West Penwith Inspires our Sixth Form

Cape Cornwall has long been a source of inspiration for artists and writers. This weekend, our Sixth Formers embarked on a journey to explore this landscape, seeking their own creative insights and visiting artists whose work has been influenced by the area.

We were fortunate to enjoy beautiful weather, which allowed us to reflect on the landscape through various artistic mediums, including sculpture, poetry, painting, drawing, and cyanotypes.

On Friday afternoon, we had the pleasure of touring Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, where we contemplated landscape art, focusing on the manipulation of light, diverse sculptural media, and the effects of positioning within the garden landscapes. A highlight of our experience was a night walk from Newlyn, where we observed Mounts Bay illuminated by streetlights and a magnificent moon. This immersive experience engaged our senses of sound and touch, inspiring personal sketches in pencil and words.

On Saturday, we visited the Kurt Jackson Gallery in St Just to explore his interpretations of the landscape before heading to Priest’s Cove at Cape Cornwall for a day of workshops. We visited the poetry of W.S. Graham, reflecting on the landscape and our desire to connect with it. We explored shape and shade through ink and charcoal sketches, examining the impact of light in the cyanotype process to capture the local flora and, finally, climbing Tregonning Hill to survey the ancient and modern patterns of fields and roads, accompanied by choughs and kestrels.

The art department continued their explorative studies as they proceeded to Sennen and St Ives. A big thank you to the English and Art departments for organising such a thought-provoking expedition.

Ms. Selvey said, “The students were incredibly warm, receptive, and creative, and we are very much looking forward to the writing and artwork that will emerge from this fantastic experience.”