St Luke's Guiding Lights Plymouth 2026

Celestial Beacon is a large-scale lighthouse sculpture created for the St Luke’s Guiding Lights project — a public art trail across Plymouth in summer 2026. Each lighthouse on the trail has been designed by an artist and supported by a sponsor, with the project raising funds for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth. My design explores the night sky through constellations, light and atmosphere, connecting themes of navigation, place and shared experience.

This lighthouse began with a blank surface and a simple starting point — the night sky.

Built in layers, the sky developed through deep blues, soft textures and subtle shifts in colour, creating an atmosphere rather than a flat backdrop. From there, stars were introduced, followed by carefully placed constellations, balanced and refined so they could be recognised without overwhelming the surface.

Fluorescent paint was added to selected stars and fireworks, allowing the piece to respond to UV light after dark. Fireworks themselves were built in stages, inspired by long-exposure photography — thin trails of light, colour and smoke drifting across the sky.

As the upper half settled, the focus moved downward. Smeaton’s Tower, the sea, flags and The Hoe were introduced, grounding the piece in Plymouth and bringing a sense of place to the scene.

The final stages were about refinement — softening, adjusting, and creating depth through small, almost invisible changes. Once complete, the lighthouse was varnished, allowing the colours and light to settle into a unified surface.

After weeks of working closely on every detail, the lighthouse was collected and has now left the studio.

Next stop: Plymouth, ahead of the St Luke’s Guiding Lights trail this summer. I'm looking forward to sharing images of the finished lighthouse with you once the trail is live!