St Ives

AN ARTIST'S HAVEN

The picturesque seaside town of St Ives in Cornwall was once renowned for it's pilchard fishing and after the pier was constructed, also known for being the largest port on the north coast of Cornwall. Since the late 1800's, this pretty coastal town has became a famous destination for artists.

J M W Turner, was among one of the earliest artists attracted to St Ives by the quality of light, where he famously painted seascapes. The arrival of the railway line in 1877 made St Ives all the more accessible to aspiring artists and became a key destination for the middle classes to set up their holiday homes.

The town saw it's greatest boom for being a trendy destination for hippies, artists and rock 'n' roll jet setters in the 60's but saw a decline in the late 70's through to the 90's, as holiday makers took off for cheaper and the sunnier climates of the Mediterranean resorts. Cornwall has had somewhat of a resurgence over the last decade and returning this Easter weekend, I could see how crazy this town now gets in the summer months.

Happy Memories
My parents have been going to St Ives regularly since 1967. It's where they first went on holiday together and worked for a time over the summer. It's obviously a happy memory and they have a real connection to the town and it's townsfolk, regarding it fondly as a second home.

I've been visiting with my folks on Easter weekends since I can remember and have lots of happy memories of the beautiful beaches, (now very retro) arcades, narrow cobbled lanes and quaint tea & ice cream parlours. Being a graphic designer myself, I can attest to the pleasure St Ives offers those who visit. For a small town with such a rich history in art over the years, it's evident where such energy exists for creatives, and one can easily see first hand, where Turner himself took great inspiration from painting the breathtaking sea views. This has to be one of the most picturesque seaside towns in the UK and it's not surprising that so many holiday makers want to stay there too.

A Destination Of The Heart
Although I love St Ives and I have such fond memories of going there as a kid, I've always reasoned to myself that living here full time would be tough. The winters can be harsh and for a Londoner like myself, I'd likely find the quieter off season months a little too quiet.

However, with Cornwall's general popularity increasing amongst UK holiday makers, potentially due in part to the stronger Euro and family travel costs in general, it feels increasingly as if the holiday makers and new jet set, have taken over the place this Easter. According to the locals I speak to, the spike in visitors are not just isolated to the seasonal summer months these days either. More people are moving to Cornwall permanently and who can blame the! It stands to reason that places which are most popular, will evolve to accommodate the tastes of those investing time/money and it's evident from the many different accents I'm hearing, that foreign holiday makers are also in great appreciation of the seductive Cornish charm.

But still, I can feel the characters and their influences from the 70's and 80's, as well as the general quirky Cornish ways of doing things, are being ebbed away to cater for it's present day tourists and second home investors. Cornwall appears to be changing into a quintessentially British 'theme park' – twee, polished and dressed up in a reflection of the ideal rather opposed to the real. And although this boom for local businesses is a positive sign for growth, observing the overly-large flashy cars crawling in procession through narrow streets and witnessing where snazzy boutique hotels have replaced the wonky B&B's – plus with major high street chains like Pizza Express taking up prominence on the seafront, – could it be paradoxically said that St Ives' new-found success is potentially becoming it's failure too? I personally miss the authenticity from the way it was before, warts and all – change is always difficult to accept.

But who am I to judge, I visit for maybe a week or so per year and I'm just another visitor at the end of the day. Luckily, some things haven't changed at all. Sitting here right now in front of The Sloop Inn, watching the advancing tide and defending my ground against the brazen gulls who swoop in low to retrieve carelessly dropped chips at my feet, I still get a gratifying feeling of being in a special place that eternally remains part of me and me part of it.

Land's End, Cornwall c.1834 – J.M.W. Turner

Update March 2018: 
If you are fortunate enough to visit Cornwall and St Ives, you will appreciate it's inspirational lure for artists and tourists alike. The Tate gallery, St Ives, is the perfect place to view some of the greats and witness their inspiration from the coast first hand. For those wishing to own a piece of art capturing the beautiful Cornish coastal views, great painters and their work can be found here at Artsy. For visitors and residents of Amsterdam, Holland – the Rijksmuseum has an exhibition featuring J.M. W. Turner amongst other great masters: 'High Society' – Four centuries of glamour by the great masters of the history of art, including Cranach, Veronese, Velázquez, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Sargent, Munch and Manet.