The Cornwall Blog

In January of this year, talented St Ives artist and Porthmeor Studios resident Lucie Bray died unexpectedly at the age of 39. An outstanding sea and landscape painter, Lucie held her first ever solo exhibition at New Craftsman Gallery St Ives in 2011 and has held regular annual shows at the gallery since that time. Lucie was working on her 2014 show before her death and this May, in collaboration with Lucie’s estate, New Craftsman will be going ahead with the exhibition as planned. Made up of both new and recent works, the event will be a celebration of Lucie’s talent and passion for the Cornish land and seascape. The exhibition will include contributions from key members of the St Ives arts community, in the form of handwritten submissions to be exhibited alongside the paintings, which respond to Lucie’s paintings and celebrate the subjects which inspired Lucie and her working practice. Lucie was extremely proud to have been part of the arts community of St Ives,

The Leach Pottery St Ives presents an exhibition of more than 80 pots by West Cornwall based potter Peter Swanson. An independent studio potter for the last four decades, Swanson is entirely self-taught and his distinctive and highly accomplished works have established him as one of the UK’s most respected contemporary potters. This exhibition marks 40 years since he moved from Hampshire to Cornwall to open a family run pottery at Penbeagle, St Ives in 1974. Swanson works in stoneware and porcelain using locally sourced clays and produces his own ash glazes from various natural materials such as oak, beech, lavender and granite dust. With a style inspired by Leach and set very much in the Anglo-Oriental tradition, he has travelled extensively in Japan and Korea, absorbing ideas that have greatly enriched his working practice, and has most recently visited wood-firing potters working in Australia’s NSW. In this brand new collection of work Swanson has explored new shape

Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose has been given the official ‘go ahead’ to hold an Air Day in 2014. The Cornwall based Air Station is pleased to announce that this year’s event will be held on Thursday 31st July. The event, which has become a firm favourite on the Cornish Event Calendar, enables the general public to experience the sights and sounds of one of Europe’s largest helicopter bases, whilst seeing a fantastic Air Display in the skies.  It’s the only day of the year when the public can ‘experience the world of Culdrose’ and see what happens behind the security gates.  The Commanding Officer of Culdrose, Captain Mark Garratt said: "Now that we have been given the official go ahead to hold an Air Day, my team are already starting to book aircraft for the Air Display and are working hard to make it a day to remember.  This year should be a really special event, with some very special visitors." He added: "Often our Air Day is the only opportunity f