14 THE ART OBSERVER August 2009 the cornish By Kelly Moralee Cornwall, and in particular the small harbour town of St Ives, has long been a source of inspi- ration for North West artists with its slower pace of life, unspoilt countryside, fantastic light and dramatic coastline. Linda Weir, who founded MASA the Manchester artists’ studio in 1982, moved to St Ives seven years ago and is regularly visited by friends and fellow artists Sheila Meeks and Martin Murrey. Linda is drawn to the mystique of Cornwall; her paintings cap- ture the beauty of her surround- ings, the harbour, the sea, the people and their sense of com- munity. Painting is, for Linda, a very personal process, “like a diary”; she often revisits the same spots in St Ives, Mousehole and Zennor, as she feels that each day brings a new perspec- tive and set of conditions and emotions that are imbued into each piece. During the winter Linda rents a flat overlooking the sea similar to Patrick Heron, whose work Linda cites as a great inspiration. Heron painted from his ‘Eagles Nest’ house overlooking the cliffs at Zennor where the beauty and danger of Cornwall’s dramatic coastline cannot fail to make an impres- sion on the viewer. It was Linda who organised the MASA trip to Mevagissey, which proved to be both Sheila Meeks’s and Liam Spencer’s first painting excursion to Cornwall. Sheila recalls the memorable trip, “a group of us went youth hostelling near Hemmick beach and Mevagissey. We travelled both ways by com- munity transport bus and had a fabulous and very creative time.” Like Liam, Sheila has returned many times since for both paint- ing and pleasure. “The resulting images feel more personal because they remind me of happy times and beautiful sur- roundings. I am particularly attracted to St Ives because of the charm of the buildings, and the colour and light over the sea. Cornish scenes contrast well with the still life and Pennine land- scape which form my local sub- ject matter. Each subject area represents an important trigger, which makes me want to create paintings and drawings which capture some essence and vitality of the visual drama which lies before our eyes, and which would otherwise be lost.” Sheila’s latest body of work includes a stunning painting of the Tate St Ives, with the sunlight pouring out from behind the striking white building and bouncing onto the warm yellow sand and bright blue sea. For Liam Spencer, Cornwall has become a family holiday destina- tion in recent years, although he still finds inspiration here, with snapshots of figures surfing, his sons running along the beach and the enigmatic former fisher- man selling fishing trips on the harbour, popular inclusions in his recent exhibitions. Liam describes the paintings created here as opportunistic, “the body boards are more important”. However, he enjoys the contrast between these paintings and his cityscapes as they allow the use of a different palette, incorporat- ing different shapes especially for harbour scenes. Having had several dedicated painting trips to Cornwall over the years, these scenes have always formed part of Liam’s body of work - he would be disappointed to come away from a visit without an idea for a new piece! Martin Murrey first visited Cornwall with Liam Spencer when they were on a selection committee for the Castlefield gallery. The visit introduced them to various artists working in St Ives and the town made a particular impression upon Martin, in particular Porthminster and Portmeor beaches. “Cornwall is an inspiring place, especially the coast and the fantastic light.” Martin, whose signature neon- like paintings often represent night time scenes, faces a new challenge with Cornish landscapes moulding his style to capture the distinctive light, although he has recently completed work on a night time view of Smeatons  Pier. Like many of his fellow artists, visits to Cornwall are a mixture NORTH WEST ARTISTS TAKE INSPIRATION FROM THE IDYLIC COUNTRYSIDE OF CORNWALL NORTH WEST ARTISTS TAKE INSPIRATION FROM THE IDYLLIC COUNTRYSIDE OF CORNWALL Sheila Meeks, Tate Gallery, St Ives Sheila Meeks, Harbour, St Ives Linda Weir, Million Dollar Bash Linda Weir, Pink Pussy, St Ives Liam Spencer, Running into The Sea Colin T Johnson, Window Still Life with a Trevor Corser Jug Colin T Johnson, Divided Harbour