[ The Artist ]
About Stuart
Painter, gallery owner, and the person who'll answer when you ring the studio.
[ A letter from the studio ]
I've painted in Whitby for over twenty years. The studio sits a short walk from the harbour, and most mornings start the same way — coffee, the light coming off the water, and a canvas that isn't finished yet.
I don't begin with a plan. I begin with a single mark, usually something the coast has shown me that week: a band of rust on a mooring post, the way the abbey goes dark against a winter sky. Then I follow it.
Oil is slow, and I like that. It lets a painting change its mind. Some pieces take a fortnight; some sit on the wall for a year before they tell me what they are.
The prints exist because not everyone can live with an original — but everyone should be able to live with something they love. I sign and number every one myself.
If you're ever in Whitby, come and see the wall. The kettle's usually on.
[ Approach ]
“Light is the subject. Everything else is just where it lands.”
“A painting is finished when it stops arguing with me.”
“The North Sea has never once been the same colour twice.”
[ The Studio ]
Two rooms, one window, a lot of turpentine.
Visits by appointment, Monday to Friday. Originals can be seen in person before you buy — and often are.
[ Follow the Studio ]
Behind the scenes, every day.
Works in progress, early-morning light on the harbour, first looks at new pieces before they reach the wall.
[ Commissions ]
Have something in mind?
I take on a small number of commissions each year.