 Sometimes, a painting says everything words can’t. This work, created by one of my students, captures the calm between light and shadow — that fleeting moment at the end of the day when the beach empties and the world feels at peace. The single figure, long shadow, and soft reflections of the setting sun remind us how powerful simplicity can be. In my lessons, I teach that art isn’t about copying a photograph… it’s about understanding how light, perspective and emotion work together. Once those fundamentals are clear, the magic appears naturally. If you’d like to learn to paint scenes like this — from sketch to finished piece — you’ll find details on lessons and courses via www.visual-awareness.com.
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 So many amazing moments in Cornwall… painting on the beach and continuing the journey with students online and via Zoom.
Every lesson brings discovery — from sketching and perspective to painting and light. Whether you’re by the sea or at home, Art at the Beach helps you see the world differently… one brushstroke at a time. Knowledge, Not Copying – How Pippa’s Journey from Mawgan Porth Shows the Real Art of Seeing29/10/2025  Pippa met me at Mawgan Porth Beach this summer whilst she was on holiday. What began as a chat has grown into an inspiring journey — a steady exchange of pictures, ideas and progress as she moves through the 9-hour Secrets of Art course.
She’s now completed both Sketch and Perspective and is about to start Paint. Along the way, she created this portrait of Bake Off’s Paul Hollywood — proof of what happens when art is taught through understanding rather than imitation. “Jeanni continues to be my guardian art angel… always there when I need her. When she suggested making the shoulders bigger I couldn’t see it until I tried — and it’s amazing the difference!” The Secrets of Art course combines psychology, physiology and physics (and much more) to explain how we see. It’s a structured, knowledge-based system that empowers people to create incredible artworks within hours rather than years. When students understand the science and logic behind what they’re seeing, confidence replaces fear, and creativity becomes second nature.  Even a rainy Cornish morning can become a masterpiece when you understand how to see.
This lovely family joined me at Mawgan Porth Beach for a private painting lesson — learning about atmosphere, perspective and why the sea appears that magical aqua blue. We explored the science behind colour and light: how moisture in the air affects tone, why sand isn’t “brown” but a blend of reflected hues, and how shifting perspective changes what we think we see. With help from the kind team at The Merrymoor, who lent us their sheltered stage, we painted through the weather — and the smiles say it all. Each person left with a painting that captures not only the view, but the feeling of Cornwall itself… a bright reminder that art is really about awareness, not perfection. 🎨 Artist in Cornwall – Art at the Beach, Mawgan Porth  Today marked the end of a beautiful chapter… I sold my hand-painted 1971 Danbury Bay Window camper.
She wasn’t just a vehicle – she was a travelling piece of art, wrapped in the beaches, cliffs, and skies of Cornwall. Over the years, she’s turned heads wherever she went… not because she was polished or perfect, but because she carried the spirit of creativity and freedom. Every brushstroke on her body was painted by hand: Mawgan Porth’s tides, Carne Beach’s hydrangeas, and the silver light that falls over Cornish headlands. She’s been my companion on countless journeys, through sunshine and rain, layered coats of paint and woolly jumpers… even the odd seagull inspection. Selling her felt bittersweet, but also right. Like all good art, she’s ready for a new life, new adventures, and new stories to collect. So if you see her driving by, give her a wave and a kiss from me… she’s carrying a little piece of my heart and a lot of Cornwall’s magic.  Some mornings in Cornwall feel like time has paused. The tide slips back… the air holds its breath… and the world glows with an almost ethereal stillness.
This painting began on one of those mornings at Mawgan Porth Beach. The air was cool and the water glass-clear, revealing the golden sand and stones beneath. I wanted to capture that quiet in-between moment – before footsteps, before sound – when everything is balanced perfectly between motion and stillness. Painting scenes like this reminds me why I fell in love with Cornwall. The light is alive… the reflections shimmer like thoughts drifting through the mind. Standing there with brush in hand, you can almost feel the world recalibrating itself. https://www.visual-awareness.com/store/p448/Streamline_Serenity_-_Print.html  I’ve been adding new figures and a dog to my largest Cornish artwork… the wrap-around mural on a classic Bay Window camper. The scene now flows continuously from the window line down… a full twelve metres of Cornwall’s beaches and shifting light. I paint en plein air whenever I can. Today was cold and damp… thermal vest, layers upon layers… but the reflections on wet sand waited for no one.
My method is simple: understand how we see, then paint what’s true. Tiny figures work because the values and edges are right, not because I copied a photograph. The dog’s reflection sits where the light demands… softened toward the viewer, sharper at the contact points. The same principles guide my lessons and commissions… whether we’re on Mawgan Porth Beach or tucked out of the wind by the van. If you spot the mural in Cornwall, you’re seeing more than paint… you’re seeing a moving conversation about light, place and memory. If you’d like help bringing your own scene to life… lessons are available online, on Zoom or in person here in Cornwall… and I’m working on several commissions I’ll share when each is finished.  At Art at the Beach in Cornwall, every lesson begins with observation.
Here, a young artist studies how light bends through glass, how shadow defines form, and how reflection tells the story of what’s really there. It’s not about copying photographs — it’s about copying what we truly see. That’s where understanding begins… and once a student grasps that, art becomes their voice for life. 🎨 Art at the Beach – teaching the language of seeing.  There’s a moment before dawn when the world seems to hold its breath.
The sea becomes glass, the air softens, and even the cliffs seem to wait. That’s when I like to paint — when the landscape is suspended between night and day. Sunrise at Nare Head was born in that space. Standing on the terrace of the Nare Hotel, the first light of morning began to break through the mist. The headland slowly appeared, its outline caught between warmth and shadow. To paint it, I had to let the quiet do the talking — to paint not just what I saw, but what I felt: renewal, peace, and possibility. For me, painting here isn’t about capturing a view… it’s about catching a feeling before it disappears.  Standing on the cliffs at Carnewas (Bedruthan Steps) near Mawgan Porth, I watched a fulmar ride the updrafts above the sea… silent, effortless, perfectly attuned to the wind. These are the moments that teach me as much as any brushstroke — about balance, freedom and awareness.
To paint movement, you first have to feel it — to see the invisible geometry between air and wing, light and water. That’s the essence of my teaching: art as awareness, not imitation. When we understand what we’re really looking at, the canvas starts to breathe. |
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I have been privileged to run events for UK Sport, British Basketball, BNP Paribas, Neuroscientists at Oxford University, Campari, Simmons & Simmons Law Firm, Eden project and many more...
