What our Students Say
Be inspired – hear straight from our students about their creative experiences at
St Ives School of Painting.
After every course we ask students for their feedback and if we are not getting it right we take action. We are consistently rated as good or excellent by 99% of our students each year with nearly 2/3 being recommendations or repeat visitors. Have a browse of some their comments.
Ilker was a wonderful and inspirational tutor this week. Patient offering advice, constructive criticism and constant encouragement. I recommend this course to anyone wanting to explore a new subject.
Unlocking Your Creativity
25/06/2018
I loved my tutors! The range they showed – between accurate drawing and having fun with different materials – was superb!
Developing Drawing Skills
28/10/2019
I learned so much from this course – Gary is everything I want from a tutor. He demonstrates and inspires, then leaves me to develop. Super tips on colour mixing and technique. Loved it!
The Figure and Expression
04/01/2019
Practising and experimenting with watercolour and trying different techniques has given me the confidence to develop my own style and detect the pleasure of painting.
Turner Sea and Sky
23/07/2018
Fascinating and fun – thank you. Best art course I’ve ever been on!
Expressive Watercolour Landscape
26/05/2018
Stimulating, challenging, well organised and varied. I was looking for a new direction for my painting and this has given me a plethora of possibilities. Thank you!
Pushing the Boundaries
02/07/2018
A very stress free weekend.
24/02/2018
For a first experience at St Ives school of art I was so impressed with the quality of tutorship for this course! Ilker gave such a huge amount of energy and passion to challenge each one of us but from a place of playfulness and encouragement. It was just what I needed at this time in my practice and I feel a surge of courage and inspiration to push deeper into the ´content ’ of my art practice and move beyond the safety of the commercial appeal to a place of truth, vulnerability and honesty. Excellent value and investment.
Finding your Viewpoint
29/04/2019
It completely transformed my understanding of painting. From working obsessively on single canvases in a derivative realist manner, I’ve been given the confidence to experiment with techniques completely new to me. It was an incredibly rich and exciting experience.
Poetry of Process
19/02/2018
It was great to have 3 days to develop skills at a good pace, lots of skills and techniques very clearly explained and demonstrated. It was like a foundation in 3 days! Greg was very supportive and gave advice and direction when needed. I enjoyed the ‘field work’ but loved the studio time, a luxury for a painter like me. Thank you i’d love to come again next year.
The Sensory Coast
17/08/2016
Liz is a really gifted teacher. Very gently encouraging and giving just the right amount of support to move forward. Very well organised course.
A big thank you to Hilary and Liz – a fantastic course! I look forward to continuing at home all I have learnt and will certainly be back for future courses.
Developing Drawing Skills
09/07/2018
I came with high expectations and amazingly they were exceeded!
St Ives Harbour and Town
12/04/2019
It was just perfect and the back up from other staff members of the School of Painting was outstanding. For me it was the best painting course I’ve experienced together with venue, studios, equipment and location.
St Ives Harbour and Town
24/06/2019
Kerry’s enthusiasm was amazing – she engaged with everyone giving great instructions and good one to one advice. The location is faultless and workshop space wonderful to work in.
Poetry of Process
25/06/2018
It was really interesting to see how Gary linked his preliminary sketches with painting. I feel I have learned a lot and look forward to ‘attending’ more demonstrations.
From Sketch to Painting – Portraiture
17.10.2020
What worked for me was masses of individual attention and encouragement and positive support, the opportunity to sketch outside. These days have opened doors I have been longing to open. Thank you Greg.
The Sensory Coast
If you want a course with excellent tuition, a well planned fast moving course – choose this one! It’s the best course I’ve been on. I’ve learnt so much in four days. Thank you Kerry and Marion.
Pushing the Boundaries
02/07/2018
I cannot believe how much I have learnt on this course. Watercolours are so versatile and I cant wait to explore this further. Thank you so much Hilary!
Getting Started with Watercolour
18/02/2019
A joy to have a tutor with deep knowledge, professional experience and a sympathetic manner.
30/06/2018
I think the webinar series are brilliant! I have seen them all. A big thank you to you and all the people involved with these innovative ways of generating courses. They’ve been a lifeline during these difficult times.
Saturday Life Live – Inspired by Egon Schiele
Thank you Marion for such a marvellous experience. I arrived nervous but was given a space to express myself. First time painting and discovered its great!
The Art of Keeping it Simple
16/04/2018
So much food for thought and further experiments with oil paint. My mind is full of shapes, lines, colours and textures. Fully immersed in St Ives School of Painting and Ben Nicholson.
The Art of Keeping it Simple
29/10/2018
Gary is a wonderful instructor. Realistic expectations, great demo of creating a palette, consistent individual tutoring and considerate professional knowledge.
16/03/2019