Partou Zia ~ Painter of Dreams

In March 2003, No. 5 Porthmeor Studios opened its doors to Partou Zia. For the next six months this would be her working space, under the terms of the pioneering Tate St Ives Artists’ Residency Programme. Partou was the first recipient of the award, initiated to support the development of young artists in Cornwall. She was also the first woman to occupy this historically significant studio, previously inhabited by Borlase Smart, Ben Nicholson and then Patrick Heron. These iconic figures of twentieth century art had each left in their wake a reputation larger than life, together with liberal splatters of paint decorating every available surface.

Mary Fletcher ~ feminist, socialist ~ and artist

‘My pieces celebrate ordinary people’s extraordinariness’ – Mary Fletcher

As I admired the magnificent view from the front window of her home in St Ives, Mary Fletcher reflected on her first visit to the town as an impressionable youngster in 1959. A group of ‘beatniks’ sitting on the harbour wall enjoying the sunshine is an image from this family holiday which stayed with her throughout her teenage years. When her schooldays came to an end, the prospect of a life beyond her home town of Derby beckoned. Mary dreamed of a bohemian existence, unfettered by authoritarian constraints.

Emily Carr, Talmage and Tregenna

‘…an isolated little old woman on the edge of nowhere…’  – Emily Carr

St Ives can weave its magic in unexpected ways. To Emily Carr, a 30-year old Canadian artist from British Columbia, the special quality of the sunlight proved to be a mixed blessing. On her arrival in the town in 1901, she enrolled at the art school run by the renowned seascape painter, Julius Olsson, exponent of ‘plein air’ painting. Prior to this, she had studied art in San Francisco.

Ithell Colquhoun ~ from Lamorna to Lanhydrock

This month, I’m on the trail of the elusive Ithell Colquhoun. While usually described as a surrealist painter, she was also a prolific author, poet and playwright. Yet her writings offer little insight into her personal life or emotional relationships. She remains an enigmatic outsider, isolated from the artistic and literary mainstream. Her fascination for mysticism and the occult became entwined with a quest for identification with the spirit of the Celtic landscape.

Joan Gillchrest ~ ‘Naïve’ Painter of Mousehole

To ward off the gloom of these dark December days, I’m taking a look at a painter whose work simply celebrates the joy of life. Joan Gillchrest moved to Mousehole from London in 1958. She was able to buy a cottage overlooking the harbour by selling a sapphire ring and sable coat that she had inherited.

The Art of Cornwall ~ BBC4 Thursday 2 December 2010

A personal journey from Cambridge to Cornwall underpinned the structure of last week’s 90-minute programme presented by Dr James Fox. Visiting Kettle’s Yard as an undergraduate, he became aware for the first time of the works of Ben Nicholson, Christopher Wood and Alfred Wallis. This experience engendered a fascination for the art of Cornwall.

Marjorie Williams at Falmouth Art Gallery

This gem of a gallery in the centre of Falmouth hosts a variety of seasonal exhibitions on themes reflecting Cornwall’s cultural connections with the wider world. Its archive yields some surprising treasures, which include a substantial body of work by an artist little known outside Cornwall.