Saltburn
I have come to know and love Saltburn very well over the years.
This Victorian town was created rather than developed. It was intended to be the Northern version of Bournemouth for the steel workers and miners of middlesborough and has a place in the heart of any true Borough soul.
As you approach the town from the North you are taken straight into the wonderful Victorian square with the train station prominently sitting at its centre. The road leads you to the beach down a spectacularly steep bendy road and you get your first glimpse of the pier. This is the most Northern Pier in England.
The best spot though is from the top of the cliff where the funicular railway hut offers up a stunning view of the pier and the whole bay.
The cliff railway is water balanced and I think its the oldest working one in existence.
I have studied the pier many times and find it very challenging. It is an infuriating millipede like structure with all the majesty the Victorians could muster. Of course it used to be a lot longer but this is the North of the North sea and bits have gone missing.
I wanted the painting to have all the wonderful detail of the pavilion and also get the length of the pier. This painting really stretched my draughting skills to their limits and I managed to put a rather cheeky perspective on the piers length.
I had kept this painting for 7 years but eventually decided to sell it last year 2018 …… its time to let go and move on.
