St Ives rugged landscape view from art studio

The Shape of Landscape

Acrylic / Mixed Media / Landscape - Materials included

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

Register Interest

Course details

How do you create landscape paintings that are strikingly different? Investigate the Cornish coast through the lens of great British Modernists Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore and Naum Gabo and find out.

students drawing St Ives landscape using boards en plein air

Sketching outside, artist tutor Ilker Cinarel offers his professional insight into the procedures and perspectives that produced iconic modernist shapes, such as Barabara Hepworth’s fondness of the birds-eye-view from the top of the hill in St Ives. Through a series of exercise that cross the boundaries between 2D and 3D, become fluent in both the fluid and solid elements of landscape, altering your perspective on the architecture of place. This understanding brings movement and dynamism to your sketches, incorporating lines, curves and planes that are suggestive rather than static. 

Ilker also provokes emotional responses to the landscape, giving you evocative and poetic phrases to think about as you work. This brings abstraction to your drawing and painting, investing the shapes with emotive presence. Back in the studio, use inks and acrylics to develop your paintings and integrate more formal considerations such as composition, balance and scale. These frames, structures and stimuli give you something to react to throughout the course as you develop your sense of what feels authentic to you. Build sculptural paintings that evoke the rugged coastal forms of the Cornish landscape and the British Modernist tradition that has grown up around it.

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

Introduction to the British Modernists and how they have interacted with the St Ives coastline. Then head out into the landscape and explore the shapes and lines of the coast, with technical advice on how to get the most out of your drawing. Ilker will lead you through a series of exercises and offer prompts to shift your viewpoint. This includes building a simple sculptural form to use as inspiration for a painting.

Day 2 & 3

The next day in the studio develop work using inks and acrylics. Continue to process your work from the previous day, incorporating formal considerations such as balance, composition and scale. Develop the identity of your painting, drawing on artistic, technical and emotive inspirations.

What will I learn?

•    A deeper understanding of British Modernism and how it relates to the Cornish landscape.
•    Insight into exercises and prompts you can use when collecting visual information to produce abstract and expressive elements.
•    Technical advice on processes to evolve sketches into more consolidated paintings that consider balance, scale and composition. 
•    The opportunity to ‘try on’ different emotional and artistic influences in your painting to see what feels authentic to you.
•    Insight into the structures and decisions that make a painting and how these can be drawn on but also rejected and subverted to create a reactive and dynamic piece of art.

Who would this course suit?

Whether you’re a total newcomer or paint regularly, this course is perfect for integrating abstract, suggestive elements into your painting. If you’d like to explore the triumph of British Modernism’s ability to communicate the rhythms and flows of natural forms through precise lines and geometric curves in greater detail, this is an ideal opportunity. 

The Shape of Landscape

Acrylic / Mixed Media / Landscape – Materials included

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

Register Interest

Taught by

Ilker
Cinarel

View Ilker’s Work

I love sharing my knowledge and life experiences with others. My unique approach is to try to create individual, authentic voices in the curriculum within a conceptual and non conceptual framework. It’s great to be part of an historical, internationally renowned school.

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.

FAQs

Art Courses

Do I need any previous art experience?

Not always. We offer courses for all levels, including complete beginners, intermediate students and more experienced artists. You can look for the experience level listed on the individual course page to find the most suitable option for you. If you need any guidance on what course might suit you best, contact on our friendly team on 01736 797180 and they will be able to help.

In Person Courses

How large are your art classes?

Our studio courses are taught in small groups of around 10 to 12 people, allowing tutors to provide individual guidance alongside group demonstrations and discussions.

What is included in an art course?

Course fees include professional tuition from a practising artist and use of the School’s studio facilities. Materials and equipment are all included in our in person courses, workshops and life drawing sessions – so you can just turn up and get started. Teas and coffees are also provided throughout the day.

Can I attend an art course on my own?

Absolutely. Many students come to St Ives School of Painting independently. Courses offer a welcoming and sociable environment, with plenty of opportunities to meet other people who share an interest in making and learning.

How do I choose the right art course?

Start by considering how you would like to work. You may want to learn a particular medium, improve a skill such as drawing or colour mixing, explore a subject such as landscape or still life, or develop a more personal approach. Each course page explains the content, materials, level and teaching approach to help you decide. Our friendly, helpful team are always available to help further.

Please call us on 01736 797180 to discuss your options or email [email protected].

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?

You don’t need to bring anything with you unless we specify beforehand. All materials, aprons and tools are provided, however some people do like to bring along their favourite set of brushes or sketchbooks.

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


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]

Choosing an Art Course

Do you run life drawing classes in St Ives?

Yes. We hold regular life drawing sessions in St Ives, including Thursday evening and Saturday morning classes. These welcoming, tutored sessions are open to a range of experience levels and provide an opportunity to practise drawing from a life model. Our life drawing sessions are held just a 5 minute walk from our studios at The Island Centre.

Do you offer art courses for adults?

Yes. We run art classes and courses for adults throughout the year, from accessible introductory workshops to more intensive courses for people looking to deepen their creative practice.

What types of painting can I learn?

Our courses cover a wide range of approaches, including oil painting, acrylic painting, watercolour, gouache, landscape painting, still life, portraiture and abstraction. We also offer courses exploring colour, composition, mark-making and creative confidence.

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