7 Painting Holidays in Cornwall

There are many fabulous painting holidays in Cornwall, UK, to choose from - whether you want to learn to paint at the newly formed Newlyn Art School, near Penzance, or prefer one-to-one tuition with local artists there are painting holidays that suit all needs, styles and budgets.

Cornwall has a long-established history of art, producing many famous artists in Cornwall over the centuries.

Below are some of the art schools, artists and galleries that provide painting vacations in Cornwall - and at the bottom of the page is a handy map so you can understand where they are in the county.

Find out which painting holidays are where, which have minibuses, how much courses cost, what you'll learn and experience working in art studios as well as in the open air! Some will also organise paintings courses for you, for small groups, special interest groups or even hen parties.

The Newlyn School of Art was started by local artist Henry Garfit and first opened its doors in 2011. Based in the heart of the famous artist colony of Newlyn, Cornwall, just a few yards from the original Forbes School of Painting that was set up in 1899 by famous Cornwall artist Stanhope Forbes, the "father of the Newlyn School of Painters", the Art School offers a vast range of painting and drawing tuition delivered by well-known and respected current artists.

There is a range of exciting painting courses taught by many of the most well known artists working in Cornwall today. Courses are aimed at both beginners and improvers with a strong sense of fun and encouragement throughout.

Courses available include: oil with a palette knife, abstract landscapes, collage and paint, oil painting, expressive figure painting, still life, Cornish landscape painting, Watercolour painting, Coast painting, Expressive painting, Experimental painting, colour & abstraction and Gouache painting.

Many courses are 2 days in duration, at a cost of £130-140 + a small materials cost. Accommodation is available separately at an extra cost, they provide you with a suggested list of where you could stay or you can make your own arrangements.

Website: http://www.newlynartschool.co.uk/

Aggie Arts is an activity holiday company, offering a range of crafts as well as painting holidays in St Agnes on the north coast of Cornwall.

Using local artists, there are a choice of workshops including children's book illustration, painting for beginners, watercolour painting and abstract painting.

Aggie Arts offer either tuition only, or a residential option. Typical costs might be in the region of £155 for the workshop only, through to £205/person for a self-catering package or £249/person B&B package.

Each course is priced individually, the children's book illustration course runs from £45/hour for a one-to-one experience of illustrating your own book, through to £10/hour if you are in a group of 9+.

Website: http://www.aggiearts.co.uk/

Ashley Hansom is a contemporary Cornish art tutor, with over 30 years' experience. Just twice a year Ashley offers 5-day painting holidays in Cornwall from £360, with courses running from Monday to Saturday.

The courses offer you a unique opportunity to spend two days working on location in Cornwall’s stunning coastal landscape followed by two full days developing the paintings and ideas further in a studio set in a sleepy village high on Bodmin Moor, inland in the centre of Cornwall

The painting holiday offered includes:

• 5 nights' accommodation
• 4 fully tutored painting days
• all lunches
• a celebratory evening meal

Website: http://www.ashleyhanson.co.uk/

Rae Pugh has over 20 years' experience in art, painting and teaching and can arrange watercolour painting holidays for small groups, on a self-catering at an attached cottage or B&B basis. Alternatively, if you are on holiday in Cornwall, you can book into a half day or one day workshop.

Rae Pugh's art studio and gallery are set in 3.5 acres of meadow, overlooking the sea at Dizzard on the North Cornish coast.

Website: http://www.dizzardart.com/

The Callington School of Art in mid Cornwall offers 3- and 6-day painting holidays. These are residential courses limited to just 6 attendees. All materials are provided and they have a minibus available, enabling everybody to be transported to the variety of locations which are used. With a combination of studio and location work, these courses offer a variety of opportunities to explore the area as well as your art.

You have an opportunity to work in watercolours, acrylics, oils or pastels. Techniques in all materials are covered as well as discussion on how artists use colour in their work. There are demonstrations in mixing colour, brush work and composition.

Courses offered include: Mixed Media, Drawing and Painting Techniques and Exploring Colour.

The full six day residential course costs £625. The accommodation is a Visit Britain 4 star guest house just a few yards from the studio.

Website: http://www.callingtonartschool.com/

Tim Hall specialises in offering a selection of weekend, as well as 4-5 day painting holidays from Rose Farm near Penzance, Cornwall, Tim Hall was born into a family of artists and has had a successful career in art and painting. With exhibitions over the years in London and Cornwall, this breadth of knowledge is available to be tapped into through a variety of well-designed art and painting holidays.

The courses/classes start Rose Farm studios, where you meet your tutor to discuss the outline of your tuition. Students are then encouraged to paint outside at one of the local beauty spots such as the picturesque harbour village of Mousehole or the majestic St. Michaels Mount. Extensive and varied demonstrations and exercises are provided at the studio.

Residential accommodation is optional, or you can choose your own self-catering or B&B accommodation locally with the studio's help, or under your own steam.

Class sizes are limited to six and the cost £220-£600 for four days, depending upon the season. Friday to Sunday courses are also available at a cost of £300.

Website: http://www.cornwallpaintingholidays.co.uk

This is a once a year opportunity for a 5-day long painting course, usually in the autumn.

Operating from the Porth Veor hotel, on the outskirts of Newquay, for over 13 years, Tim Uff and Bill Wheeler offer Watercolour Painting Holidays from a hotel overlooking Porth Beach on the north coast of Newquay. One of 10 Newquay beaches, the location is out of the hub-bub of the main town, and adjoining green countryside and a choice of rugged north Cornish beaches.

A minibus is available so that students can easily be taken to some great views locally on four of the 5-day course. Courses continue during the evenings in the studio, allowing you to continue painting well past the hours most courses offer.

The cost of the course is £690 and includes 6 nights' accommodation in the Porth Veor Hotel. Book early and there's no single occupancy supplement, or choose to stay in a villa in the hotel grounds if you prefer. The price is per person including dinner, bed and breakfast, minibus transport and expert tuition.

If you're looking for a painting course in Cornwall that has easy access from Newquay Airport, is right on a beach and provides you with a minibus for "on location" painting as well as being fully residential in quality surroundings, this is a good offering at a value for money price.

Website: http://porthveormanor.com/watercolour-painting-holiday-cornwall/

If you are looking for a painting vacation in Cornwall, then there are some practicalities you need to consider before booking. Here are a few to get you thinking:

Transport -v- Location

Cornwall is the far, far, left hand county of the UK and, therefore, public transport can be a problem. There is one railway line running along the South coast as far as Penzance, with a couple of branch lines running off to Looe, Newquay and St Ives. If you are going to travel by public transport, you do need to think about whether the route is achievable and the total journey time.

There is an airport in Cornwall - Newquay airport - which has several flights daily. The nearest railway station to the airport is Newquay Railway Station, which is on a branch line from Par.

When contacting schools to book, you might ask if they run a shuttle service.

Accommodation

If the painting holiday is residential, then is the accommodation on offer to your liking? Compare the cost of residential -v- making your own arrangements, bearing in mind distance/transport. If you are travelling alone, the accommodation might suit you fine, but a lot of people want to have a family break and stay with their family while they attend the day classes.

What Is Included?

What's included in the cost of the course. Check if you're going to be charged extra for materials, or if everything you need is included. Most will include all materials you will use, but it's better to ask and check than to be surprised once you arrive.

Do You Like the Tutor's Style/Materials?

See examples of the tutor's style. If their style isn't your preferred style, you might be frustrated on a course if they're teaching techniques suitable for the materials and style that they are known for. This is especially important for the more prestigious paintings courses as they will have more fixed ideas about the syllabus and what you'll be taught.

What Do You Want to Paint?

Cornwall covers a large area, offering coastal scenes, moorland, countryside and many fishing harbour locations. If you are looking to paint indoor subjects, such as life painting, then location isn't so important - but if you want to capture small fishing harbours or moorland, then you need to see if the course takes you "on location" and if it is close to the type of scenes you wish to paint,

If you are an art school who offer painting holidays in Cornwall, please leave a comment in the comments box below to write to the author of this article and your details can be added to this page. Likewise, if you are listed above and can provide updated information, then write below.

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