Colours of the coast

We discover Atishoo Gallery, a wonderful independent gallery next to the historic harbour in Charlestown.

Always on the lookout for Cornwall’s best buys, we catch up Liz Hackney to learn more about the popular Charlestown gallery. She tells us: “We love colour at Atishoo Gallery, and it influences our choices when it comes to choosing our stockists.”

“We want to brighten your day, even when the weather throws some Cornish mizzle at us…”

This is quite clear on entering the gallery, and some of the first paintings that stand out are the works of co-owner Paul Clark, whose paintings are bright, quirky and large in scale, depicting happy coastal scenes with fishing boats and fluffy clouds in blue skies.

Liz continues: “Everything else we sell needs to sit well with these. We’re often told that walking into our gallery always feels sunny, because there is such a kaleidoscope of colour that it really hits your senses. We want to brighten your day, even when the weather throws some Cornish mizzle at us, helped by our colourful floral displays outside.”

Atishoo concentrates on only selling art, craft and homewares by British based artists, designers and manufacturers. The amazing local artist Alan Arthurs now has his own exhibition room in the gallery, with over 200 original paintings to choose from, starting from tiny little originals for £20, up to large detailed paintings of the Cornish industrial landscape at several hundred pounds. “Visitors come back year after year to add another Alan Arthurs piece to their collection,” Liz explains.

New this year is Atishoo’s tiny shed outside the main shop door. “It’s actually a gardener’s tool shed but painted in a lovely coastal blue. We like to think of it as our very own miniature beach hut. On sunny days, we put some of our lovely new cushions, tea cosies and coastal signs in there, and it looks lovely as you walk up the driveway. The coastal signs come from a West Country company and are designed by Martin Wiscombe, who adapts the artwork to incorporate local landmarks and place names. It’s great having a range of bespoke Charlestown products at such a reasonable price.”

Also new this season is some fabulous work from Karina Goodman, such as ‘Coastal Flowers’, an oil-on-canvas piece with soft hues of coastal colour, really complementing Atishoo’s other ranges.

So, if you’re looking to buy that special something for that special someone, why not pay a visit to Atishoo Gallery. It’s the perfect destination after a morning spent exploring Charlestown’s historic harbour.