North East Art — Original Paintings & Fine Art Prints
Loose line and watercolour wash paintings of Sunderland, Durham and the North East — forgotten shops, old streets and landmarks people around here grew up with.
Places You Know
I paint the North East as it is, and as it was — Penshaw Monument, the Stadium of Light on a match day, the shops on Pennywell high street, streets that have since been pulled down or built over. Some pieces are painted on location. Others are built from old photographs and memory, for places that are no longer there to draw.
Every piece starts as pen line, then loose watercolour wash — wet, imperfect, built up in layers rather than filled in — so the painting keeps the feel of a place rather than a copy of a photograph.
I sell the original paintings alongside fine art giclée prints taken from them, museum-quality, printed with 10-colour archival ink on textured art paper built to last. I also take on commissions of places that matter to someone — a childhood street, a family pub, a view that isn't there anymore.
Featured Prints
On 24 May 2026, Sunderland AFC wrote a new chapter. This limited edition print marks that moment — fans streaming toward the Stadium of Light, the city's heartbeat rising to meet something genuinely historic.
The original was painted in Derwent Inktense on 100% cotton paper, building the stadium's curved facade in layers of line and wash. For this edition it's been rendered in a warm sepia tone — a nod to how a moment like this settles into memory rather than staying a snapshot.
Limited edition of 25 — signed, numbered, and certificated
Fine art pigment print on premium textured paper
Printed on the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310, 10-ink professional system
Original artwork: Derwent Inktense on 100% cotton, rendered in sepia for this edition
Commemorates Sunderland AFC's European qualification, 24 May 2026
Supplied flat, unmounted and unframed
Size is A4
Frame NOT included
A half-temple on a Wearside hill, drawn in pen and Derwent Inktense wash.
The columns catch the light unevenly, the sky sits loose behind them, and the path up through the grass is only suggested. It's a place most people from the North East know without ever really looking at.
Fine art print reproduced from an original pen and Derwent Inktense line and wash painting
Printed on premium archival art paper using a professional 10-ink pigment system — light-resistant up to 200 years
Signed
Available A5, A4, A3
Frame not included.
Pennywell high street, early sixties, on an ordinary morning that's long gone now. Shopfronts in warm reds and amber ochre, awnings out, an orange phone box holding its ground at the kerb. The figures are loose, sketched rather than drawn — a woman in a rust coat, a child, a dog — the kind of scene that only survives now in old photographs and in what people who were there remember.
Fine art print from an original pen and Derwent Inktense painting
Printed on premium archival paper
Signed
Available A5, A4, A3
Frame NOT included
Capture the essence of Sunderland's bygone era with this exquisite fine art print of Joplings, a beloved store from the 90s. Perfect for art lovers and history enthusiasts alike.
High-quality giclée print ensuring vivid, long-lasting color.
Printed using Lucia Pro 10 inks for superior sharpness and depth.
Captured on fine art paper for an authentic watercolor texture.
Bring a piece of Sunderland’s history into your home and let this vibrant artwork stir memories of nostalgic times. Perfect for those who appreciate urban sketches and local heritage.
Print Quality
All prints are produced using a Canon PIXMA Pro-10 professional 10-ink pigment system on high-quality archival fine art paper. Pigment inks of this grade offer a light resistance of up to 200 years under standard display conditions, ensuring your print remains as vivid as the day it arrived.
Colour Accuracy
Colours may vary slightly from what you see on screen. This is a natural result of differences in monitor calibration, screen brightness, and the lighting conditions under which product photographs were taken. As a reproduction of an original artwork, each print is produced to faithfully represent the source piece, though subtle variations in tone or colour compared to the original are inherent to the reproduction process.
Frames & Mounts
Where frames or mounts appear in product images, they are shown for illustrative purposes only and are not included unless explicitly agreed at the time of purchase. Artwork may also appear larger within a frame than its actual size — please refer to the dimensions stated in the product description for accurate sizing.
A busy Sunderland morning, caught in the early 1960s at its most alive. Shoppers move along the pavement in front of a long terrace of shopfronts — warm reds and amber ochres washed across the facades, awnings stretching out, a orange telephone box standing its ground at the kerb. Figures are sketched with that loose, instinctive line that places them firmly in the scene without pinning them down — a woman in a rust coat, a child, a dog, people going about the ordinary business of a day that has long since passed. A dark saloon car sits in the road to the right, and above it all a soft blue sky opens out, giving the whole street a brightness that feels almost like memory. This is Pennywell as it was — vivid, unhurried, full of the particular texture of a working community in its own time. The kind of scene that only exists now in photographs and the recollections of those who were there.
Details:
Original pen and Inktense artwork
Size: A5 (14.8 × 21 cm)
Created using Derwent Inktense on archival-quality 300gsm watercolour paper
Signed on the front
Unmounted and unframed
Carefully packaged to ensure safe delivery
Please note: Colours may vary slightly from what you see on screen due to lighting during photography and differences between monitors. This is an original hand-painted artwork, and small variations or natural textures in the paper are part of its unique character. Mount and frame shown in images (if applicable) are for display purposes only and are not included unless stated.
Experience the quiet majesty of the Sycamore Gap tree as it once stood — a landmark of natural beauty and cultural significance, captured here in an original A4 urban sketch by Stephen Darling.
Meticulously hand-rendered using Derwent Inktense, this piece brings depth, atmosphere, and vivid tonal energy to one of the UK’s most beloved landscapes. Every mark is drawn with intention, reflecting both the character of the tree and the stillness of the surrounding landscape.
Printed on 100% cotton fine art paper, this is a one-of-a-kind original artwork that preserves a moment now lost, offering collectors a chance to reconnect with a place that held deep meaning for so many.
A tribute to memory, place, and the enduring emotional connection between people and landscape — this piece invites reflection, nostalgia, and appreciation for what once was.
Perfect for collectors of British landscapes, urban sketching, and contemporary ink work.
Please note:
Colours may vary slightly from what you see on screen due to lighting conditions during photography and differences between monitors and devices. This is an original hand-painted artwork — small variations, natural textures, and any slight buckling in the paper are inherent to the watercolour process and part of its unique, handmade character.
Where frames or mounts appear in images, these are shown for illustrative purposes only, are not included unless explicitly agreed at the time of purchase, and the artwork may appear larger within them than it is in reality — please refer to the dimensions stated in the description above for accurate sizing.
Featured Originals
A loose pen and Inktense sketch capturing the iconic scale and quiet power of Antony Gormley's Angel of the North. Expressive ink lines build the sculptural form of the figure and its vast outstretched wings, with warm rust and burnt sienna washes conveying the Corten steel character of the original. Tiny figures dotted across the hillside give a sense of pilgrimage and place, while the soft blue sky and green landscape anchor the piece in the north of England it calls home.
Painted in a spontaneous urban sketch style, this piece celebrates one of Britain's best-loved landmarks — monumental in reality, captured here with an intimacy that feels like a personal visit.
Details:
Original pen and Inktense artwork
Size: A4 (21 × 29.7 cm)
Created using Derwent Inktense pigments on 100% cotton archival watercolour paper
Signed on the front
Unmounted and unframed
Carefully packaged to ensure safe delivery
Please note: Colours may vary slightly from what you see on screen due to lighting during photography and differences between monitors. This is an original hand-painted artwork, and small variations or natural textures in the paper are part of its unique character.
Mount and frame shown in images (if applicable) are for display purposes only and are not included unless stated.
Capture a piece of Sunderland's history with this striking original sketch of Joplings from the 90s, masterfully crafted using high-quality artist watercolors.
Original A4 urban sketch capturing Joplings, a nostalgic Sunderland shopping icon from the 90s.
Crafted on 100% cotton cold press paper using high-quality artist watercolors.
Loose line and wash technique brings the vibrant cityscape to life.
Relive the charm of Sunderland in the 90s through this exquisite urban sketch. Perfect for art lovers and those with fond memories of Joplings.
Please note:
Colours may vary slightly from what you see on screen due to lighting conditions during photography and differences between monitors and devices. This is an original hand-painted artwork — small variations, natural textures, and any slight buckling in the paper are inherent to the watercolour process and part of its unique, handmade character.
Where frames or mounts appear in images, these are shown for illustrative purposes only, are not included unless explicitly agreed at the time of purchase, and the artwork may appear larger within them than it is in reality — please refer to the dimensions stated in the description above for accurate sizing.
“I’m absolutely delighted with my painting I received. Stephendarlingart is professional, communicative and clearly very passionate about his work from start to finish. The attention to detail, colour and overall quality is outstanding. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for a talented and reliable artist. Thank you again for creating something so special and will definitely be back to purchase another piece - 5*.”
— Andrea Ramsay. (Roker Pier - A5 Original Art)Urban Sketches
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Fine Art Prints
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Commissions
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Range of Sizes
Urban Sketches ✳︎ Fine Art Prints ✳︎ Commissions ✳︎ Range of Sizes