“Whitby Harbour”

This view, as many who've visited will recognise, is from St Mary's churchyard high above the seaside town of Whitby.

Whitby harbour defies the wild North Sea, protecting the entrance to safe moorings where the river Esk flows into saltwater.

It's well worth climbing the old steps to the top of the hill to stand and gaze out over this scene (though there is a carpark up at the top too).

Anyone familiar with the famous Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby, here in the UK, will know this view well. Crowds of tourists climbing the hill are often thronged with photographers publishing panaramic sunsets taken up there.

Whitby is an ancient settlement dating from 656 – Viking raiders destroying a monastery there in 867. This rich, if turbulent history, has continued throughout the town's existance, famous for Captain Cook, Whitby Abbey, and of course Count Dracula.

Apart from that, it's a lovely old fishing town (especially around Church Street), with expansive sands, and delicious fresh fish and chips! What more could you want for a grand day-out at the seaside?

This was one of those paintings that takes a long-long time. Mainly because the canvas spent quite a while turned to the wall in my studio between bouts of painting. It's one strategy for seeing what an artwork is telling you it needs.

Oh, to paint in Whitby

I'm a regular visitor to Whitby on this wild, harsh, and yet beautiful part of the Yorkshire East Coast.

I visit for fun, as well as in working mode for my art. I've quite a few Whitby inspired artworks on this website already as a result.

Every year I plan plein‑air art trips to Whitby and its surround area – I never manage to fit in as many as I hope.