The current St Mary’s Lighthouse, built in 1898 for a hefty £8,000, stands on a small rocky tidal island near Whitley Bay on the north-east coast of England. A short concrete causeway connects it to the mainland, which submerges at high tide. It replaced the Tynemouth Priory lighthouse after several shipwrecks near St Mary’s.

Designed by Sir Thomas Matthews, the lighthouse was converted to electricity in 1977 and decommissioned in 1984. Today, it operates as a museum and visitor centre, offering breathtaking views of the North East England coastline and exhibits on its history and the surrounding nature reserve.

My reference photo was kindly provided by a friend at my local art club whose roots are in that area.

I’ve created a pen and watercolour interpretation of her photo, a bit looser than my usual works, but I like it.

Visit my Etsy shop, https://GordonMclemanArt.etsy.com, to see the full range of original paintings and prints currently available for sale. (Sales to the United States are ‘Delivered Duty Paid’).

If you prefer to collect your purchase directly from me in Peterhead, Scotland, please email me at sales@gm-art.online with details of your order instead of going through the Etsy checkout. You’ll receive a 20% discount on my Etsy prices. Payment can be made by cash on collection, PayPal, or bank transfer.