New Clovelly Harbour Lino Print

If you follow me on social media, you might remember that I made a trip to the captivating village of Clovelly in Devon last year. It’s a place that instantly makes you slow down, something I need to do more of. With its steep cobbled streets, charming cottages, and lack of modern distractions, Clovelly feels beautifully suspended in time, like a glimpse into how coastal life once was, and perhaps how life should be.

I was so taken by the village that I knew I wanted to create a lino print inspired by my experience of visiting it. One of my photographs of Clovelly Harbour became the starting point for this linocut print. The harbour, surrounded by the village felt like the heart of the place. Rather than capturing the busy, bustling activity of Clovelly, I was inspired to depict the quiet stillness of the early morning, when the working boats lay idle and the day had yet to properly begin.

As a Cornwall based printmaker, those who know my work will realise that birds or well-known scenes of Cornwall often feature heavily in my linocuts. In many ways, birds have become a familiar presence in my lino prints. This piece, however, marks a slight, though not permanent departure from this subject matter. In this linocut, I was able to focus on the boats, cottages, lifeboat house, and the calm of the moment.

Focusing on a new subject matter also stretched my mark making skills on how to communicate all the wondrous textures I could see. The cobbles in the foreground of the print took a mighty effort and patience to carve. I like to think these details are what makes my lino prints slightly different, giving the viewer the opportunity to see something new each time.

I remember the morning when I visited Clovelly clearly. It was a chilly start, the kind that makes you wrap up in a scarf, but it was incredibly peaceful. Walking down the winding cobbled streets towards the harbour, with only the sound of footsteps, distant water, and birds, made me feel at peace. That quiet, unhurried feeling is what I hoped to capture in this linocut.

This lino print of Clovelly Harbour is all about taking time to pause from the hubbub of modern life and appreciate a moment of stillness that could easily be missed.

My Clovelly linocut, 'Morning Harbour' is printed on A4 paper in powder blue. You can purchase this new lino print in my online shop here.