Course details
Join artist Martha Holmes for this two part course on oils following her sell out show at The New Craftsman Gallery, St Ives, Between Land and Sea.
Inspired by the Cornish masters and contemporary painters with a strong resonance with St Ives – Patrick Heron, Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, William Scott and Lucie Bray; Martha will take you through how this has led her own development as a painter sharing with you some key techniques you can use for yourself. Start with exploring how to understand the landscape through colour. The emphasis will be on the importance of ‘looking’ within the landscape, and how that allows us to form a deep connection with our subject matter as painters.
Working from a video recording of the local coastline, learn to break down the landscape to form a colour palette of that location, leading to a number of small oil colour studies on paper by the end of the first session. In the next session scale up and widen your palette. Learn how to harness large flat areas of colour to create a sense of abstraction and how to translate your own experience into colour and expressive mark making.
Session 1
Martha will show you how to create her colour palette and work on a series of small studies.
Session 2
Explore shape and form, moving from focused colour studies to working on a larger scale.
Who is this course for?
Anyone with an interest in art and design and the work of St Ives artists. Ideal for beginners and intermediate painters looking for ways to freshen up their painting and move more into abstraction. A great way to build your confidence in creating an evocative but simplified colour palette.
What will I learn?
A deeper understanding about the visual structure of landscape and how this can be translated on to surface through paint.
How to upscale from smaller studies.
How to create shape and form through colour.
What you need
We will be working with oils on oil paper so you will need a selection of oil paints and brushes as well as sheets of oil paper or cardboard or mdf board primed with thinned wood primer.
Once you have booked you will be able to watch on demand immediately.
You can pause, rewind and watch again as often as you like until the session expires 90 days after purchase
You can watch this on a PC, laptop or tablet and if you have chromecast or miracast you could even cast to your SmartTV from your phone.
You will also be invited to join our Facebook Alumni group so you can share your discoveries with our community of fellow students from around the world.
Taught by
What our students say
Martha covered so much, but in a straightforward and accessible way, with loads of helpful detail about techniques and materials. This was my first experience of St Ives School of Painting, but I definitely will be back for more.
Martha Holmes is wonderful about demystifying painting and giving confidence to the student.
I had no idea what to expect but was so impressed by the format, filming and Martha’s explanations.
FAQs
Art Courses
Do you have to be experienced to come to the School?
No prior experience is required to join most of our art courses. The School of Painting is a friendly and welcoming environment for all ages and abilities, including complete beginners.
Our drop-in life drawing classes and short workshops are perfect if you’re trying painting for the first time. Many of our longer courses are also suitable for beginners, as our tutors are experienced in supporting mixed ability groups. If a course requires previous experience, this will be clearly stated on the course page.
Online Art Courses
Do I need a webcam/any equipment?
For our webinar sessions which are broadcast on the internet and no webcam or microphone is needed as you just need to be able to see/hear hosts and you can communicate using the chat function. You can watch using a PC, Smart TV or tablet. A phone isn’t ideal as you will struggle to see enough unless you can miracast to a screen or smart TV.
For the longer online courses on Zoom you will need a laptop or tablet with audio and camera enabled so you can have a screen near where you are working. If you have a PC without camera or speakers, you can purchase a plug and play webcam for approx £25 which connects to a usb port. You will also need reasonable broadband connection and speed.
All the art materials and equipment needed to participate in the course will be listed in full on the online learning platform, for live webinars this will be a minimum of two weeks before the session starts.
I have registered for the webinar but I can't find my joining link
You can access all the resources and joining link for your webinar via our online learning platform. You will need to have set up an account on our online learning platform in advance. You can do this during the checkout process when purchasing your webinar. If you are having trouble accessing your online account, please contact [email protected]. You can use a PC or tablet or even cast from your phone to watch on your Smart TV.
I paid for the session but missed it, how can I watch?
Currently all our online sessions are recorded and you can access the recording on our online learning platform until it expires. Usually 60 days for a webinar, 90 – 180 days for multipart webinars or online courses.
Studio Courses
Can I bring my dog?
The studios are busy places with lots of equipment and not suitable for bringing a pet dog. We can accommodate assistance dogs with prior notice so we can make suitable adjustments. If you wish to bring an assistance dog please call 01736 797180 or email [email protected]
Can you help me choose the right course?
Yes, our friendly and knowledgeable team are always happy to help you choose the best course for your needs, whether you’re a beginner or looking to develop specific skills.
Please call us on 01736 797180 to discuss your options.
How do I get my work home?
Tutors have special techniques for transporting oil paintings and for our 3 day courses we will give you a plastic folder with a handle. These are also available to purchase for £3.50 or do bring a portfolio.
Please note: For the course Bigger, Bolder, Braver with Boo Mallinson, we will provide a large A1 size plastic folder for your work but please consider how you will be able to transport the larger canvases home safely before signing up for the course as we will not be able to store large paintings in the studio. On this course you will be painting on a 50cms x 50cms and a 1m x 1m canvas alongside smaller pieces.
For international students we are happy to arrange transportation of your work back home, postal costs will be borne by you.
What do I need to bring?
Absolutely nothing! All materials and aprons are provided although some people do like to bring their own set of brushes.
What do I do for lunch?
Courses allow an hour’s break for lunch and there are numerous places nearby or you are welcome to bring a packed lunch into the studio.
What times do courses run?
Most of our courses start at 10am and end at 4.30pm on the first day. Subsequent days we start at 9.30am ending at 4pm.
Short workshops start at 10am in the Summer and 9.30am/ 1.30pm during September festival
Booking a Course
How do I reserve a place on a course?
You can book your place online or by calling us on 01736 797180.
If you need time to arrange accommodation, we can hold a provisional booking for 24 hours. To secure your place, a £100 deposit is required, with the remaining balance due 12 weeks before the course start date.
About St Ives
Where can I park near the School?
The nearest long-stay car parks are:
Island Car Park
Barnoon Long Stay Car Park
Both are approximately a 5-minute walk from the School.
During the busy summer months, you may find it easier to park at Trenwith Car Park near the leisure centre and walk into town. A shuttle bus often runs back up the hill from near Tate St Ives.
How do I get to the School of Painting in St Ives?
By train:
The nearest mainline station is St Erth, which is approximately a 15-minute taxi journey away. From there, you can also take the St Ives Bay Line, which runs every 30 minutes. The School is a 10-minute walk from St Ives station.
By car:
Take the M5 to Exeter, then follow the A30 into Cornwall. After passing Hayle, exit at the St Erth roundabout towards St Ives. Continue through Lelant and Carbis Bay into St Ives..
Where can I stay in St Ives?
St Ives offers a wide range of accommodation, including hotels, guest houses, and self-catering options. You can explore options on our website, or contact us directly on 01736 797180 if you’d like personalised recommendations.
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