Celebrating the RNLI This Cullercoats Harbour Day
If you are familiar with my work, then you’ll know how passionate I am about the North East coastline. The beautiful beaches of Northumberland and Tyneside have inspired much of my work. But the old adage is true: there’s no place like home. And home for my gallery is the small harbour town Cullercoats.
Home is where the art is
Since 2019, 6 St George’s Road in Cullercoats has been home to my gallery, run by myself and my husband, Ross. The gallery is both a place to share my artwork with the community and also an art studio for my works in progress. As a result, this little gem on the Tyneside coast holds a special place in my heart.
Cullercoats is known for its beautiful sandy bay, a favourite among families and sea swimmers all throughout the year. The bay also has its very own RNLI lifeboat station, which I have supported for several years through my annual Christmas card campaign.
So, when the opportunity arose to donate a canvas print to raise money for the RNLI this Cullercoats Harbour Day (Saturday, 12th August), I jumped at the chance to create something that truly encapsulates what the charity means to me and the rest of the local community.
Since 1848, the Cullercoats RNLI has watched over the Tyneside shores. The current boathouse was built in 1886 and is a Grade-II listed building. It’s not only a beautiful structure, but it’s also the base for a team of incredible volunteers who work tirelessly to keep people safe all year round.
Win a Joanne Wishart canvas print of Cullercoats Bay
For this year’s Cullercoats Harbour Day, I have donated a canvas print of this brand new painting depicting the bustling bay on a summer’s day.
Cullercoats has been painted many times throughout history by the likes of Winslow Homer and John Falconer Slater, portraying the working lives of the fishermen and families at that time.
So, in contrast, I wanted to paint Cullercoats in all its current glory and how it’s celebrated and used today – as both a working lifeboat station and a favourite day out for families travelling from near and far.
The piece depicts the gorgeous harbour on a busy summer’s day, with dog walkers, paddleboarders, families and brave sea swimmers all coming together to make the most out of the sun. The focal point of the painting is an RNLI lifeboat venturing into the sea.
The canvas print is 1m wide by 50cm deep. To be in with a chance of winning this print, you can pop into the gallery and for £2 choose a square on a map of Cullercoats Bay. Once all squares are sold each the winning square will be revealed.
The original painting is also looking for a home, and you can view it in-person at our Cullercoats gallery. Limited edition prints and canvas prints are both available to purchase online and in my gallery, and we’ll be donating 10% of profits of this print to the Cullercoats RNLI. Edit * The original is now sold.
Watch the video below to see a timelapse of the painting process. The bright colours and busy promenade made this a super fun piece to paint; there’s just so much going on!
Come and visit the gallery on St George’s Road. We’re open Wed-Sun 10 am to 5 pm, or shop all of our limited edition prints in our online store.
