Almost an Island

Celebrating the colour palette of Cornwall through mineral and flora-derived pigments.

Cornwall has long been described as ‘almost an island’. The Elizabethan writer and antiquary Richard Carew described it eloquently when he said that Cornwall was ‘so besieged by the ocean it forms a demi-island within an island.’ I used this premise as a starting point to produce a body of work that centred on the use of found materials, both flora and mineral in origin, to produce a colour chart of pigments,” says Ian.

Ian’s natural colours are derived from the minerals that brought early prosperity to Cornwall during the mining of copper and tin, samples of which are collected during field excursions, with the help of the Camborne School of Mines. The flora that floods the seasons with colour across the county throughout the year is collected from the north coast by gallery owner Liz.

His colour chart features 20 handmade pigments presenting a spectrum of Cornwall’s nature presented on high-quality paper. “To complement this, I have produced 40 additional pieces in a variety of media for the show this coming September,” explains Ian.

This new body of work will reflect Cornwall’s environmental diversity, from the white sands of its dazzling coasts and sweeping moorland to several botanical-themed works based on the sourced flora used in the original natural pigments. The exhibition will feature many abundant and familiar colours from the butter-yellow flowered gorse to the delicate pink blooms of the red valerian, known locally as Padstow’s pride. Oak-derived inks and local clays have been used extensively across many pieces to add to the sense of place.

Padstow Gallery
01841 533435
www.padstowgallery.co.uk