Light on the Water, Whitby

In 1998 I was staying with family and friends at Glen Elg, just across the water from the Isle of Skye. One afternoon while out exploring we saw a sign for “Sheena’s Tea Hut” and so we followed the road. We came to a high place where we were looking down on the Sound of Sleat with the sun reflecting brilliantly off the water. It was just magical: the beauty of Scotland’s west coast, the distant islands of the Hebrides and this incredible light.


Ever since, light on water has found its way into my songs, poems and pictures - most recently into Light on the Water, Whitby. When I made this screen print of the old harbour town I knew it would be easy to make the focus of the picture the ruined abbey, or a ship in the harbour but I wanted the light to be the focus.


To me the picture is all about light. I hope you like it too.