A Starry Night the Moon and Rottingdean Beacon Mill

Print description

At night the artist dreams of a perfect starry night made up from a concoction of drawings. Nature as the artist intended becomes an amalgamation of separate entities that are reconstructed and collaged together to form a vision that mixes his childhood distant memories and dreams of a summer night, lying on the grass on top of the hill, with a small hand torch and a constellation map, learning made up from antiquity the names of stars and galaxies.

Print details

To create this print, I start by crafting individual drawings in ink, which collectively form a collage comprising the final piece. I scan my drawings and digitally add colour. The original design solely exists in digital format, and I print it using archival inks and paper. I then release my design as a limited edition print, available in standard ‘A’ sizes, ranging from A0 (84.1 cm x 118.9 cm) to A4 (21 x 29.7 cm).

Base drawings for the art print. I draw these on A3 sheets of specialised marker paper with calligraphic brushes, fine-line ink pens, sponges, sand paper and other materials. The medium is watercolour, ink and charcoal. I scanned these to form the main line work and patterns in the final print.

Rottingdean Windmill: A Historic Gem

Beacon Mill, a charming grade II listed smock mill in Rottingdean, Sussex, England, boasts a rich history. Built in 1802, it stands proudly within the Beacon Hill Local Nature Reserve. Despite facing challenges over the years, including a mysterious ‘ancient warrior’ skeleton discovery during foundation digging, Beacon Mill has been lovingly restored multiple times. Originally working until 1881, it faced near-demolition in 1890. Thanks to the Marquis of Abergavenny, it saw repairs in 1905. Restoration efforts in 1935, 1969, and 1974 have ensured this historic mill continues to shine as a seamark, telling tales of its resilient past.”

Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill, an 18.6-hectare Local Nature Reserve on the outskirts of Brighton in East Sussex. Managed by Brighton and Hove Council, this chalk grassland site offers breathtaking sea views and diverse flora, including round-headed rampion, vetches, wild thyme, and orchids. Skylarks add to the vibrant birdlife.

For over six thousand years, Beacon Hill has been grazed chalk grassland, resembling the vast steppes from Hungary to Mongolia. Human intervention, particularly sheep farming, has maintained grazing, creating biodiversity akin to a miniature rainforest.

Designated a Local Nature Reserve in 2004, Beacon Hill joins other chalk grassland reserves like Benfield Hill, Bevendean Down, Ladies Mile, and Whitehawk Hill around Brighton and Hove. Nearby, Castle Hill boasts the status of a National Nature Reserve.

The Grange Gallery. Rottingdean Heritage

In July 2022 a show that marked the 150th anniversary of William Nicholson’s birth opened at the Grange, Rottingdean Heritage Art Gallery. ‘A Was an Artist’ centred on Nicholson’s life in Rottingdean in the first quarter of the last century. The show was fantastic with many paintings and prints by the artists. Later that year I had a lovely solo show at this space, and what’s more I am coming back with another solo show this autumn 2024 from 13 – 24 November

The Grange, originally a vicarage extended by Thomas Hooker in the early 19th century as a school, underwent a transformation when purchased by artist Sir William Nicholson before WW1. In the 1920s, Lutyens restored it for Sir George Lewis, with Gertrude Jeckyll influencing the garden design. The property, once occupied by developer Charles Neville, now serves as an Art Gallery and Museum managed by Rottingdean Heritage volunteers. It also houses the local library and Tourist Information Hub, overseen by Brighton and Hove Council