Love Summer!... a competition for summer painting

Summer Watercolour Competition 2026 Sponsored by Winsor & Newton


Paint all summer, choose your best work and enter the Summer competition. The winning work will be on the cover of the March newsletter and all of the paintings will be exhibited on our website, FaceBook and Instagram pages. A panel of judges will award three prizes of Winsor & Newton art supplies.

  • 1st Place - PRIZE valued at $300
  • 2nd Place - PRIZE valued at $150
  • 3rd Place - PRIZE valued at $75

To enter:

1. Choose your best summer painting.
2. Photograph it in daylight to make a clear digital image of the painting only, with no mat or frame. Use natural light and no distortion when you take the photo.
3. Please name your image in this format with your name, then the title: Bob Smith – Summer days.jpg
4. Email info@watercolournewzealand.nz by 31 January 2026 Subject line: Summer competition.

The winners will select their prize from a list of Winsor & Newton watercolour products. The competition is managed by Watercolour New Zealand. We wish to thank Winsor & Newton NZ for their sponsorship.

Competition Rules:

  • Entry is open to current members of Watercolour New Zealand Inc. residing in New Zealand
  • One entry per member
  • The entry must be the original work of the member; must not be copied from another person’s painting or photograph
  • Entries must be completed within 3 months prior to closing day, 31 January 2026
  • Entries exhibited in any other public or online exhibition are eligible
  • Digital images must be of publishable quality; approx. size 1 - 4 MB
  • Entries will be used for promotion of Watercolour New Zealand and Winsor & Newton New Zealand
  • Entries close midnight 31 January 2026
  • The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

The competition is managed by Watercolour New Zealand. We wish to thank Winsor & Newton NZ for their sponsorship.


2026 Winner - Leuven Glow by Kit Ong