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.
Jill was incredible. So generous with all her knowledge. Creative and adaptable delivering a fun and informative three days in a great environment.
Hearts and Minds: Colour Theory in Practice
12/10/2020
Jill was incredible. So generous with all her knowledge. Creative and adaptable delivering a fun and informative three days in a great environment.
Hearts and Minds: Colour Theory in Practice
12/10/2020
It was brilliant! We worked on series and were encouraged to discover what is emerging from the work, what is persistent. Peter was a wonderful tutor, bringing each persons individual artistic qualities out. Thank you!
Drawing Out Your Voice (4 )
10/10/2018
I really felt inspired by the colour theory session with Jill. She really brought the subject alive and was very generous with both her knowledge of art history and her demonstrations of different techniques!
Hearts and Minds: Colour Theory in Practice
Feb 2021
Jill, our tutor, is an exceptional artist who imparted a phenomenal amount of knowledge on colour. She encouraged each student to reach beyond the potential they thought they had and succeeded. A thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Hearts and Minds: Colour Theory in Practice
12/10/2020
This course was wonderful. It was well planned and structured, with a step by step approach, clear progression each day, enabling us all to achieve our very best. Alice is a great teacher, she is positive and finds constructive comments for each individual in the group, all at our different levels, and her enthusiasm and commitment are real motivating forces in the group. She worked as hard was we did, and while that might have felt intense, there were moments of laughter and shared enjoyment of our learning – and I learned so much.
Inside Outside
04/06/2018
A real revelation! Peters comments and advice to all the students was so knowledgeable and considered. I feel really inspired by the two days.
Drawing Out Your Voice (4 )
10/10/2018
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
I love the supportive and creative atmosphere at the school. It was well equipped and a joy to work in. Both Ilker and Liz were excellent tutors in their own individual ways and complimented each other very well.
04/02/2019
Greg focused on making sure, as beginners, we had the understanding and confidence with oils.
Getting Started with Oil Painting
2019
I found this talk fascinating, reassuring and extremely helpful. I loved the concepts of composting, life shaping and creating worlds.Â
What Shapes an Artist’s Thinking?
12/03/21
I loved every moment of this course, it was an inspiration. Ilker led the 2 days with most generous open methods that drew us all in and made it possible for me to fly! Thank you Ilker – MORE, MORE!
Unlocking Your Creativity
04/11/2018
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
We had an excellent tutor in Camilla, very supportive yet challenging, on an individual level – she was very tuned in to what we each needed from her. She worked through ways of seeing and abstracting the landscape so we could unhook ourselves from merely representing the scene, in a very well paced and clear manner, and with lots of enthusiasm and encouragement. In relation to the school in general, we all received a very warm welcome from the school’s various staff, including lots of small touches like tea, coffee and cakes, which I wasn’t expecting! It was great that materials where provided and the location was of course outstanding!
Abstract Relief
10/10/2019
It was a rare opportunity to focus entirely on drawing, without the distractions of working from home. I enjoyed going over the fundamentals of drawing because there was no thorough teaching of this on my degree course. I will certainly be more aware of these aspects of drawing as I develop my work at home. The course gave me a boost of confidence and i feel inspired to draw more regularly than I had been doing for a couple of years.
Developing Drawing Skills
27/05/2017
I found the tutorial very helpful and mentally uplifting, thank you to all involved in these online classes.
Saturday Life Live – Inspired by Toulouse Lautrec
The course adverts really don’t get across the inspirational elements of the experience. It reawakens the artist in everyone.
02/09/2019
Ilker being a great listener made everyone feel important, talented and able. His excitement was truly infectious. Making me feel all is possible. Gently pushing and challenging in a way that made me feel – yes! He never felt flippant – his comments never generic – always 100% giving of his own creativity. What a great mentor.
Finding your Viewpoint
29/04/2019
Peter gave 110%, each of us had affirming feedback and guidance, delivered with humour!
Drawing Out Your Voice (4 )
22/07/2019
Amazing! Thank you, you have open up my love of art and given me the confidence to start! Liz and Marion were inspirational and motivational. P.s. All staff very friendly and helpful.
Approaching Painting
06/08/2018
Very enjoyable course. Just the right balance of walking and drawing/painting. Greg was an excellent tutor and I learned loads.
Painting The Coast Path
11/06/2018
Inspiring course, well guided and paced. Excellent tutor who helps you get the best out of your painting experience.
Paths to Abstraction
02/11/20
As a cook, to see the magic of the process of paint choices, applications, washes and light in a “recipe”, develop inspired by great painters from this very place and Hilary’s patience teaching us all about technique, colour, materials in 3 days was fantastic!
Getting Started with Watercolour
14/05/2018
Brilliant tuition and demonstration from Gary, well done for using this new way of communicating artistic learning and enjoyment.
From Sketch to Painting – Portraiture