'Penzance 9'

'Penzance 9'    30x40cms

Another Penzance painting that changed dramatically- the only constant the rose-colour of the Inner Harbour. I enjoyed highlighting it's house-shape, echoed by the images of the Lifeboat Station and concertinaed warehouses. I don't usually care or remember the paintings underneath but I'm still very fond of 1, below. It was my demonstration painting in my very first Freedom in Painting workshop at the Penzance School Of Art - I was new to teaching and talked too much and one of the artists left after 10 minutes saying she was 'going home to paint'!

1

2

3

'Penzance 2'

'Penzance 2'   150x120cms

The still center in 'Porthleven 22' brought memories of this painting - a wild night in Penzance when it seemed the town was about to be overwhelmed by the sea. Penzance 2 was shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2012.

As usual the painting changed orientation several times during the process, hence the two lighthouses in the detail below!  Male (structure) and female (the sea) in battle. Curiously, towards the end, when I was asking friends which way up it should go, opinion was split by gender, with the majority of females i asked preferring it with the left hand side as top and all the males liking it this way. 

Throughout my career, I have intrigued/obsessed with the shapes of places and how that shape can define their uniqueness. With Penzance, I was particularly interested with the house-shaped inner-harbour which appears in a different position in each of the  paintings in the series, the lighthouse pier moving round like the hands of a clock.  Looking at it now, sea-shape in the earlier version lookjs like a creature, a sea-horse? The almost-diamond shape remains, now it's like a spinning top, the painting full of movement. 

detail

detail

in progress

Exhibition at Truro Arts - Royal Cornwall Museum

'Porthleven 17'

 

Ashley is currently showing a selection of his Porthleven, Charlestown and Penzance paintings at the Arts Cafe at Truro Arts, which is linked to the Royal Cornwall Museum.
The show runs from 28th March - 9th May, opening hours 9am-5.30pm, Mon-Sat.

Truro Arts are very much part of the cultural Truro Festival, from 29 March - 14 April, which is celebrating the diversity and creativity of the arts with an array of events featuring art, music, literature and film. Hope you can come and visit Truro Arts and the exhibition and take part in this wonderful event.
 
To coincide with the exhibition Ashley will be hosting a workshop , 'Colour & Coast' at Truro Arts Thursday 9th May, 9.30 - 4pm.

Students will learn the principles of colour- mixing and how to use colour creatively and imaginatively.  Ashley will be hands on demonstrating and sharing many of his tips and techniques about colour, mark-making and composition. Please bring along a drawing or photograph with a coastal subject to work from.

For more information about the exhibition and workshop contact Truro Arts at 01872 240567 and see link for more details http://www.enjoytruro.co.uk/whatson/art/9423

'Colour & Coast at Truro College- Evening Class


For those who prefer a longer more indepth

'Charlestown 1'

course , Ashley will be running a 'Colour & Coast' evening course at Truro College over 10 weeks
from Wed 24th April.
To enrol or for more details contact Truro College
Part-Time Courses on 01872 265800 or see link
http://www.truro-penwith.ac.uk/pt/colour-coast-painting-with-ashley-hanson/

Our April Painting Holiday

We are very much looking forward to our forthcoming holiday and welcoming our participants from far and wide including Singapore and Germany.

This year we will be visiting Port Isaac, Trebarwith Strand, Charlestown and Polruan followed by 2 intensive days in the studio. We hope the weather is kind to us!


'Penzance 8'