About ImagianationONLINE ONLY as of March 2020St Ives gallery founded in 2009 in St Ives, Cornwall 65 Fore St, TR26 1HE • Closed in February 2018
Our artists set new standards for beauty, colourfulness and appeal; many people told us it was their favourite gallery in St Ives. Nearly 22,500 invoiced sales later, we have closed the gallery as fewer people are buying paintings in this economic climate and possibly from the competition of on-line sales. We represented all our artists for nine years with tons of enjoyment and much admiration and pride. Many have a lifetime of skill and experience behind them, which we marvel at. Many are self taught, very hard working & very naturally gifted; others very talented and top professionals. Our staff have been wonderful over the years making everyone feel warm and welcomed. We are so proud of them also, especially Gayl, Laura, LIndsey and Mirka who have managed the St Ives gallery so well since we moved to Bath. Please note that our NAME is not mis-spelt! Imag-IAN-ation is Ian And Nicola ... and Art of imagination ... Bath Gallery founded 2015 5 Terrace Walk, BA1 1LN • Closed on 27th February 2020
We opened our second gallery in March 2015 to great appreciation for being BEAUTIFUL and AFFORDABLE in a BEAUTIFUL but EXPENSIVE city!! A larger gallery, we have space to show more and larger work, though we still restrict ourselves to representing our area: the South West, Cornwall to the Cotswolds, encompassing some of the most beautiful areas of Britain. Since 2017 we have provided framing and in 2018 we have opened up our fine art printing services from the same lovely location in the centre of Bath, just behind the Abbey. We enjoy being a 'one-stop-shop' for all services to artists as well as all the people who want something beautiful to look at on their walls.
Nicola Maclean (née Murphy) Gallery Director
Nicola's English degree got her writing for "The Times" in her 20's. She left London to follow in the footsteps of her relatives, famed members of the Newlyn School, Harold and Dame Laura Knight. Living in Lamorna in Oakhilll Cottage next door to where they painted, she studied for a Fine Art degree at Falmouth Art College. A return to Oxford led her to the love of her life & the joy of family life and from there back to where she loves. Now in Bath she works with yet more talented artists offering special memories of not just St Ives but the whole south west of England for its many visitors – from all over the world. Nicola on her art training: " I have 4 years of formal training at Falmouth School of Art; it didn't give me talent so much as insight & years of magical fun, an understanding of conceptual art – and a much deeper love of art, illustration, colour and paint, a delight in the power of mind & imagination to create illusion & beauty – and to use just paint and brushes to do so."
Ian Maclean Admin/Prints Director
Music, photography, astrology and more at www.iansongs.com
St Ives – our magical beginningsWhat is it about St Ives that drew us? There's a magic in the fabric of our first chosen home. It's in the sun dancing on the water by day and in the moonlight sparkling like diamonds on it by night. It's that moment when you spot a shape in the water and realise it's a seal - or a dolphin! It's wandering the cobbled streets, discovering lovely little nooks and crannies, sometimes unearthing a hidden gem. It's in the cosy pubs on a winter's day or sitting al fresco at a cafe in the sunshine. It's sauntering along the harbour with your ice-cream. It's jumping over the waves, surfing on the crest of them or taking a boat ride through them. It's escaping the crowds out past Man's Head on the coastal path. It's the sight of the fireworks over the harbour at New Year. It's in the air, that pure clean air that gives St Ives that 'light' that draws the artists' hearts. It's in the soul of the earth, the stones and trees that speaks to the spirit of the writers'. It's in the 'ilow an mor' that plucks the musicians' heartstrings.What is it for you? People come to Cornwall, to buy art - and the top place in Cornwall for art is ... St Ives.
Bath – our second homeWhat is it about Bath that makes the city so enchanting? There's a magic in the spirit that has drawn people here for mind body and spirit over the last two thousand years. It's in the sun dancing on the rivers by day, the trees in the afternoons and the beautiful street-lit buildings at night. Cobbled streets dating back hundreds of years. Cosy pubs on a winter's day or smart contemporary and international cuisine restaurants. Wonderful Christmas shopping in the shade of the beautiful Abbey. People come to Bath to enjoy beauty in many forms – and art is here for them to find at imagianation gallery, as well as the iconic places nearby:
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With Cornish ancestry in Mevagissey and Port Isaac, Ian has always longed to live in Cornwall. His earliest loves were photography, guitar and painting. A physics degree and the computer industry gave him a living for many years but arts have now taken over again.  Previously Bath & St Ives |