, in several sketches and watercolours. He was drawn to the area's dramatic scenery and the interplay of nature and industry, as evidenced by his depictions of the waterfall and the tinworks.

We have developed and broadened our exhibition to focus on en plein air. For the first time this combines with a new painting competition to attract enthusiasts from further afield to participate in this major show at Aberdulais.

Click here for more information and to register