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Capturing St Ives 🌊

Last week, a group of students discovered St Ives` hidden gems, as well as some of the famous locations that artists have lived and worked. Guided by @hilaryjeangibson.illustrator they captured buildings and streets using the simple approach of line and wash.

One location was @rumandcrabshack located on the harbour front!

Hilary`s running this course again in August and there`s still chance to book.

📅 18 - 20 Aug
📍 St Ives, Cornwall
🔗 Link in bio to find out more ...

Painting the Coast Path 🎨

Cornwall is an Area of Outstanding Beauty and so much of the incredible scenery can be taken in from the iconic South West Coast Path, the UK’s longest national trail.

From St Ives, we are able to head out towards the rugged cliffs of Zennor or over towards the vast sand dunes of Hayle.

On our course, Painting the Coast Path with @greghumphriesart head towards Clodgy Point, a brisk 30 minute walk to boost your creativity. Work outside for most of the first day before consolidating sketchbook material into a painting that captures the essence of place.

🗓️ 4-6 August
📍 St Ives, Cornwall
🔗 Link to book is in our bio ...

Kurinuki Pot Making with Nine Maidens Academy and @porthmeor_youngartists 💫

As part of our ongoing inclusion project with Nine Maidens Academy, a group of seven young people had the opportunity to visit an art studio for the very first time last week!

At the beginning of our 5-week project, known as Culture Camp, the young people had never met an artist, never visited St Ives or an art studio, so there was some (expected) excitement and nerves as they were given a tour of the historic @porthmeorstudios with a trip to the iconic Studio 5, where they met artists’ in residence.

The young people were then introduced to artist Emma Saffy Wilson, and learnt to make Kurinuki pots, with incredible outcomes. This was the first time most of them had ever touched clay, which makes their work even more inspirational.

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Nine Maidens is an alternative provision academy in Four Lanes, where young people go when they have been excluded from school. This is due to reasons such as low attendance from ill health, disengagement from learning, behavioural issues, and learning needs that their previous school couldn’t cater for.

Our inclusion projects help young people to see their own potential and we can support them to discover passions and talents they didn’t know they had – but it’s only possible when we reiceve funding and donations from our incredible community and sponsors.

🔗 Find out how you can donate via the link in our bio ...

Brand new bursary for emerging artists 👩‍🎨

In partnership with The Roy Ray Legacy Fund and the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust, we are thrilled to launch a new bursary, which is available to emerging artists aged 19-25 who are living in Cornwall.

Aimed at young creatives taking their first steps into professional art practice, successful applicants will be able to choose an art course of their choice at St Ives School of Painting, and 80% of the fee will be covered by the bursary.

We couldn’t offer this incredible opportunity without the support of our funders and charitable donations from our wonderful students, so thank you.

🔗 If you know an emerging artist or want to find out more about the bursary, follow the link in our bio

@barnsgraham
@porthmeor_youngartists ...

Last chance to book for half-term ⌛

We`re getting ready for the first half-term holiday of 2025, preparing our one day workshops!

There are a limited number of places remaining but you can still book the kids onto our 2 and a half hour workshop on Thursday 20 Feb! Perfect if you`re looking for a peaceful couple of hours...

📅 18 Feb, Discover Mixed Media (2 place)
📅 19 Feb, Oil Painting Essentials (1 place)
📅 20 Feb, Mindful Ways to Paint (Kids Class)
🔗 Follow the link in our bio to book ...

Happy birthday to Borlase Smart, artist and founder of St Ives School of Painting in the 1930`s.

Borlase Smart to this day is regarded as a respected landscape marine painter. After the war he settled in St Ives, living for while in No 1 Porthmeor Studios. He was also on the committee of the @stivessociety of Artists from 1929 until the end of his life, organising regular shows throughout the country to help promote local artists. Smart studied as an artist himself, under Julius Olsson R.A. and in the 1930s he felt there was a need for a formal art school in the area, enlisting his old war colleague Leonard Fuller to the enterprise.

In 1938, Smart persuaded Fuller to open the St Ives School of Painting in No 11 Porthmeor Studios, which was an immediate success and, to this day, welcomes students locally, around the country and abroad.

📸 1) Borlase Smart in his studio @porthmeorstudios, Borlase Smart John Wells Trust
📸 2) Borlase Smart & Leonard Fuller outside the St Ives School of Painting ...

How your donations are helping 💙

Did you know that every penny of income we receive goes directly back into teaching art as well as giving local youngsters the opportunity to explore their creativity?

Thanks to donations from you, and investments from our incredible funders, 2024 saw a record-breaking year for our Young Artists Programme.

In total, more than 320 young people joined us through our inclusion projects, scholarship schemes and workshops.

🔗 You can read all about the incredible partnerships we have with our youth partners and charities including @clearcornwall, Nine Maidens Academy and @salvationarmy_stives via the link in our bio.

📸 Featured:

1) Cat Lee, Youth Programme Manager teaching in Porthmeor Studios
2) Young person on a visit to @tatestives as part of their Arts Awards project
3) Work by a young person during a visit to our studios with CLEAR - Trauma Specialists
4) Part of an exhibition viewed by 300 members of the public, exhibited by a group of young people at the end of their Arts Awards project with the School and CLEAR - Trauma Specialists
5) Young people upcycling and decorating skateboarding decks via the Deck Project with Salvation Army in St Ives ...

Countdown to Spring 🌱

This recent brighter weather might have got us slightly looking forward to Spring… we don’t want to wish away the days but as they start to get longer, we can’t wait to welcome you to the studios over the next few months!

🔗 Visit the link in our bio to browse more upcoming courses ...