Turner Sea + Sky

Water-based / Watercolour / Landscape - Materials included

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

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Course details

Reveal a fresh and immediate approach to watercolour, emulating Turner’s rapidly made and highly expressive studies, known as ‘colour beginnings’. Create vibrant seascapes that evoke the boundlessness of sea and sky.

Explore techniques to capture the elemental power of the sea, inspired by JMW Turner, the pre-eminent painter of water. His rapidly made, highly expressive studies, known as colour “beginnings”, reveal fresh and immediate approaches to using watercolour. Learn to create vibrant watercolours, denote the sky, sea and beach, and animate and transform unadulterated colour into a boundless seascape.

Turner’s subject was light itself, reducing the landscape to its simplest forms to create a fusion of elements. Adopting a bold approach to using watercolour, like Turner, you will work on different scales, using different coloured papers and developing a minimalist style so forms are reduced to the barest description of sea and sky. This way of working will feel like an approach to abstraction, although this concept was not understood or promoted in the nineteenth century, even by Turner who was renowned for his experimental nature. For Turner this was a means of training his eye, developing his imagination and thinking about landscape in pure colour, whilst gathering raw material to inform his studio paintings.

Explore this liberating approach to watercolour, working both inside and outside the studio. Move your approach away from a realistic depiction of a location, and instead explore relationships between the forces of nature and learn to harness the dynamic medium of watercolour painting.

Student work from Turner Sea and Sky
Student work
Sea and Sky Painting in watercolour by the artist J.M WTurner
Sea and Sky J.M.W. Turner
Student work from Turner Sea and Sky
Student work

Turner Sea and Sky

Water-based / Watercolour / Landscape – Materials included

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

Register Interest

Taught by

Hilary
Jean
Gibson

View Hilary Jean Gibson’s Work

In 1995 I became a tutor at the St Ives School of Painting. Offering inspiration through my passion for drawing, water-based media and art history, I strive to liberate a creative vision by teaching skills and techniques through direct observation and en plein air.

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.

Ahead of your watercolour course with us if you would like to brush up your skills, you are entitled to 25% off our online ‘Getting Started with Watercolour Painting’ course here‘.  You will be given a code after purchasing our studio watercolour course. NB – The online course uses a different palette to our studio course.

Our studio ‘Beginner’s Watercolour’ courses can be found here.

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.

Art Courses in St Ives

How do I log in to my online account?

To log in to your account, please follow these steps:

  1. Go to our website: www.schoolofpainting.co.uk
  2. Click on the ‘Log in’ button (usually found near the top right of the page)
  3. Enter the email address and you used when booking
  4. Click “Log in” to access your account

Once logged in, you’ll be able to view your bookings, outstanding payments, online courses and any relevant account information.

If you’ve forgotten your password, simply click ‘Forgot password?’ on the login page and follow the instructions to reset it.

If you have any trouble accessing your account, please email us and we’ll be happy to help.

Do you offer art classes for children and teenagers?

Yes. Our Young Artists Programme includes art workshops for children and teenagers, with sessions designed for different age groups. During the summer, we also run creative workshops for children aged 7-13.

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.

Do you offer beginner painting courses?

Yes. Our programme includes beginner-friendly painting courses covering materials such as oils, acrylics and watercolours. These courses introduce you to essential tools and techniques while giving you plenty of time to practise and explore your own ideas.

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].

Who teaches your art courses?

Our courses are led by practising artists – including Jill Eisele, Alice Mumford, Iona Sanders and Neil Canning – all with extensive knowledge of their chosen subjects and materials. Each tutor brings their own artistic experience, working methods and approach to teaching, giving students the opportunity to experience a wide range of ideas and techniques.

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 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


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