Tim Ridley is a visual artist based in Penzance with an interest in the relationship between humans and animals. In May 2017, he applied to the Cultivator Specialist Mentoring scheme with a view to receiving mentoring from Jason Walker, an artist he had previously worked with at Newlyn School of Art.

Tim and Jason worked together throughout the summer months, working on shadow and shading and looking at the work of Walter Sikert and Bernard Dunstan for inspiration. They also collaborated on a plan to guide Tim’s future development. “Jason and I were able to navigate and plot a future course for my figurative approach to painting, allowing it to progress and also to fulfil my ambitions.”

Following the completion of his mentoring, Tim went on to spend a week at Brisons Veor in Cape Cornwall, an experience he describes as the most productive six days of painting he has achieved in a long time. Having forged an understanding of each other’s art, Tim and Jason plan to continue working together in the future. Reflecting on the mentoring process, Jason said, “This has been a wonderful and informative experience for me, and, inadvertently, by trying to help Tim, I have learned more than I ever expected about my own practice.”