The Sea Beckons

Artists have long been drawn to the coast – but painter Penny Rumble discovered her calling for her vibrant seascapes after moving to the Penwith peninsula and exploring Cornwall’s teaching talents

Step into the heart of rural Cornwall and there’s bound to be a standing stone or an ancient fogue nearby. Climb the hill behind a granite farmhouse and view both the north, south and west coasts of Cornwall and you will deduce that you are on the peninsula of West Penwith. This is where Penny and her husband Simon chose to live after they’d seen a clutch of derelict barns on the open market.

“We came from Cambridge in the spring of 2008 and have never looked back,” says Penny. “Our two boys were in their twenties and settled at work so we decided to indulge in a little risk-taking.

“The sea and a whole new lifestyle beckoned. In the end the family followed us down and we set to work on the buildings as a team. It was two years before we could actually move in and now we have a holiday let and a wonderful art studio.

“We live on the edge, in more ways than one. But then that is a way of life down here in Cornwall. We often have to wear different hats to get by.

“I’d always wanted to live near the sea but I never expected to be almost surrounded by the Atlantic,” says Penny. “Immediately Simon bought a little fishing boat which he moors in Penzance harbour. I took swimming lessons so that I could be more confident in the sea and I also decided to paint on a more professional level.

“I had learned the art of colour and design through dealing in antiques and fine art. I was also keen on zoological drawing but I was a doodler and a dabbler. Art was a pastime.