Our team of tutors are practicing artists. They are inspirational tutors because they are inspirational artists. So what they share with you is rooted in their own vibrant creative work. The teaching style and subject emerges from their personal passions and interests.
All our artist tutors have an enthusiasm to share their knowledge and experience with you. Some have taught regularly here for many years, others are exciting new members of our teaching community. All share the ethos of the School “to develop individual skills and practice” in anyone with an interest in creativity whatever their background or experience.
We provide a nurturing environment that will also challenge you to get the most out of your time with us. Tutors structure your day with demonstrations, observation and experimentation, both with the group and one to one. Tuition tailored to the class and adapted for each individual means everyone gets a chance to develop their own personal approach.
Teaching art allows for people to express, create and question what they believe in. Being a teacher gives me the opportunity to facilitate and promote people’s creative skills, develop their understanding of subject, and find their artistic voice. I feel alive and passionate working with people that share that passion. I’m fascinated by woodblock printing,…
My own practice involves a range of materials and collaborations and I have always been inspired by sharing my enthusiasm for creating with others. Whatever age group I work with, there is a connection and a tangible excitement in creative activity. It is a powerful tool with which to explore the world and ourselves. I see myself as a fellow traveller; sometimes leading and other times following
I love the process of painting and am excited to gather groups to experience the amazing nature we have on the door step and discover unique ways to experience and convey the experience and emotions of our wild world in dynamic and fresh work. Alex Yarlett is an abstract expressive artist based in Falmouth, Cornwall….
I teach to empower people and strengthen their own relationship with creativity. I don’t believe in mistakes when it comes to making art. I encourage finding a belief in each line made, or brush stroke painted, and exploring further into how different stages of creativity trigger different emotions. Alice Ellis-Bray is an artist from Lamorna,…
Teaching is an opportunity to pass on the wonderful sense of being part of a bigger ‘family’ of painters.
My approach to teaching is to share all, to demonstrate my unique way of painting in layers and share my love for paint and it’s never ending possibilities. It’s all about the process, experimenting and those happy accidental discoveries. St Ives School of Painting is very special, with stunning inspiration on the doorstep and an aura of creativity in the studios that is contagious.
Landscape painting in Cornwall, Andrew Barrowman paints en plein air and in the studio using oils as his chosen medium. He tries to convey the feeling and atmosphere of a landscape onto canvas for the viewer to have an idea of what it was like to be there. His paintings often start with ideas found whilst walking his dog.
Annabel’s approach to teaching allows students to really explore and experiment with new mediums, allowing confidence and creativity to flow. Annabel enjoys sharing her fascination of plants and knowledge of mixing processes, which enables others to enjoy and learn new exciting skills. Annabel runs cyanotype and printmaking workshops for adults and young people from her…
I have been teaching drawing and painting for over 13 years, from secondary school level to undergraduate and postgraduate level. I have observed how students struggle with certain aspects of drawing and painting and have developed my teaching practice to deal with these ‘obstacles’ to learning. My artistic practice and my teaching practice are bound together in a symbiotic relationship.
My approach to painting is less about rules and techniques and more about rediscovering a sense of play; loosening up and learning to respond freely and fearlessly. Experimental, fun, intuitive, gestural, process-focused. Attending Byam Shaw School of Art and City & Guilds in the 1980s, Boo moved to Dorset in 2002 where she discovered her…
My tutoring is a constantly evolving project. It supports my creative work as it requires that I not only understand my processes but can apply them in a way that is useful to other people in their quest for creative flow. Harnessing a fluid and responsive working method, can address all sorts of practical or emotional obstacles that students face. It can be quite literally life-changing.
As a large-scale intuitive painter, I am often greeted with comments of admiration for the confidence to approach a large canvas, and being free enough to create at that scale. There is huge joy in creating immersive work and I hope I can pass on some of my experiences and knowledge I have gained to…
My teaching involves drawing, composition, understanding the importance of tonal values and the techniques required to paint successfully with watercolour. As its name implies, watercolour is a very fluid medium. It is transparent and relies on the whiteness of the paper to shine through a series of washes built up from light to dark. My…
My teaching of drawing and painting is all about understanding what we see , and how we engage with it. Working with line, colour, form, shape, composition, I’m interested in how we communicate through painting and mark-making, and the multiple ways in which people have responded to and painted the people, places and things around…
My approach to teaching is one of mutual discovery. Firmly grounded in the atelier tradition, I always work alongside the student in order to guide and move through obstacles together. The basis of the method I use is very step by step, offering guidance to those with less experience, but allows for the personal expression…
Teaching at the historic St Ives School of Painting offers me theopportunity to share my enthusiasm for painting and to pass onsome of the knowledge I have gained through many years ofpractice as a painter. I share my own approach to painting and Iaim to support each student in developing their own work, withan emphasis…
Faye’s paintings capture those fleeting and dramatic moments of light, playful movement and thrilling feelings. She makes marks using objects she finds on the beach; from fisherman’s knots and driftwood to feathers and bottle tops. Faye Bridgwater is a multi-award-winning, international artist who creates colourful, expressive and joyous paintings. They capture the exhilarating and spontaneous…
After many years as an illustrator I taught on the BA Illustration course at Falmouth University. In 2011 I began teaching at St Ives School of Painting. I deliver courses involved with the figure, still life and landscape. My practice as a painter feeds into the teaching, often through demonstrations. The school is wonderful – the history the ethos and most of all the people.
I try to connect people to their environment with my art. I started out as a landscape painter, but it was only through undertaking a masters degree in 2009 that I realised the best way to connect people to their environment was to take them into that environment and get them to make the art! This is now the core of my practice and through my work I specialise in outdoor education and woodland management.
In 1995 I became a tutor at St Ives School of Painting. Offering inspiration through my passion for drawing, water-based media and art history I strive to liberate a creative vision through direct observation and en plein air. My fascination in old buildings with a story to tell connects me to the studio’s historic narrative. Working in the space can feel like being inside one of my own drawings.
In my approach to teaching oil painting, I hope to help people notice the often-overlooked details in their surroundings, encouraging a deeper appreciation of the world around them. I want to guide students in creating illustrative figures/boats/flowers etc and playing with their images, urging them to not be afraid of making their artwork uniquely their…
I love sharing my knowledge and life experiences with others. My unique approach is to try to create individual, authentic voices in the curriculum within a conceptual and non conceptual framework. It’s great to be part of an historical, internationally renowned school.
My approach to teaching is to give students the confidence to be free and intuitive in their practice, to lose themselves in their creativity, and to find their inner voice. Focusing on their own journey, banishing doubt and building positivity will be key to their enjoyment and fulfilment on the course. Iona was born in…
I have taught in the UK and the USA, and have painted and drawn for my entire adult life. It is both humbling and inspiring to be part of St Ives School of Painting’s community, with its exceptional artistic heritage and extraordinary location. Teaching has been an invaluable opportunity to share knowledge and techniques and to create with others. It is a privilege to create an environment where students are stimulated and encouraged in their own artistic journeys.
John Dyer’s teaching philosophy focuses on helping each student discover their unique artistic voice. He inspires students to embrace a powerful blend of observation, imagination, and emotion as a pathway to unlocking creativity. Through guided sessions, hands-on practice, and outdoor exploration, John assists students in finding the intersection between what they see and what they…
Julian Vilarrubi studied painting at the Royal Academy Schools in London where he won theRichard Ford Award for travel in Spain. He has made landscape paintings based on travelsthroughout Europe and Russia. He is especially drawn to the Italian and Spanish landscape. He works en plein air as well as in the studio and drawing…
Kate Southworth makes paintings, spells and rituals. Her work engages with magic, alchemy, mysticism and spirituality and indexes the soul painting its own transformation. In addition to solo and two-person shows, her work has appeared in more than 35 group exhibitions including The Order of the Sun and Moon at the College of Psychic Studies,…
‘Giving permission’ and ‘making transparent’ is what I try to do every time I teach. This inevitably leads to the reward of witnessing a small epiphany or pivotal direction change in a student’s approach. I enjoy teaching at the school as it has no set ‘school’ approach, each course is put together and taught from the tutors own practice. This has the benefit of enabling me to be both tutor and student within this process.
My enthusiasm for teaching is about fostering a creative community and trying to be helpful and useful to fellow creative people. At the foundation of this is a friendly nurturing environment, where exploring ideas through the experimentation of materials and techniques can help creativity thrive, and encourage a personal way of painting and seeing. Kieran’s…
It’s always great to hear that after trying some of these quick mark-making and drawing exercises, people are keen to repeat them at home regularly as a way to relax or reset. My approach encourages play, experimentation and trust in our gut intuition. Based in Cornwall, Kitty lives and works at Islington Boatyard, Penryn. Her work is rooted in what’s above…
Laura is a local abstract landscape painter who is inspired by the vast, weather filled landscapes of Cornwall. After her degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing and teaching Art and Design for 10 years, she did the Porthmeor Programme and is now a practising artist in fine art.
My teaching focuses on sharing my ideas, enthusiasm and techniques, in a playful and experimental way. My aim is that participants will come together to learn and explore and to start to develop their own visual language, which they can use as a springboard for their own studio work. Laura’s abstract paintings embrace an organic…
My research for the online courses helps me to contextualise the rich history of the artists and landscape in and around St Ives. It is important for students to discover what sort of artist they are; I focus on what the student has to say, helping them to develop their own language, and to “find their own voice.”
Linking my method to the landscape, I take students on Porthmeor Beach to make experimental drawings in the sand, bringing them back to some of man’s first marks and symbols. My teaching is grounded in an understanding for people and their desire to learn. I feel I have a genuine understanding of how nervous and apprehensive prospective students can sometimes be and am able to help them relax and enjoy being creative.
I have enjoyed tutoring at the School of Painting, to all ages and abilities, for about 27 years. Teaching has always gone hand in hand with creating my own work, as I find sharing ideas and techniques stimulating and rewarding. My approach has been to give students the confidence to develop their skills, to think for themselves and so extend their visual language and find their own path.
Martha Holmes paints from her studio at Morgans in Falmouth alongside working outside on the coast, especially the Penwith coastline. Her approach to teaching is to simply share her love and growing energy for her painting practice. Martha Holmes captures the essence of the Cornish coastline, in particular the Penwith landscape, through abstract studies of…
I approach teaching in a relaxed style. I love to share my enthusiasm, joy and knowledge of the physical process of drawing and painting; embracing happy accidents and experimenting with different materials. The Cornish landscape has always been a constant inspiration for Maxine’s work. From the calm to the wild weather – the trees, lanes…
Letting go of attachment to outcomes is an important element of my practice and teaching. I begin by gathering visual and sensory information, recording what I can on paper, then editing and simplifying back in the studio and using this to inform new pieces. By keeping myself curious I can step away from the idea…
With her early life spent on the coast of Devon, Nina Squire, has always been drawn to the sea and the rugged coastline that surrounds her. She seeks to capture the changing moods of the sea, from the calm, serene blues of a summer’s day to the stormy, tumultuous greys of a winter’s evening. Initially, it was…
Due to the nature of printmaking, the courses I run are for relatively small groups. This allows for a high level of support so I can tailor the processes to suit individual artists’ ideas. I am very hands on, teaching through demonstrations, but within this structure, encourage students’ freedom in the way they apply these techniques to their own practice. I’m dynamic in my teaching methods and always have lots of fun. I find it incredibly exciting and enjoy the adventure of such a productive and creative environment.
I see teaching as dialogue that supports the formation and development of the creative process. I find the discussion that surrounds and informs a body work is important in articulating and confirming student ambitions. It can include use of source material and other references, looking at other artist’s work, exhibition contexts, use of materials and…
As a tutor in the art of drawing I guide a student to find their unique physical and psychological line as well as learning to look and see clearly and meaningfully the visual elements around them. With these skills, the act of observation, memory and attitude are transformed via the eye, mind and hand into original, graphic images.
My work is about more than the landscape, it’s about the sense of being in it. The atmosphere, the light and the colour. For me it is about drawing and painting these bits of our landscape that are normally edited out of our perception and experience. Steven Buckler is a Falmouth based freelance artist, illustrator…
The process of learning a practical discipline such as painting, can seem both daunting and frustrating. In the landscape and the studio I assess each individual student’s ability and use this as a starting point, trying to keep the teaching just beyond the curve of what they can and want to do. As much as…
A past Vice President of the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers, and with his work in numerous collections including the V&A, the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge, and The Ashmolean Museum Oxford, Trevor has a knowledge of printmaking that spans more than 30 years. “Printmaking has gripped me my whole adult life, but undoubtedly I have…
I am a Cornish painter, based in Falmouth. My practice derives from a lifetime of looking and belonging. My Cornish heritage and love of the land and sea has informed a practice of landscape and coastal paintings, generating work mainly on site. My work is about time spent, from childhood, on the shallow shores of…
