Elemental expression

Catching waves to capture the light.

For those who love Cornwall, it will come as little surprise that it provides endless inspiration for creatives across the entire spectrum of disciplines.  Artists are drawn here not only for its much-celebrated light, but also its ability to instil that calm feeling of reflection that enables those with creative proclivities to find their state of flow.

At Cornwall Living we are fortunate enough to see, learn and write about Cornish art in all its diversity, and it never ceases to amaze us just how fertile the ground is here for creative innovation. Cornwall based artists continue to push the envelope, instilling the pressing themes of the world into their work and showing us that art is not only an identifier of time and of the world’s most troubling issues, but also provocative of its audience. It sparks conversation, it inspires thought, and in doing so it plays no small part in enacting change.

Of course, there is also the element of beauty to be found in Cornish art, and sometimes it is enough to find resonance with a piece of work simply because it catches your eye. They do say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it is our hope in this issue that we have showcased a fair representation of Cornish art so that you, our reader, might behold something you love.

In fact, if you have been staring at a blank piece of wall for some time and wondering what to do with it, it’s fair to say that this issue is a great place to begin your search for its occupant. Not only do we have our dedicated Arts supplement, we are also celebrating another year of Open Studios Cornwall, a highly anticipated event that sees Cornish creatives throw open their doors and welcome lovers of art to come in and gain an insight into their world. Written by Jilly Easterby, the following pages provide an inside-the-studio view of the life and work of Sue Read, as well as a select preview of other artists who will be participating in this year’s event. So, without further ado, let’s hand over to Jilly!

As the seasons turn and the days lengthen, hundreds of artists, designers and makers from across the Duchy are preparing to throw open the doors of studios and workshops to share their artistic practice against a uniquely Cornish backdrop of creek, countryside and coast. From Saturday 27th May to Sunday 4th June, Open Studios Cornwall will take us on an exploration of multiple art forms – from paintings to pottery, furniture to felt making, weaving to woodturning and a whole lot more besides – as we follow distinctive orange ‘O’s across villages and towns to curate our own art trails.

But the event is as much about people as it is about place. It provides us with the chance to dive into a wave of creative possibility and plunge into the depths of emotion that lie beneath. The power of nature to heal the body and soothe the mind is a recurring theme that binds this year’s participants – whether it be the haunting cry of the curlew, the glimmer of golden gorse on a grey day, the wildness of wintry skies, the relentless pounding of surf on rocky outcrops or the searing hues of a summer sunset.

Artist, Sue Read, takes her inspiration from north Cornwall’s dramatic coastline and the elemental power of the ocean. She immerses herself within it to read the waves before committing them to canvas in their ever-changing shapes, tints and moods. “I am at my happiest when I am in the water and swim in the sea all year round,” explains Sue. “It is a place to imagine new artworks and to really connect with the natural world, to be conscious of how the water moves, how it feels and how it catches the light.”

Many of Sue’s paintings begin on the beach – en plein air – because it is important for her to absorb the sounds and saltiness of her surroundings. In a recent interview for the BBC TV series, Rick Stein’s Cornwall, Sue spoke of ‘mordros’ – the Cornish word for ‘sound of the sea’, which speaks as much of her passion for her birthplace as it does of its cathartic influence on her creative approach. “There is a lot of weather in my paintings, from brooding skies to crashing waves. The waves I paint come very instinctively from the feeling of being in the water, submerged by their intensity, and the timelessness of the tide.

“Being out in nature stimulates all the senses and I gather in the sights, sounds and smells of my environment, the feel of the air and the light on the water, and record them in my memory to inform my future work,” Sue adds. “Many of the larger wave paintings that I create emerge from my being so close to them in the ocean. I am not trying to capture them exactly. My intention is to encapsulate the movement within them. I aim to imbue them with the rush of adrenaline I feel when I first run in, confronted by their sheer power; when I dive beneath them, spin around in them and feel their full force, or simply enjoy the pure exhilaration of catching a wave and riding it in. I want the viewer to understand and feel what I felt when I was in that moment. That moment is incredibly healing and I really want them to feel that too.”

This overriding sense of wellbeing that sea-swimming and being present in the natural world provides is not her only creative catalyst. For Sue, it is about ‘finding the quiet’: “Being outside at the beginning and end of the day, when you are closest to the sounds and feel of nature, can be meditative and freeing but it can also evoke feelings of vulnerability, fragility, excitement and empowerment, especially on those stormy days when the light is fading and the contrast between sky and sea is so stark.” The result of this perspective is a body of work that is suffused with atmosphere and layers of extraordinary Cornish light as well as personal experience. “Because I was born here, I think I am responding to a deep-rooted connection to North Cornwall, an area that is often neglected and forgotten,” Sue continues.

Located just beyond Bude, Sue completes her coastal compositions in a beautiful barn studio on a farm that has belonged to her family since the early 1900s. “Back in the studio, the ideas that came to mind whilst in the water become part of the conversation I have with paint. After applying watery layers of colour to my canvas, the shape of a wave or a familiar fragment of coastline will emerge from my filing cabinet of memories.

“In fact, my life is a constant process of seeing and recording ideas and thoughts to be painted, to inform new pieces of artwork, or depict the narrative of this precious part of Cornwall, which is integral to my own story. My paintings do not contain any figurative elements but by making work that is borne of my own experience, I hope my paintings touch, connect and resonate with those who view them.”

Atlantic storms have shaped this stretch of coastline over centuries and Sue reflects this sense of erosion and metamorphosis by using similar techniques in the studio. “My process is one of sanding, wiping off, glazing further layers of light and adding impasto brush marks, where paint is applied thickly to provide texture,” Sue explains.

Citing influences as diverse as Pierre Bonnard (1867 to 1947), Joan Eardley (1921 to 1963) and Rose Hilton (1931 to 2019) – an amalgam of French Impressionism, Scottish landscape painting and the St Ives School – the allure of her homeland and Sue’s sense of connection to it infuses her artistic output with an authentic voice.

Whether she is memorising the fluid colour palette of the sea – with its whirlpool of greens, blues, turquoises and greys – or observing the ocean through the tangle of a Cornish hedge, Sue is wholly at one with nature when capturing the essence of her beloved Cornwall.

For more information about Open Studios Cornwall and how to visit the featured artist and hundreds of creatives taking part, visit www.openstudioscornwall.co.uk

Artists’ Profiles

Sara Bevan

Painting/Printmaking – Sennen

Sara’s dramatic landscapes and seascapes reflect the battered and windswept environment of Land’s End. Painting in oils and mixed media, she explores colour, texture and mark-making to produce artwork that is energetic and lively. From her clifftop studio, overlooking Sennen Cove, Sarah also produces playful botanical monotypes using natural vegetation.

www.sarabevanartist.co.uk

Jennie Hale

Ceramics/Pottery – Liskeard

Jennie’s work reflects her passion for the natural world. Her sgraffito-decorated earthenware is full of life and vitality. It is informed by the illustrated journals that are an integral part of Jennie’s practice in which she makes notes and drawings about the wildlife she encounters near her Bodmin Moor studio.

www.jenniehale.co.uk

Lee Stevenson

Painting/Printmaking – Penzance

Lee’s figurative work in oils, etchings and linocut prints are created from studies made in the landscape. Being surrounded by the sea provides a strong sense of place and, informed by his drawings from observation, his artwork not only records what he sees but how he feels at the time.

www.leestevenson.co.uk

Roberta Hopkins

Mixed Media/Painting – Lostwithiel

Roberta’s abstract paintings are inspired by the rocks and pebbles of the rugged Cornish coastline, and influenced by the textures, materials, shapes and colours that she is surrounded by. She also creates collages and cards from her own handprinted papers and hand-bound sketchbooks with covers that feature her original artwork.

www.robertahopkins.co.uk

Stacey Beaumont

Sculpture – Bude

In her sculpture, Stacey explores the transitional effect of light through glass and uses reclaimed local Delabole slate to create texture, form and structure. By studying the changing natural rhythms that surround us, she captures an energy that transforms installations into artworks that are dynamic and responsive to their environments.

www.staceybeaumont.com