Like most artists, I am fascinated by light. This is one of the reasons the beautiful Saltwick Bay is one of my favourite landscapes. Just around the corner from my Whitby studio, it changes according to the weather and so is different every time I visit.
As you cross the sands from the bay towards Black Nab, it turns to shale underfoot - which contains fossils and, rather surprisingly, the wreck of the Admiral Van Tromp. Her remains add a starkly beautiful element to the landscape and have become the focus of two very different drawings.
The first piece I did was of the view on a wet and gloomy day. The grey shale had turned black in the rain and the wreck was a powerful silhouette against the sky. A natural choice for working in charcoal.
My second version, just completed, was from a picture I took on a bright day when the tide was fully out. The rocks were drying and the salt left behind added a striking marbled pattern. This one was done in carbon and charcoal pencil. No doubt I will return and be inspired again. In the meantime, both pieces are currently available to view in the landscapes section of my shop.