No. 9 Kate Pettitt “Stone Light” 2024 Acrylic, charcoal pencil and white pastel pencil on paper.
Artist’s note:
This painting is a result of seven visits to site, painting en plein air (outside on location) under a tree in the grounds of the adjacent flats with my easel and art materials. As I usually paint wild, natural environments, I responded as I would to a changing landscape, exaggerating observed colours to create a flickering, ‘living’ light.
The city walls are iconic. To this York resident, they represent solidity and consistency. They protect and contain, and when I see them, I know I’m home. However, they also remind me of past conflict, war and blood spilled. This contradiction is echoed in the robust, severe structure of the Postern Tower and the soft, pretty tones of the stone of which it is built. Over the weeks of working, I become fascinated by the clues of adaptation over time. Look closely and you will see infills, differences in stone, erosion and restoration. Wildflowers grow and life continues.
To contact Kate Pettitt or see more of her work go to:
Email: studio@katepettitt.co.uk
Web: http://www.katepettitt.co.uk
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FoYW’s note:
This is Fishergate Postern Tower seen from inside the city it was defending, its door and broad windows can safely face this way. Just below its roof the windows are also broad but they have a look of what they were before the roof was added: a row of battlements.
Well below the battlements York’s city walls, are shown ending at the tower. Oddly their wall-walk goes straight to where the casing of a spiral stair stands out from the main tower wall, there is no sign of any doorway through which guards could come directly from the tower onto the wall.
The artist owns the copyright for this work. Non-commercial use of this image is permitted provided that the artist is credited (and if used online, linked to). License terms and fees will apply for commercial use of this image. Please contact the artist for details.
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Posted / Updated 16th February 2026 AF
