If you’re strolling around Copenhagen this month on an unusually warm and sunny day and catch yourself thinking, “Why aren’t the painters and artists out today?” Here’s an answer: they’re online.

Bill Guffey, a self-proclaimed ‘self-taught’ artist from the US, has created a new project that, this month, comes to Zealand. The project, called ‘The Virtual Paintout’, unites international artists in one location every month to be inspired to paint whatever they see. The catch? It’s all online.

Using Google’s Street View, Guffey asks artists to explore the designated location of the month virtually from the comfort of their own homes, putting themselves in the shoes of Google Maps’ little yellow man, until they find inspiration to put colour to canvas.

Since October 2009, Guffey has been taking artists on a tour all around the globe. This month, artists will be virtually travelling to Zealand – the project’s 37th unique location.

From South Africa to Russia to New Zealand and the United States, countless artists from around the world have uploaded over 2,500 images of their paintings, drawings and sketches, all visible online at virtualpaintout.blogspot.dk and the ‘Virtual Paintout’ Facebook page.

Artists and non-artists of all skill levels are encouraged to participate. All information on how to submit photos can be found online here.