Painting Cornwall - Kurt Jackson
I don’t know if any of you have visited Cornwall but if you haven’t, I highly recommend putting it on your bucket list. I used to go there every Easter with my parents and I have amazing memories of playing on the immense sandy beaches, going for blustery walks along the coast and indulging in scrumptious cream teas.
In this BBC clip, Rick Stein (a famous British chef) is chatting to Kurt Jackson, a well-known artist that lives and works in Cape Cornwall near Lands end, which is mainland Britain’s most south-westerly point.
Kurt does plein air oil painting on huge canvases. He incorporates materials that he finds into his paintings and often doesn’t use an easel but just puts the canvases on the beach and gets going. Sand is embedded into the paint and ‘the elements help shape his art so it’s not unusual to see bits of the painting washed away by the rain.’ It’s very physical and his whole body is involved. He stands with his legs astride and his upper body bent over, looking at the scene in front of him and then back to his piece, constantly twisting and turning while he captures the view. He says that his paintings are 'to do with the feeling' so the sensation of his bare feet on the sand and salt spray on his skin must play a part in the creative process.
Cornwall was a big place for mining and it’s steeped in history. Ruins and relics left over from this time are scattered in the valley but Kurt says he loves the way that nature has ‘clawed back'. It’s a glorious place full of flora and fauna - the yellow gorse bushes are a very distinctive part of the region and there’s a wonderful combination of rock and vegetation. He says that he loves 'marginal places where nature still has a place to survive’. I agree and can’t wait to go back!
Summary with vocab
I don’t know if any of you have visited Cornwall but if you haven’t, I highly recommend putting it on yourbucket listI used to go there every Easter with my parents and I have amazing memories of playing on the immense sandy beaches, going forblusterywalks along the coast and indulging inscrumptiouscream teas.
In this BBC clip, Rick Stein (a famous British chef) is chatting to Kurt Jackson, a well-known artist that lives and works in Cape Cornwall near Lands end, which is mainland Britain’s most south-westerly point.
Kurt doesplein airoil painting on huge canvases. Heincorporatesmaterials that he finds into his paintings and often doesn’t use an easel but just puts the canvases on the beach andgets going.Sand isembeddedinto the paint and ‘the elements help shape his art so it’s not unusual to see bits of the paintingwashed awayby the rain.’ It’s very physical and his whole body is involved. He stands with hislegs astrideand his upper bodybent over,looking at the scene in front of him and then back to his piece, constantly twisting and turning while he captures the view. He says that his paintings are 'to do with the feeling' so the sensation of hisbare feeton the sand andsalt sprayon his skin must play a part in the creative process.
Cornwall was a big place forminingand it’s steeped inhistory. Ruinsandrelicsleft over from this time are scattered in the valley but Kurt says he loves the way that nature has‘clawed back'.It’s a glorious place full offlora and fauna - the yellowgorsebushes are a verydistinctivepart of the region and there’s a wonderful combination of rock and vegetation. He says that he loves'marginalplaces where nature still has a place to survive’. I agree and can’t wait to go back!
Glossary
bucket list
A list of things you want to do before you reach a certain age or die
blustery
Windy
scrumptious
Something that tastes very good. Delicious
plein air
Painting outside (from French)
incorporates
When something becomes a part of something else
gets going
To start something
embedded
To make something a permanent and important part of something else
washed away
To be removed or carried to another place by water
legs astride
To stand with your legs far apart (it can also mean that your legs are on each side of something i.e a motorbike
bent over
To lean forwards and downwards
bare feet
When you don’t have any shoes or socks on your feet
salt spray
Tiny droplets of water that are carried in the wind from the sea
mining
The process of getting coal or metal from under the ground
steeped in
To have a lot of a particular quality
Ruins
Parts of a building that remain after it has been destroyed
relics
An object from the past that has been kept
scattered
Spread over a large area
clawed back
To reach a state/situation despite the difficulties or oppression
flora and fauna
Flowers and plants
gorse
A plant with yellow flowers
distinctive
Having a characteristic that makes something different or easily noticed
marginal
Places that are far away from the places that people usually visit
Questions
Have you been to Cornwall? If so, where did you go? If you haven’t, do you think it is a place that you would like?
What do you know about Cornwall? What do you associate it with?
Do you like Kurt Jackson’s paintings? Why? Why not?
Are you interested in visual art? Do you enjoy visiting galleries and exhibitions? Do you have a favourite artist?