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I recently hosted two back-to-back Freedom in Painting courses in Porthleven, welcoming artists from all over the country. As per usual, each course ended with a one day exhibition in our studio at the Old Lifeboat House, with its fabulous location at the the harbour-entrance in Porthleven. 

 

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Early morning in Porthleven: the Ship Inn with the studio just beyond

 

Each Porthleven course has a theme, this year it was 'Curve & Boat', which caused a couple of groans when the theme was announced!  The artists were introduced to a range of images exploring the theme, including Van Gogh, Munch, Kandinsky,Dufy, Matisse, Patrick Heron, Terry Frost, Bridget Riley & Ellsworth Kelly.

Both courses followed the same-format with a mornings drawing session around the harbour, working with the theme and searching for ideas for paintings. Following the theme, on our gallery day this year we visited galleries in Penzance and Newlyn, with further drawing sessions around both harbours with different shapes and larger boats.

We saw some fantastic paintings by Jeremy le Grice at the Tremenheere Gallery and paintings and inventive collage by Robyn Denny at the Newlyn Art Gallery plus some inspiring work by contemporary Cornish artists. 

 

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The group-exercises this year included starting a painting with twelve curves, each different in shape, weight, colour or execution. On another, the artists worked with paper, using shapes taken from the landscape, which then became a template for a painting.

 

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There was an amazing work-ethic in the studio, inspired by the beauty of Porthleven with the sound of the sea through the open studio door. No-one can expect to resolve a painting in a couple of days but the quality, quantity and range of work produced was a revelation. There was plenty of socialising in the evenings aswell, often with the artists returning to the studio after a visit to The Ship next door. 

As always, exciting times when the studio is cleared and the paintings revealed for the exhibition. Congratulations to the 14 artists!

 

 GALLERY: 1 - 6 OCTOBER COURSE

 

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GALLERY: 7 - 13 OCTOBER COURSE

 

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30black CopyPorthleven 30                                                                                                                                       Black Harbour

 

My two paintings from the October courses.