Hello and welcome to my little site!

I’m Francesca, I’m 30 and I’m a Cleethorpes based artist and illustrator painting all things local. I’ve lived in Spain for the past four years and during a very strict Spanish lockdown I began painting our local town and I just haven’t stopped! That was almost a year ago now and in that time I’ve moved home, changed my spare room into a studio (on the Fitties!) and set up a little business selling my prints and paintings. I spent many school lunchtimes in the art room and went on to study art at university, so I’m absolutely over the moon to be doing this full time.

Paul Theroux in his 1983 book ‘The Kingdom by the Sea’ describes the state of the British Seaside as ‘the same, only older’. Growing up in Cleethorpes I have always been a little obsessed with the historic imagery found here; the promenade, the amusements, the pier all surrounded by old and slightly crooked buildings with so much character. Through watercolour and pen my aim is to create vibrant, imagined scenes of the local area in a lively, distinctive and illustrative style. Although the paintings are based on the buildings seen today, I like to piece my favourite places together so they lie somewhere between reality and imagination. Exaggerated colours also add to this dreamy state, of trying to capture the history within the modern landscape of today’s seaside town.

It’s been a crazy year, but I’m so grateful to be doing what I love; creating original art. None of this would have been possible without the help of my parents and my boyfriend Brad. There’s been many a late night where, on the pretence of “a glass of wine with cheese”, they’ve been tricked into a family print packaging night. I should really rename the business ‘Francesca Young and Family’ but the logo was already designed!

Thank you for coming to my website and I hope you like all my paintings of our little Kingdom by the Sea.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like anymore information or if you have a challenge for me!

Francesca