Everybody wants to take a break at a price they can afford, and relax in peaceful country surroundings, enjoy wide open spaces, the sea, secluded coves and picturesque towns and villages. Artists in Cornwall have a field day in the peninsula county of England because between the granite cliffs and the busy harbours, they open our doors to the beauty of Cornwall. Kurt Jackson is a contemporary Cornwall artist with experience in environments and cultures. He uses a range of materials and techniques to present us with inspired works of art depicting the endless beauty of Cornwall.
There are heaps of talented artists in Cornwall who sell their art work locally, and the thriving art scene in Cornwall inspires visitors to the area to visit art galleries and even book an art lesson or two. In the heart of vibrant arty Cornwall, there is always plenty of excellent accommodation where you can wander to the beach, where the kids are amused and which are well situated for doing the art route.
Art on the Doorstep of Endless Beauty
Cornwall artists love the Penberth Valley as this area alone provides plenty of inspiration for art, with the beautiful Penberth Cove which is a tiny fishing hamlet. The valley is the perfect setting for a Cornwall artist where natural treasures abound. Amanda Richardson is a Cornish painter with a BA honours degree in fine art textiles and she creates magnificent textile collages. You can see her art in her studio in the Penberth Valley complete with a lustrous garden which inspires a lot of her work. Visitors are welcome by appointment.
For anybody wanting to find out more about artists in Cornwall from the past, the Internet is a hive of information where you can glean fascinating information on the way art has evolved in this area, and books, archival material and photographic collections will take you on a fascinating trip from art beginnings to the present day.
Centres for Arts and Creativity
North Cornwal, just like the Western part, is fast becoming a vibrant art center and you can visit a Cornish painter, potter or sculptor directly or you can visit the many new art galleries which exhibit the works of rising Cornwall artists.Cornwall art trails are a fantastic way to be introduced to the art world while being able to take in magnificent views of the sparkling sea and landscapes as you walk or cycle the coastal footpath. Most of the Cornwall artist galleries are open every day, displaying an exquisite medley of works from select artists.
Towns Steeped in the Legends of Great Cornwall Artists
St Ives in West Cornwall is renowned as an artist colony and attracts multitudes of holiday makers every day of the year. The art town lies on the coast of the Celtic Sea and is a hugely popular holiday resort. A BBC film, The Art of Cornwall, claims that St Ives’ artists ‘produce some of the most exhilarating art of the twentieth century…this place was as famous as Paris, as exciting as New York and infinitely more progressive than London.’
Today St Ives with its well known Godrevy Lighthouse, its lovely old granite cottages and quaint cobbled streets, is a major centre of British art. The lighting is conducive to landscape art and the St Ives Tate Gallery offers exhibitions of some of these inspired works. Why don’t you pay a visit to the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden in this town? It was bought by Barbara in 1949, and the studio, known as Trewyn Studio as well as her workshop still has all her tools and the materials she used when living there.
Penzance is another town where you can literally feel the pulse of its exciting art history. The town hosts exciting exhibitions, making use of drawings, photography, paintings and artefacts to ‘tell’ the stories of prominent artists who were central to the town’s formation. Art lovers will love the Penlee Gallery and Museum, and a walk long the promenade and in the area of the harbour offers lots of fascinating places to enjoy some refreshments. Penzance Promenade was the subject of a famous painting by Newlyn School artist Norman Garstin, known as ‘The Rain it Raineth Every Day’.
Falmouth on the southwest point of the Cornish coast has a large natural harbour, and its spectacular coastal backdrop and its 16th century castle have been the inspiration of artists for centuries. Artists and holidaymakers always go to the tip of the headland where there are splendid views of the town’s regular regattas. The Falmouth College of Art, founded in 1902, still teaches visual arts today. It offers several superb courses which attract students from far and wide who want to benefit from the creative excellence at the college.
You Uncover so Much More with Cornwall Art Trails
Cornwall is a Treasure Trove of Art
With so much beauty, it is hardly surprising that Cornwall is a premier holiday destination in the UK. VisitCornwall is the Official Tourist Board online visitor guide to Cornwall providing information and advice on where Cornish painters, artists and galleries can be found. The art trails take in Cornwall’s most beautiful areas with charming accommodation thrown in. Art trails are a great way to explore Cornwall, come face to face with a local Cornish painter and other artists in Cornwall and enjoy a mix of traditional and modern art and culture, and where you’ll also uncover a whole lot more.