A Coast of Colour

Acrylic / Abstract / Landscape - Materials included

Book Selected Date

Course details

Discover the joy of painting the coast with bold colour, expressive marks and an intuitive, impressionistic response to the landscape.

Led by St Ives–based painter Kimmy Hussey, whose vibrant work explores the space between observation and imagination through bold colour and confident form, this workshop encourages a fresh and responsive approach to painting the Cornish coast.

Working outdoors on the beach and in the surrounding landscape, you’ll paint quickly and freely, responding to the shifting light, colour and atmosphere of the sea, sky and shoreline.

Through demonstrations and practical exercises, Kimmy will explore ways of simplifying forms and using bold colour relationships to convey mood, movement and space. Drawing inspiration from the vibrant palettes of the Scottish Colourists alongside artists such as Joan Eardley, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, André Derain, Matisse and contemporary painter Romi Behrens, the focus will be on expressive mark-making and confident, responsive painting. Boats, buildings, rocks, figures and expansive skies will all become part of your visual language as you respond directly to the landscape around you.

Working with acrylics and oil pastel on paper and board, the emphasis will be on freedom, experimentation and painting with energy rather than tight detail. As the workshop unfolds, you’ll develop your studies further and settle into a creative flow. The course offers space to reflect on the themes, styles and personal responses that begin to emerge from your time painting by the sea.

Day to day plan

This is a rough indication of what to expect over the course. However sometimes the structure of the days may alter depending on the nature of the group and weather.

Day 1

After a short introduction and selecting materials, we’ll head down to the beach to paint en plein air on large A1 sheets of paper. Observing the surrounding landscape, you’ll work quickly and intuitively across a number of studies, exploring bold colour and the interplay of warm and cool tones.

Back in the studio, we’ll discuss colour relationships and perspective before preparing painted grounds on boards. Using your A1 studies as inspiration, you’ll begin developing further paintings while Kimmy demonstrates ways of incorporating buildings, boats, rocks, figures and clouds into your compositions.

Day 2

Continue developing the works begun on day one, allowing time to settle into a creative painting flow. Individual guidance will be offered throughout, with one-to-one discussions to help identify strengths and emerging ideas within your paintings.

Towards the end of the workshop, a small selection of each student’s work will be curated into a cohesive group of paintings and shared in a relaxed, supportive critique. The course will finish with a brief overview of recommended materials and ideas for continuing your painting practice.

What will I learn?

  • Develop confidence painting quickly and intuitively from direct observation outdoors.
  • Explore how colour relationships can be used to convey mood, light and atmosphere in the landscape.
  • Learn how to simplify buildings, boats, figures, rocks and clouds into strong expressive forms.
  • Experiment with combining acrylic paint and oil pastel to create energetic marks and rich surfaces.
  • Reflect on the themes, colour choices and visual language that begin to emerge in your work.

Who would this course suit?

While open to all abilities, this course will particularly appeal to those interested in a more contemporary, expressive way of working and who would like to loosen up their painting style, explore bold colour and develop a more intuitive response to the landscape.

A Coast of Colour

Acrylic / Abstract / Landscape – Materials included

Book Selected Date

Taught by

Kimmy
Hussey

View Kimmy’s Work

Having attended the painting school myself, I can honestly say it was the catalyst that lit a fire inside me to become a professional painter and make it into a full-time practice with the sky being the limit! I am now delighted to be able to give something back.

What to Bring

Our studios are fully equipped and we provide you with all the materials you need for your course. However, if you have a favourite set of brushes or any specialist materials that you would prefer to use, please bring them with you.

We will provide all the materials you need. If you have chosen a landscape class please wear appropriate footwear as you may spend time on the beach we look out over, a short walk from the studio.

Our studios are fully equipped and we provide you with all the materials you need for your course. However, if you have a favourite set of brushes or any specialist materials that you would prefer to use, please bring them with you.

Please wear clothes/shoes you don’t mind getting paint on – an apron will not keep you fully clean in this class.

Timings and Breaks

The first day starts at 10am and finishes at 4.30pm, please aim to arrive ten to fifteen minutes before the start time.

All course days after that start at 9.30am and finish at 4pm and there will be an hour for lunch. There are plenty of nearby places to eat and we will serve tea and coffee at break times during the day.

In Summer half day workshops run from 10am – 1pm. Full Day workshops run from 1pm-4pm.

The first day starts at 10am and finishes at 4.30pm, please aim to arrive ten to fifteen minutes before the start time.

All course days after that start at 9.30am and end at 4pm. There are plenty of nearby places to eat and we will serve tea and coffee at break times during the day.

FAQs

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