Residences: Meet Victoria Young-Jamieson

Meet the artist

Devon-based artist Victoria Young Jamieson has a deep connection to the landscape of North Cornwall where she grew up, with a particular affinity to the wild and rugged stretch of coastline between Watergate Bay and Porthcothan.

Commemorating a summer spent living on the cliffs above Carnewas and Bedruthan Steps, her latest collection of paintings is a homage to this place - a love letter to the landscape and a way of re-focussing her connection to this ancient corner of Cornwall. The series is inspired by daily walks in the liminal light of dawn and dusk, a calming ritual amidst the frantic pace of Cornwall in high summer.

The visual contrast of the landscape - vast cliffs, ever-changing rocks formations and the sweeping vista across Park Head towards Newquay - is captured in a series of energetic canvases, which pulsate with the heady heat of the summer and the deep-rooted warmth of the rocks. Her work has been displayed for many seasons across Scarlet and Bedruthan, and we're delighted to welcome her this February for our first week-long residency.

Through a series of representational sketches, Victoria has transformed her memories of the cliffs, caves and iconic stone stacks at Bedruthan to create a body of abstract works that evoke a sense of this extraordinary place and will continue to work on this series during her residency at our coastal hotel. And, as Victoria gets her canvases ready to migrate to Bedruthan, we caught up for a quick Q&A all about her work, process and inspiration.

What inspires you and your artwork?

Being outside and exploring new places - rain or shine, colour combinations in nature, how light exposes elements and textures, and I also love the essence of being in the moment. Equally, I love to explore colour combinations in the studio and not to have any rules to see where it goes!

My artwork solely relies on process and manipulating the paint on the canvas. I love to experiment, working and reworking pieces over time until they mature in to representational forms of something more familiar.

Do you have a favourite area or landscape that you like to paint?

The coastline between Newquay and Padstow has been one of my reference points ever since I picked up a paint brush. I grew up around here, and it's a place I keep coming back to. I know the landscape and sometimes it's nice to return to something more familiar and comfortable when sometimes I can lose my way with another subject.

The subject stays with me even when I am not here. I am completely infatuated by it. My style has developed over time and every visit to the coast always presents a new challenge and urge to recreate it.

Which colours represent your work the most?

Blue! Although I do try to pull myself away from using it! I love to use a contrast, usually of bright colours with something dark but recently I have been trying to develop earthier tones. Its harder for me to use duller colours which is why I want to eradicate my fear.

Which season inspires you and your artwork the most?

I love all seasons and the intensity of change that it has on the landscape.

Walking and experiencing each season is exciting and anticipating the arrival of a new seasonal shift. Particularly spring - perhaps because it's the first burst of colour - that fresh luminous green… I learnt after painting my mum's garden over the first lockdown that there is a sudden urgency to capture it before it changes - as it happens so quickly. If I revisit the same thing the next day, the energy is completely different and the excitement is over.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am looking forward to continuing working in the area around Bedruthan - I lived there on the clifftops for two months and was able to experience all the elements at all parts of the night and day, walking when I could every day - at first light and dusk. It will be great to have the time and space to paint - whatever the weather throws at me during February!

Meet Victoria Young-Jamieson and watch her work on her latest series in the Lanai at Bedruthan between 21st - 26th February 2022. She'll also be returning later in the year for a masterclass workshop series (tickets on sale soon).