A wonderful 4th Form Art Trip to St Ives

June 4th 2024

A wonderful 4th Form Art Trip to St Ives...

Flickr album: 4th Form Art Trip to St Ives - June 2024 | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin

Day 1 - It was that time of year again. The 4^th Form art pupils were heading down to St Ives for the annual pilgrimage of sun, sea and art. The first stop was the Eden Project, with its beautiful hexagonal domes. In the Gallery there was plenty of creative energy with textiles and cardboard workshops and a fast-paced African drumming session. The room was inviting and all inclusive with key themes of sustainability and health being top of the menu. In the Mediterranean Biome artwork was everywhere in the form of paintings or figurative sculptural work. This looked incredible hidden amongst the unusual plants and trees. The highlight would have to have been the large ceramic piece called Blue which blows out huge smoke rings into the hall. The pupils were enthralled will the idea and spent ages capturing circles.

After that we headed to St Ives and to the hostel to meet our hosts. After a quick bag drop off and orientation, we headed to the beach for a two hour swim or surf. It was a chance to unwind and enjoy the glorious weather on offer. There were a hard-core group of 7 pupils who surfed wave after wave and thoroughly enjoyed the occasion. That evening we headed out to dinner at the Trethrow Lounge and then had a highly competitive game of rounders on the beach. The skyline was majestic and the famous light of St Ives was at its best.

Day 2 - On Sunday, after a healthy breakfast prepared in the hostel, the pupils were split into two groups. The first group headed up to the wonderful Leach Pottery for a guided tour of the museum which was followed by a super workshop led by Ellen Love, a local potter. Pupils learnt about the Leach techniques and attempted to create Japanese tea cups using local clay. In the afternoon the groups swapped locations and headed to the Barbara Hepworth Gallery and Garden followed by a trip to the Tate St Ives. Both venues were captivating. We had an excellent and inspiring talk from our guide on the life and works of Hepworth. All the pupils recorded notes and tried to find relevant links to the artists’ ideas and techniques and their own themes.

In the later afternoon it was time to head back to the beach and enjoy the last of the day’s sun before our dinner was to arrive in the hostel. That evening it was round 2 of rounders, a fiercely fought contest but Leggy’s team was too strong and came away worthy winners.

Day 3 - Group A arrived at Porthmeor Print Studios for a day of creating collograph prints with Rachael Kantaris, master printmaker. It was a new technique for the pupils and although complex and needing lots of focus they all came away with some super work that will be put into their portfolios. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the experience and many mentioned that it was the highlight of the trip. That evening we headed to Logan’s Rock for dinner, which is right on the peninsula near Land’s End. We had a sumptuous meal before heading to the Minack Theatre to watch Love Riot, a truly hilarious 18^th Century romantic comedy set in Georgian Britain. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed watching such an entertaining play with the most spectacular backdrop.

Day 4 - Having said our thanks and goodbyes to the hostel staff Group A headed over to Penzance whilst Group B headed for the printmaking workshop with Rachael. Our first port of call was Penlee House to see the mercurial Harold Harvey exhibition. His work was breathtaking and the exhibition highlighted his important position within the Newlyn Art Group. Many pupils found the work truly inspiring and will no doubt be using him as a starting point to their practical work. Later that morning we visited Tremenheere Gardens, which is a wonderful sculpture park in Penzance. The tropical trees and fauna rising out of the landscape were fascinating as was the artwork amongst it. There was so much to see and do there and so many world-famous artists represented. It was a real treat to be given a guided tour by the owner and art enthusiast Neil Armstrong. Our last visit of the day was to St Michael’s Mount to see the castle and gardens. The pupils loved getting on the boat out to the island and hearing all about its history and the family that own it. It was the perfect way to finish the trip as they explored the castle and its buildings.

A weary group of pupils got on the minibus back to Bruton after what had been the most exhilarating few days in West Cornwall. It is always such a wonderful trip. The pupils were a delight to be with and thank you to Miss Ling and Miss Russell for giving up their time to make it all possible.

Seamus Harkness - Head of Art