The first time I met John Emanuel was outside his studio in St Ives with a melting ice cream in each hand. We couldn't talk for long as he was in the middle of a life drawing session and the refreshments were not going to last.
John Emanuel has worked from Porthmeor Studios for thirty years but he has been a resident of St Ives since the 60's. Originally from Barrow in Furness he made the long trip south when the St Ives art scene was at its most potent. St Ives through and through he is a serious painter with a warm, gentle and fun disposition. His paintings invariably feature the figure, often just like his ice creams, melting into the landscape. The figures are depicted in natural, earthy colours and mould to the contours of the land or sea.
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| John Emanuel |
These are sensuous paintings with feeling, texture and depth. The landscapes featured are predominantly his two first loves, the far south west of Cornwall and the Cumbrian fells. Emanuel also paints classical iconic looking heads, strikingly beautiful and like treasure embellished with gold.
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| Porthmeor Cove oil on canvas |
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| Landscape |
These are sensuous paintings with feeling, texture and depth. The landscapes featured are predominantly his two first loves, the far south west of Cornwall and the Cumbrian fells. Emanuel also paints classical iconic looking heads, strikingly beautiful and like treasure embellished with gold.
I'm back for a visit and John's St Ives studio has recently been refurbished as part of The Borlase Smart John Wells Trust 'Porthmeor Studios Renovation Project'. John shows me around and although slightly smaller now John is once again settled. He points to the wooden cladding which was all removed for insulation and treatment before being replaced in the original position. "Look the paint splashes still run perfectly in line" he declares pointing at the now structurally sound wall. A new wood burner has been installed too for those wintery days when the Sun doesn't create that natural Cornish warmth. Big picture windows reveal the view from the studio out to the mighty Atlantic which is stunning and cannot fail to bolster artistic inspiration.
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| Classical Head |
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| View to the Atlantic |
A lovely couple of hours discussing St Ives, John, his paintings, the Studio and life follows and we are lost in Art. John is attending a talk at the St Ives School of Painting later and is in no rush as he is just going to 'grab a baked potato' when we leave.
There is however a knock at the studio door and it is Janet, John's partner and author of several titles including two on Bryan Pearce. John is late, engrossed in his work and our visit - the talk is about to start!
We say 'Hellos' to Janet and 'Good Byes' to both and John is off. That baked potato will just have to wait!
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| Studio Interior |
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| John Emanuel book |
