‘The Two Lighthouses, Whitby’
The two lighthouses – one at each end of Whitby's harbour piers – are a distinct feature of this British seaside town.
One lighthouse is taller than the other, and they look like they were built at different times. They were. The taller one was built 16 years before the smaller of the two, I understand.
They add a great deal of character to this small coastal town, with a fantastic beach, on the East coast of Yorkshire, UK.
These two beacons stand at the entrance to a harbour with an ancient history – invasions, battles, trading, shipbuilding, departures on epic adventures, and of course, the arrival of notable vampires (is there any other kind?).
- Image size: Available in three sizes
- Medium: digital / giclée
- Ground: fine art paper 240gsm
There are old photographs showing a bustling port. They tell of a harbour filled with tall ships nestled inside the safety of its walls.
The ruins high on the cliffs to the right are Whitby Abbey, historically a considerable influence on the area's prosperity, and its calm.
Whitby is also the only port on a long stretch of coast with little safety on offer otherwise. The town's mismatched twin lights, when built, must have been a welcome sight for those out at sea.
I've read suggestions that entering the harbour could be a tricky affair. The sea visible beyond the second lighthouse hides rocks. They stretch unseen into the deep ocean, concealed even at low tide.
There are relatively recent fragments of shipwrecks, beyond the rock formations on the horizon, to the right of the shorter lighthouse. Having built the one light, did they later decide another was necessary?
I'm not sure there are many ports with two lighthouses – a single light is more typical, I think.
The difference in height between the beacons was not the result of hard times. It was a deliberate design to help ships navigate into the harbour safely.
The duo stands apart, separated by tides, time, materials and construction – individual, yet joined by a common reason for existing.
The taller one is wrinkled by a great deal of weathering, betraying its older status. Perhaps the materials are not the same, or the West pier is more exposed.
A stroll along the harbour walls to the end of the pier is always rewarding, regardless of the weather. But then, there's much to love about Whitby, and I'll be making more Whitby art, no doubt.
This art is hand‑drawn using a fancy computer pencil on a computer screen. It's printed for me on heavy fine art paper by a high‑quality supplier.
There are plugs and on/off switches involved in the making of this art (unlike with my linocuts and paintings).
The excellence of these prints is exceptional, and the inks, called Giclée, produce a vibrant fine art finish. Modern technology is pretty impressive now, and I've taken my time choosing a supplier.
The art is in the style of my linocuts. Because I've created it using a computer, though, I can offer it in several sizes. My linocuts are in one size only.
My digital art prints will be available at lower prices than my handmade linocuts because I've not spent my time printing them.
The cost of a print will include something for my time creating the art and payment for its printing. I'm working out costs at the moment, so the price is yet to be confirmed.