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Shelley Thornton

Mixed media, painting

Porthmeor Gold
Acrylics, metal pigments, sand, wax and resin on box canvas framed in black wood box float frame 65cm x 65cm x 6cm
Porthmeor Gold is a largish artwork that creates a bold statement. It forms part of my Sunsets Collection – created in response to the stunning beach of the same name in St Ives, Cornwall, and its surroundings. This is the latest representation of the incredible sunsets at Porthmeor. The one that inspired this work was incredibly vivid and the sea appeared to be shimmering with gold. If you would like more photos of this work to really get a feel for its detail and texture, please contact me.

£1,950

Radiance 3
Acrylics, copper, sand, wax, rust and resin on canvas, mounted and framed in white wood float frame 34cm x 34cm x 4cm
The Radiance works form part of my Vessels Collection – inspired by boatworks in St Ives Harbour. The term Vessel has the obvious nautical meaning and so you may see an orange and yellow boat with its hull resting on the sand, with decorative markings in teal and white. You may also see a sunset in the Harbour with the glowing coppers, oranges and yellows. But look deeper and you’ll find lines and scratches as though the boat is telling a story of each and every turning tide and trip out to sea.

£400

Solitude 7
Acrylics, copper, sand, wax, rust and resin on canvas, mounted and framed in white wood float fram 34cm x 34cm x 4cm
The Solitude works form part of my Vessels Collection – inspired by boatworks in St Ives Harbour. The term Vessel has the obvious nautical meaning and so you may see a teal boat with its hull resting on the sand, with decorative markings in yellow and white. You may also see water reflections in the Harbour in the shimmering aqua colours. But look deeper and you’ll find lines and scratches as though the boat is telling a story of each and every turning tide and trip out to sea.

£400

The Ghost Ship
Acrylics with wax, sand & metallic chippings on box canvas framed in black wood box float frame 65cm x 65cm x 6cm
The Ghost Ship 1 is a largish artwork that creates a bold statement. The Ghost Ship artworks form a largely monochrome set of more reflective paintings. It is part of a mini series initially inspired by the finding of the Endurance in the seas off Antarctica in March 2022 – almost 107 years after being stricken by ice. The amazing thing about the Endurance was that no lives were lost on that fateful voyage. And the found wreck was really well preserved. It had been well named by Sir Ernest Shackleton. If you would like more photos of this work to really get a feel for its detail and texture, please contact me.

£1,950

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It was the move to St Ives almost 20 years ago that led Shelley to the bold abstract style she has now.

St Ives is a unique place where the light reflects from the rolling Atlantic waves like no other. Many of Shelley's collections draw from this magical landscape. From the Vessels paintings, based on the ever changing harbour scenes, to others that take inspiration from the shorelines and spectacular sunsets.

When Shelley paints, she is directed by the stunning seascape around her. It is in stark contrast to the City enviroment where she grew up and lived and worked before. She finds herself blending images of steel furnaces and coal mines from her Yorkshire roots with modern cityscapes and the contrasting beauty of Cornwall. Her artworks represent a strong melding of the seeming dichotomy of the city and the coast.

It is not simply the landscape that Shelley abstracts from. Visual storytelling is intrinsic to her work. She is driven by the feelings, interprtetations and stories that run through our world.

In her studio in the artists' quarter of the art colony of St Ives, Shelley builds pieces up a layer at a time, combining textures with bold colour and sometimes adding emotive song lyrics. Texture and symoblism surface within the blocks of colour to tell comprehensive stories. They evoke a deep sense of place and the passing of time. Shelley often combines salvaged materials such as sand, salt, cement, brick and rust. These natural or industrial mediums bring their own histories to bear on the reading of the artworks - providing fragments of memory to her creations.

Studio 136

studio 3
white’s old workshops
porthmeor rd
st ives
TR26 1NP

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[javascript protected email address]
07788727687

www.artlantic.co.uk/

Further information

Shelley's artwork is found in private and corporate collections worldwide and she has participated in many solo and group exhibitions.

She has been longlisted for a number of artist awards including the Aesthetica Art Prize 2024.

She is available for commissions and residencies. Veryan Palmer, Owner Director of the 5-star Headland Hotel said:

"The artwork created by Shelley was perfect. Taking inspiration from our iconic building, Newquay Harbour and our beautiful natural environment, two large pieces of highly personalised curated art were created for our new Ocean Family Suites".