Moody sky over harbour.

Winter Landscape in Oils

Drawing / Mixed Media / Oil / Landscape - Materials included

We haven’t scheduled this course yet. Please email us to register your interest for future availability.

Register Interest

Course details

Join us in the quiet, calm winter streets of St Ives and paint like an impressionist. Learn to build lusciously layered oil paintings in a single sitting.

Boats in the sea.
Andrew Barrowman
Grey and moody St Ives harbour

Make the most of the mild, sunny climate of St Ives this winter on this course led by artist Andrew Barrowman. Due to its southerly latitude and influence of the Gulf Stream, St Ives has a mild and sunny climate all year round. Enjoy exploring the quiet, calm cobbles and coastal paths of the town in wintertime, making the most of this peaceful time of year.

Working both outside and in our historic Porthmeor Studios, you’ll spend time building sketches, enhancing your focus on your subject and discovering the hidden glimpses that reveal themselves the longer you look. Experiment with alternative materials – watercolour, pastel and coloured pencil – to capture strong lines, subtle flickers of light and vibrant tone. You’ll find that unlike a photograph, these sketches become a piece of the place and process, helping you savour that inspiration from home or the studio.

Learn how the shades and tones of winter can be captured in oil and see how the cooler palettes of this season can create a particular atmosphere. You’ll gain insight into oil painting techniques that enable you to work faster, more instinctively and bring hidden depth to your paintings. One of these is working alla prima, or wet-on-wet. It can be a tricky technique to master, Andrew shows you how to approach it with confidence and control, teaching you strategies for how to create impasto layers without your colours becoming muddy.

Spend a revelatory few days working with landscape to bring vibrancy and focus into your practice, creating paintings that don’t just decorate, but captivate.

Day to day plan

Day 1

In the morning, you will spend some time outside. Back in the studios in the afternoon, we’ll develop some monochromatic oil studies using work from the sketches and create another alla prima painting honing in on subject and tone..

Day 2

In the morning, we’ll walk from the studios to the harbour, sketching with oil pastels, watercolour and coloured pencils in our sketchbooks.

In the afternoon, we will begin with some colour mixing exercises using a three colour palette. Utilising the location sketches, we will begin an alla prima painting in oils. This will be on a white panel in a very limited palette, to explore the impact of a few colours on the atmosphere of a painting.

Day 3

Working in the studio we will look at the paintings from the previous days and choose 1 or 2 to develop further. We will look at how ‘cooler’ colours for winter landscape painting and a limited palette work to unify a painting. There will be some colour mixing to explore complimentary colours and their use in a painting – helping bring it to life.

What you will learn

  • Techniques for working en plein air
  • How to work quickly in oils using the alla prima technique.
  • How and why to use ground colours in your painting.
  • How to make sketches using different materials to use as resources in the studio in place of photographs.
  • How to establish and capture a subject using observational skills.

Who would this course suit?

Whatever your skill or experience in oils, this course offers an instinctive and atmospheric way to engage with landscape. In particular the challenges of boats and water. We will be working outside so be prepared for changes in weather and wrap up warm!

Winter Landscape in Oils

Drawing / Mixed Media / Oil / Landscape – Materials included

We haven’t scheduled this course yet. Please email us to register your interest for future availability.

Register Interest

Taught by

Andrew
Barrowman

View Andrew’s Work

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. He usually carries a small sketch book with him, making quick sketches and colour notes. These will sometimes be developed into paintings.

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.

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.

What our students say

The course was managed very well for mixed abilities. The tutor was extremely patient and created a relaxed and informal environment, putting everyone at their ease. The whole group were lovely and it was both a creative and positive experience in which I re-kindled my love of painting after a few years’ gap. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Kirsty G

Andrew was able to cater for everyone and was most encouraging. He was able to see peoples strengths and also where they needed support, a sensitive tutor.

Gillian B

Andrew focused on the key factors that assist students to learn plein air brushstrokes, values, colour, and composition and how to enjoy the process of exploring nature and bringing that back to the studio. Brilliant teacher and curriculum.

Neva

The course was well planned and exceptionally well delivered by the tutor. There was a clear sequential plan, and this was communicated to people throughout the course. Care and attention was given to varying abilities and expectations. The tutor explained media and techniques clearly and demonstrated them in a very accessible way. Learning and progress was continually reviewed and discussed. Everyone was made to feel welcome, and their contributions were valued. The studio was well equipped, and the studio technicians were very capable, engaging and supportive. Overall, the course was informative, appropriately challenging and hugely enjoyable.

Keith L

There was a very good mixture of theory and practice. A creative and warm working athmosphere and professional coaching.

Arndt

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.

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 want to reserve a place whilst you confirm holiday accommodation we will give you a full refund if you change your mind within 24 hours of booking. Just get in touch [email protected].

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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