Watercolour Workshop in Cornwall: Sarah Bell Art
Last month I had the pleasure of joining some fellow Cornish bloggers for an afternoon of water colouring with the wonderful Sarah Bell. Sarah Bell is an expert watercolour artist based in Penzance, Cornwall’s arty seaside town. If you’re looking for a watercolour or art class in Cornwall, then Sarah is an outstanding teacher.
I hadn’t picked up a paintbrush for about 3 years. As a child, my family were pretty arty and we used to spend many rainy Saturday afternoons sat at the kitchen table with a box of watercolours. I chose art at A Level and continued to paint fashion design sketches at uni. I was very creative growing up, and then time became limited and priorities changed.
Last month I joined a group of lovely Cornish bloggers for a watercolour workshop with Sarah Bell at her light, high-ceiling studio at Clarence House in Penzance. I had been eyeing up these workshops for some time, hoping that I could rekindle my love for painting. Guess what? I did!
To begin with, Sarah told us about the history of watercolours and what basic tools to use and when. Despite my basic knowledge, I was completely blown away by her secret tips! I guess that’s what you get when you’re taught by an expert with years of experience!
Our first task was to create a colour wheel - very pleasing on the eye, I was excited to get painting. For the colour wheels, we were only allowed to use primary colours but it taught us how to create lighter and darker shades using limited resources.
With each task, Sarah would demonstrate first so we could see what could be achieved. Sarah has exceptional knowledge and is extremely lovely and patient towards her students. All materials are included within the class price so you don’t need to worry about bringing your own.
Sarah taught us about different brush strokes and techniques and then allowed us to put what we had learnt to the test. We used loose colour to create a night sky and then we painted fruit and autumnal leaves. Sarah gave each of us lots of 1 to 1 attention and gave us tips along the way.
I absolutely loved Sarah’s watercolour workshop and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Whether you’ve never picked up a paintbrush in your life or you already hold some advanced skills, Sarah will show you new techniques and best practice through demonstrations and 1:1s.
Thank you Sarah for a truly wonderful day! It was great to spend some quality time with other creatives and I now feel confident enough to get my old paintbox out from under the bed on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
Sarah’s workshops include: Sea Life; Shoreline Treasures; Birds, Bugs and Beetles; Fruit & Veg Watercolours; Countryside Sketchbooks, and Painting and Sketching Gardens. Absolute Beginners and Watercolour Improvers courses are always available.
Head over to Sarah’s shiny new website to find out more about her watercolour courses in Cornwall, or click here to book!
*The workshop was kindly gifted however all opinions are my own. I had a great time!