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 InterestCourse 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.
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.
Taught by
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 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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