A leading marine artist, whose work sells for thousands of pounds, has donated one of his paintings to a North East charity to help raise money this Christmas.
A painting by North Shields based Mark Taylor was recently given a prestigious spot in The Royal Society of Marine Artists’ 2022 London exhibition – selling for £4950 to an anonymous buyer before the exhibition even opened.
And now art lovers can get their hands on a Mark Taylor print for a fraction of the price after he joined forces with the Northumberland and Newcastle Society (the N&N).
He donated his sepia painting, Old Tyne Bridge in the Snow c.1928, free of charge, to feature on the heritage charity’s official 2022 Christmas card.
And now he and the charity hope the cards – which cost £4.99 for a pack of five – will prove popular with Tynesiders, ex-pat Geordies and anyone who either has links to the region or appreciates art.
Mark, 43, who is also a coxswain with Tynemouth RNLI Lifeboat crew, has amassed a legion of famous fans including Sam Fender, Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor and writer Ian le Frenais OBE since becoming a full-time, professional artist 11 years ago.
But this is the first time he has given permission for a charity to reproduce his work free of charge and he said, “when they approached me, I didn’t think twice.
“For almost a century the N&N has been quietly safeguarding the region’s heritage – stepping in to protect old buildings from developers and ensuring our heritage will live on for future generations to enjoy.
“As a father of three myself and someone who loves this region with a passion, I’m happy to support them in any way I can.”
John Matthews, Chairman of the N&N, which purchased the Kielder viaduct to save it for the nation, said the Society was “delighted and very grateful to Mark for giving us permission to use this beautiful painting.
“His work is highly sought after and so we thoroughly appreciate his generosity in waiving his fees for us.”
The Christmas cards depicting Mark’s painting of The Old Tyne Bridge in the Snow circa 1928 cost £4.99 for a pack of five, including postage and packing to UK addresses and can be purchased from the Northumberland and Newcastle Society online at https://www.nandnsociety.org.uk/shop/
Mark’s work can be viewed or purchased at The Studio, Low Lights Tavern, North Shields or via marktaylor-thestudio.com . He also works to commission.