Wild romance of lighthouses

I have always loved lighthouses. They are romantic, wild and adventurous places.

Australia has a stack of wonderful lighthouses. We have so much rugged coastline after all. One thing that you very rarely get to see, is the inside of the lighthouse. Mostly tourists are allowed to wander the grounds, peep into the lower windows and sometimes go inside a perfectly preserved keepers cottages. But the swirling internal stair case and upper rooms of the lighthouse remain a mystery.

I have always attached romance to lighthouses. Prior to the automation of lighthouses it was common for the keepers family to stay on site in a small cottage. Keepers wives had to make a home in such unforgiving, lonely and remote places. I love the idea of roses and daffodils, petite embroidered handkerchiefs, vases of wildflowers and grasses, homely kitchens and woven baskets bringing a soft feminine touch to an otherwise harsh landscape.

This piece titled “Cape Lighthouse” is about infusing a bit of this floral vintage whimsy into a typical nautical and seafaring subject.

Also if you ever have an idle evening to pass with a glass of wine and box of dark orange chocolates, I recommend the movie “The Light Between Oceans.” I honestly don’t think I have ever cried so hard with a movie. It is one of those stories where there is no possible ending that isn’t sad. Love, loss and grief are explored with a rawness that is matched by the wild scenery. It also happens to be filmed in one of my favourite little coastal towns – Stanley in North West Tasmania and yes it centres around a lighthouse.

I will leave you with the visual inspiration behind my lighthouse illustration.