8 Short Art Workshops to Try in St Ives
St Ives has long been a place where people come to be inspired. With its working harbour, cobbled streets, bright coastal light and thriving art scene – it is a place to slow down, and try something creative.
This summer, our short art workshops offer an accessible way to experience painting and drawing in St Ives, whether you are completely new to art, returning after a break, or looking for a creative few hours during your time in Cornwall.
Held in our historic studios overlooking Porthmeor Beach, these one-day and half-day workshops are designed to be friendly, practical and inspiring, with all materials provided.
From expressive colour and mixed media to oil painting, line and wash, coastal abstraction and St Ives-inspired compositions, here are eight short workshops to try:
Seeing in Colour
15 + 29 July | 3 hours | Kimmy Hussey
A vibrant half-day workshop for anyone wanting to loosen up and explore colour with more confidence. Inspired by still life and modern artists, Seeing in Colour introduces playful approaches to composition, acrylic paint and oil pastel. It is a great choice if you would like to experiment with bold colour, expressive mark-making and a more intuitive way of painting.
St Ives in Line + Wash
16 July Full day | 19 Aug + 2 Sept 3 hours | Hilary Gibson
For those who would like to capture the charm of St Ives in a relaxed way, St Ives in Line + Wash combines simple drawing with tonal washes of colour. Working from the surroundings, you will create postcard-sized paintings while learning how to simplify a scene, build texture and suggest a sense of place. No experience is needed, making this a lovely introduction to line and wash.
Abstract Harbour, St Ives
22 July | 3 hours | Camilla Dixon
St Ives harbour has inspired generations of artists, from its shifting reflections and boat shapes to the strong geometry of the quayside. In this workshop, you will use the harbour as a starting point for a more abstract response, exploring shape, colour, line and composition. It is ideal for anyone interested in moving beyond direct representation and finding a more personal response to the landscape.
Vibrant Florals
23 July | Full Day | Emma McClure
Using real-life floral forms as a starting point, Vibrant Florals is a playful mixed media workshop exploring drawing, composition and mark-making. You will develop studies from observation before transforming them into more expressive compositions using materials such as acrylic paint, coloured pencils, crayons, chalks and collage.
Oil Painting Essentials
30 July | Full day | Steven Buckler
If you have always wanted to try oil painting but felt unsure where to begin, Oil Painting Essentials offers a practical introduction. Led by artist Steven Buckler, the workshop demystifies the medium, covering application techniques before moving into simple observational painting. Depending on the weather, you may also sketch from the coastal scenery around Porthmeor before returning to the studio to develop your ideas in oils.
Abstract Coastline
6 Aug | Full day | Kitty Hillier
Inspired by the Cornish coastline, Abstract Coastline is a full-day mixed media workshop using collage, watercolour, line and colour to develop experimental compositions. Beginning with observation outdoors, you will gather visual ideas before returning to the studio to translate them into layered, abstract work. With an emphasis on process over outcome, this workshop is a thoughtful choice for anyone wanting to experiment.
Painting with Acrylic Inks
13 Aug | One Day | Ella Carty
Acrylic inks are known for their fluidity, intensity and expressive possibilities. In Painting with Acrylic Inks, you will explore how this vibrant medium can be used to create lively, atmospheric work. It is a great workshop for anyone curious about colour, movement and looser ways of painting, or for those looking to try a medium that encourages spontaneity.
Walking in Terry Frost’s Footsteps
27 Aug | One Day | Liz Hough
This St Ives-inspired workshop begins by tracing Terry Frost’s “walk along the quay” series, using quick charcoal studies and loose mark-making to capture the rhythm of the harbour. Back in the studio, those sketches become the foundation for a mixed media painting, using collage, painted papers, acrylic paint and bold forms to explore an abstract response to place.
Find a short art workshop in St Ives
Whether you are visiting Cornwall for the summer, looking for a creative activity in St Ives, or hoping to build confidence with a new medium, our short workshops are a welcoming way to begin. Each session is taught by an experienced artist tutor, with small groups, friendly guidance and all materials provided.
Explore our full programme of short art workshops and find the right course for your summer in St Ives.
1/6/2026
Share on
Related Stories
Artists & Illustrators: The Art of Keeping it Simple
As seen in… Artists and two of tutors Liz Luckwell and Marion Taylor share their insights to achieving modernist minimalism in a modern time frame. Harness the powerful abstract potential of the still life, inspired by modernist icons William Scott and Ben Nicholson. Though still resolutely abstract, these 1940s paintings had a domestic quality to...
Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust
The Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust was established by Scottish artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham in 1987. The trust aims to foster, protect and promote the reputation of Barns-Graham as well as supporting and inspiring art and art history students through the provision of bursaries and scholarships. The Artist’s Life and Legacy Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, known as Willie, was born...
Alfred Wallis: 100 Years On
This August marked 100 years since Alfred Wallis first picked up a paintbrush – beginning a remarkable, self-taught artistic career that continues to resonate across the art world. Read more about his incredible life and career, and discover how his paintings are still being appreciated today. Born on 8 August 1855 in Devonport, Plymouth, Alfred...