A walk through paradise: the North Finistère lighthouses in prints

Three linocut prints entered in the International Miniprint Cantabria competition

There are 148 lighthouses on the French coast, a veritable "belt of light". More than a third of them are in Brittany, with 23 in the Finistère (the most westerly part of France).

So it is not surprising that my sketchbooks from Brittany are dotted with these extraordinary buildings, guardians of the people of the sea. I used my sketches to create the prints in my latest 'contemplations iodées' series.

I submitted three prints to the SM Pro Art Circle association in Santander, which is organising the VIIth International Miniprint Cantabria competition on the theme of the sea and lighthouses. How could I resist?

I invite you to enjoy an imaginary 'walk to paradise' in Finistère, in reference to the careers of lighthouse keepers.

First they were stationed in 'hell', a lighthouse on the open sea, then in 'purgatory', a lighthouse on an island, and finally in 'paradise', a lighthouse built on the coast…

Three kinocut prints of lighthouses in Finistère in Brittany

Here, the Trézien lighthouse in Plouarzel (le bien-veillant jour), the flagship house on the Ile Wrac'h (la maison phare), the lighthouses of the Ile Vierge (double clarté).

There is a second version of Le bien-veillant jour, with the colours of the setting sun (le bien-veillant). You might find it amusing that the hydrangeas are tinted with the colours of the sky. If you check next summer by yourself, you will certainly see them in pink, whatever the light and whatever the weather!