MODERN art can be a divisive subject at the best of times – but especially if you are a three-year-old.
While I’m still confident I could see an elephant in the finger paintings done at the Tate in St Ives, my eldest was adamant it was a picture of “Daddy”.
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There was something we could all agree on though during a family trip to the Cornish north coast — and it wasn’t that I’m no oil painting.
Just ten minutes from all the hubbub is Carbis Bay.
If you are after a bit of artistic inspiration, then look no further than the Una St Ives resort, which is nestled just up the hill from the beach.
The Scandi-inspired eco-lodges are brilliant for families of all sizes and include private gardens, smart interiors and natural log burners.
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The downstairs consists of a huge open-plan sitting and dining room, allowing everyone space to do their own thing.
Meanwhile, there is a master-bedroom (with en-suite), two more bedrooms and a large family bathroom upstairs. Some even come sporting their own hot tubs.
You can forget arty pretentiousness about the lodges. They are just well kitted out with all the essentials for a brilliant family break.
Apart from the spacious homes, the standout feature of the Una resort is the on-site restaurant.
A short walk from the lodges is the restaurant that creates Mediterranean-inspired fare from a wood-fired oven.
The kids’ meals are ample.
My two wolfed down cheesy tomato pasta and prosciutto-topped pizza with aplomb, while the adults tucked into deep-fried halloumi and Cornish sardines, followed by pizzas of our own.
Clotted cream ice-cream finished it all off.
After all that grub it was good to work some off in the indoor pool.
There is a large infinity pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and kids’ pool.
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If you fancy getting out and about, Una is a brilliant base from which to explore the area.
For the perfect “picture postcard” view, head to St Michael’s Mount around 15 minutes away in Marazion.
The island is only accessible by foot at low tide, so we took the boat across the water for a small fee.
On the island, there is a treasure map for younger ones, which encourages them along the steep incline up to the castle.
Once at the top, storytellers keep the little ones amused while adults take in the stunning scenery.
Back on the mainland, The Godolphin Arms pub makes for a great spot to soak up some rays — and maybe do the odd doodle with a perfect view of the castle.
It is little wonder this part of the world has always been a haven for artistic types.
At the moment, though, our 18-month-old is more Moaner Lisa than Mona Lisa as the last of her teeth break through.
But even she loved getting stuck in at the Tate Modern’s children section back in St Ives.
A whole area had been devoted to future Tracey Emins with all sorts of crafts and creative elements available to youngsters.
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Sometimes having kids in an art gallery can feel like a ticking time bomb. But ours were welcomed and allowed to “explore” the room, which meant drawing on the walls.
Downalong, or “Downlong” as the St Ives locals call it, has a labyrinth of alleyways and small, cobbled streets which add to the atmosphere of a pirate town.
It is easy to imagine some swashbuckling deeds going on when the mist settles in.
If flagons of ale take your fancy, head to the Sloop pub on the water’s edge.
But with two hungry tiddlers, we all settled in at The Hub.
Huge burgers were washed down with Hub pale ale, while the youngsters tucked into mac and cheese and fish and chip butties as we watched the world go by on the outside decking upstairs.
Then, with no pirates in immediate sight, we headed home and let the bubbles flow in the hot-tub.
Comments that I looked more like a capsized Pugwash than Captain Jack Sparrow in the water seemed very unfair.
