"I begin with an idea ... and then it becomes something else"
~ Picasso

Monday 15 March 2010

St. Ives - a persistent thread

My mosaic today is inspired by the colours and textures of the lichen covered rooftops of St. Ives cottages - a persistent thread




















Spring finally arrived in St. Ives and Saturday was the perfect day to go art gallery hopping

Rachel Nicholson
View from Pednolver Terrace - 1988






















My friend and I visited The Porthminster Gallery, The Millennium Gallery to see The House of Fairy Tales exhibition of surrealist and folk art and also the art and craft workshops in the Sloop Market - you can see some photos here

The harbour, St. Ives














After enjoying a Cornish pasty in the harbour (has to be done!) and soaking up some Spring sunshine, we then made the most of the offer on at Tate St. Ives. During the whole of March entry is free for Cornish residents to Tate St. Ives and The Barbara Hepworth Studio and Sculpture Gardens. The current exhibition showcases paintings and collages made by Dexter Dalwood

I was more fascinated with one of Bryan Wynter's IMOOS (images moving out onto space). I found the kinetic installation mezmerising and sat watching it for quite a while. The construction consisted of a parabolic mirror and lightset with shapes painted on pieces of card (gouache) suspended from wire. The pieces slowly moved freely around (reflected and slightly distorted in the mirror and illuminated by the lightset) creating new patterns with each turn just as a kaleidoscope would

Porthmeor beach and The Island














These are views from the balcony of the cafe at The Tate overlooking Porthmeor Beach and The Island. I took these photos through glass so the quality could be better as there are reflections but you can see how nice the day was















St. Ives is very beautiful and I love the lichen covered rooftops of the cottages. This view was taken through the Tate cafe window. It's an inspiring sight and many artists are of the same opinion

Cornish rooftops














Click on the link or picture below to see the work of Cornish artist Jason Lilley






Postcards I got from the Tate shop:

Rachel Nicholson
Restaurant View with Leach Jug - 1998















Rachel Nicholson
Tate View from Corner Window (2) -1998






















Click on the link or picture below to see the work of artist
Sally MacCabe


















Finally, a Kurt Jackson postcard from The Tate shop





















I really will be back to pebbles in the next post!
Have a great week

Carolyn ♥

23 comments:

Cathie said...

Beautiful, beautiful day there in St. Ives. The harbor is lovely. Do you swim in that water, Carolyn - goggles and swim fins? That's surely where I would be - floating on my raft, face in the water with my goggles on looking for colorful fishies and treasures!

CAROLYN SAXBY said...

Cathie - you wouldn't! The sea is freezing even with a wetsuit!

mano said...

Thank you Carolyn for showing these wonderful pictures and paintings! Is it really true that the daffodils are already blossoming??? I would like to spent my holidays in St.Ives soon....!

LOVE STITCHING RED said...

Mano - yes the photos were taken on Saturday and we have many spring flowers at the moment - snowdrops, primroses, daffodils, crocus and hellebores. It's very pretty at the moment especially when the sky is so blue :o)

K J D said...

I love the mosiac Carolyn and the lichen.... I always think of you now when I see lichen!!!!!

I love the postcards especially the one at the bottom and your photographs are beautiful.

Karen

Julie said...

I think our Spring flowers are all in hiding apart from the snowdrops and a few crocus so it's wonderful to see your beautiful daffs down there. I love Kurt Jackson's work.

Jeana Marie said...

A beautiful place...and beautiful art.
Lichen is just so interesting!

Jeana

Pom Pom said...

I love it. I love it! Thank you for the lovely tour. You are so hospitable, sharing your lovely looks with all of us.

Anonymous said...

Oh Carolyn,What a lovely day you had. It all sounds fabulous. You are lucky to have so many great galleries on your doorstep. I love all the artwork you showed us - my taste exactly!I love lichen too. Also like the sound of the Cornish pasty!!
Thanks so much for sharing your day with us all.

JP said...

you are just making my mouthwater - roll on April and our week - I adore cornish pasties and cream teas!

artymess said...

Carolyn St Ives is fabulous.....i love visiting ...the light is so special........seeing your post makes me want to come and visit again....Lorna
ps hope you don't mind Ive tagged you to show and tell 7 things about yourself Mafiosagrrl tagged me and now I'm tagging seven more ...!!

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Love this blog background Carolyn and also this post. Saturday was beautiful and so are the images included here, especially Rachel Nicholson's artwork. Bye for now, Lesley

gunnelsvensson said...

Hi Carolyn! It´s always so fun to look at your lovely blog. Always so much inspiration and beautiful photos! You are good at this !!!
Thank you for your nice commens on flickr and my blog. I have been busy lately with both my studie and the exhibition, and the family takes time too, so I haven´t read or blog so much. I hop you have a nice spring. Here is till winter! Can you belive, and I am longing so for spring now!!!! / Gunnel

Judy Alexander said...

Beautiful pictures. Brings back great memories from when I visited St. Ives. Cornwall is one of my favorite places in the UK.

Micki said...

These are all so lovely. What a lucky person you are to be able to visit such wonderful places. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you also for the lovely comments about my journal pages.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carolyn. No, THANK YOU! I'm sorry, I did mean to get back here and let you know I'd used your mosaic. Interestingly - a couple of my class mates also read your blog and knew your work. Now, as for those photographs of those rooflines... WOW. Beautiful. I've never seen rooves like those - in fact I'm sure there aren't any here in Australia. I presume it's lichen? Anyhow, lovely subject matter.

Clare Wassermann said...

wonderful - I love the Barbara Hepworth studio - one of my favourite places in the world ...

Angie said...

LOVING your blog. The pics of St. Ives make my heart ache to come & visit. I shall use your blog to do that (don't think I could cope with flying any other way!)

Twiglet said...

Fab photos - I could smell the sea from here!
What amazing artwork too - you are so lucky to be able to visit all those wonderful galleries. What inspiration that must be.

Emma said...

Thanks for sharing so much, I've spent all my blog allowance here!

Our daffs are just starting to show some yellow finally, v late up here on the Isle of Skye. Love Sally MacCabe - I have a sudden urge to go & embed some of my squares! Kurt Jackson, too - isn't he the guy who kept trying to get into the RA? Are they blind?!

Deborah said...

What a lovely place!

Gloria Freshley Art and Design said...

So VERY happy to have discovered your wonderful blog!! Thank you very much for sharing so generously! I shall visit often....Gloria

layers said...

you so many beautiful photos of St.Ives here-- I would love to visit some day-- you captured the textures and colors.. and then to also get some artwork from the Tate-- double pleasure.