Staithes, Yorkshire — Painting the Most Dramatic Coastline in England

Staithes is not an easy place to forget. Tucked into a deep cleft in the North Yorkshire cliffs, it drops suddenly from the moorland plateau to a tangle of fishermen's cottages, cobles, and the constant sound of the sea. It is one of the few places on the English coast that still feels genuinely untouched — raw, dramatic, and painterly in every sense.

I have returned to Staithes many times. The light here is unlike anywhere else on the Yorkshire coast. In the early morning, when mist still clings to the Beck, the village takes on an almost monochrome quality — slate rooftops, grey stone, and the pale glimmer of water. By afternoon, when the sun hits the red pantile rooftops and the boats in the harbour, the colour shifts entirely. It is a place that demands to be painted rather than photographed.

Two Boats is one of the pieces that came directly from those mornings at the harbour edge — a pen drawing that tries to capture the stillness of the scene before the tide turns and the day takes over.

The original and a range of prints are available in the Seascapes collection in the shop. You can view the Two Boats original pen drawing, as well as the Staithes original seascape drawing and the Staithes Harbour fine art print.