The King Harry Ferry Art Project
Running from March to October 2025
Supporting The Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust
Let's Celebrate the King Harry Ferry through creating ART!
This exciting and innovative project kicks off in March and will run until October 2025. Classes are on the schedule for both Budock and Lanner weekly classes (see 'Our Courses' page for dates). HOWEVER, you don't have to come to Elements Classes to get involved!
The idea is to visually explore the different elements of the Ferry: its history, location, current and previous designs, mechanisms, the people who work on the Ferry and what it means to local people and tourists alike. We will create all kinds of different artworks in varying styles and mediums covering all aspects of the Ferry, its environs and its place in the Cornwall landscape and community. This will culminate in a series of exhibitions, both 'in-person' and virtual in various locations across South West Cornwall.
With support from the King Harry Ferry Company, we will be raising money for The Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust through sales of original artworks, prints and cards.
Remember, you can still get involved if you don't come to the classes at Elements Art
Open to all amateur atists, art students and art hobbyists throughout Cornwall......
To submit artwork to be included in the project, please get in touch with Susie Pearce, using the contact form in this website, or alternatively you can see the CONTACT page for other ways to contact Susie.
Entry into ON LINE Exhibitions is free, however, there will be a small admin fee to participate in 'In Person' Exhibitions, to help cover our costs. More information on this will follow shortly, as exhibition planning is finalised.
In the meantime..... LET'S GET CREATING!
You are welcome to use any of the photos categorised below, as your inspiration, so have a look!
CREATIVE IDEAS FOR STUDENTS ...
I have put together some ideas and suggestions for anyone wishing to participate in this exciting and rewarding project. It would be great to get a real variety of approaches, mediums and styles.......
You could zoom right in on a section of the ferry, from either on board or from another perspective - this would suit an abstract style, you could represent the whole ferry and have it very much as the central subject in your composition, you could make your piece more about the beautiful landscape and / or architecture, around the ferry, and have the ferry as a small part of the piece, or you could simply create a landscape based on the view from the ferry. Alternatively, you could focus on portraits of the men (or women?) who work on the ferry - past or present. You could always visit Kresen Kernow in Redruth, where the Cornish archives are held, do some research and look for old, vintage photos and news stories about the ferry - perhaps right back to its origins.
This is an exciting project that you can get as involved in as you like, depending on your time constraints and interest levels. See below for more detailed ideas to get you thinking!
See below, further down the page for a full catalogue of categorised inspiration photos for your use
Here are a few ideas to get you thinking…..
- Find a vintage photo of the ferry and replicate in watercolour, using sepia tones
- A Cubist rendition of the ferry in its environment, oil pastels or acrylics
- Abstract or figurative collage
- Traditional drawing
- Abstract geometric painting of close ups of parts of the structure of the ferry
- Portrait of the ‘ferryman’ model leaning against the high railings on the ferry
- Portrait of any of the men working on the ferry, going about their day to day work
- Anything based around the chain mechanism or the gates
- Replicate an old family photo taken on the ferry
- A colourful, Naive art interpretation of the ferry
- Reflections of the ferry in the water
- Take an illustrative approach as if illustrating a story about the ferry - idea : the KHF website in the ‘how it works’ section, says “Each chain weighs the same as a humpback whale and their combined strength is enough to lift ten double decker buses”
- Create a vintage travel poster for the ferry
- A conceptual painting of the ferry from the side, where everything above water is bright, sunny and ‘happy’, then below the waterline is dark and ominous looking, showing the chains, mechanisms etc, amongst the weeds.
- An abstract collage using acrylic paint and acrylic mediums to encapsulate found objects around the ferry.
The possibilities are endless, and I will add more ideas as I think of them. If you are interested in participating, you could go on an outing to the ferry and take your own photos. Alternatively, you can use any of the photos (taken by Susie Pearce) below, to inform your work. Have a good look through your ‘artist eyes’ and think about ideas, styles, compositions, mediums etc. Of course, I will help anyone with ideas and techniques which will play to their strengths, during any of the Elements dedicated classes.
IMPORTANT: If you sign up for two KHF Project classes at either Lanner or Buddock, then you would be welcome to come to all four sessions over those two weeks, at no extra cost!
Let's get creating!
Views of the Ferry
Chains and Mechanisms
On the Ferry
Buildings and "People"
Surfaces and Textures
Views from and around the Ferry
Water and Reflections
Trees, rocks and the natural envirment
Signage
