Meet Weston’s Mr Lowry – the artist bringing Weston-super-Mare to life with a few strokes of his brush and a dash of humour.
making his mark on weston
You’ve probably already seen his work – even if you didn’t realise it.
It pops up on maps, murals, postcards, walls and across this very website. It captures Weston-super-Mare in all its wonderful, gloriously quirky charm. And once you spot it, you start seeing it everywhere.
Nick Roberts is the artist behind it all.
His unmistakable paintings have become part of Weston’s visual identity – packed with humour, seaside characters, local landmarks and tiny details that reward a second look. Equal parts nostalgia, humour and affection, they celebrate the town exactly as locals know it: colourful, eccentric and full of life.
Lowry… with a seaside twist
Nick’s work is inspired by legendary British artist L. S. Lowry – but this isn’t the industrial northern gloom.
This is Weston-super-Mare with its own characters and architecture.
Grand Pier strolls. Windswept promenades. Hidden corners. Busy beach days. Favourite local spots. Every scene feels alive with movement, personality and storytelling.
And while the famous Lowry influence is impossible to miss, Nick’s paintings have developed a style all of their own.
As one fan perfectly summed it up:
“It reminds me of Lowry, but with more joy.”
Weston’s Most Curious Landmark
Nick’s artwork doesn’t just hang in galleries – it’s built right into the town itself.
Visitors exploring Weston’s seafront can spot his illustrations wrapped around the base of the towering Silica – the illuminated spire that has become one of the resort’s most talked-about landmarks.
Locals, naturally, have given it less official names.
Depending on who you ask, it’s either “the carrot” or “the parsnip” thanks to its resemblance to a giant upside-down root vegetable jutting into the skyline.
By night, the spire is illuminated in different colours. By day, visitors can best explore the digital tourist information screens at its base – surrounded by Nick’s joyful scenes of Weston-super-Mare life.
It’s part public art, part landmark, part tourist information point… and completely Weston.
a Town in five colours
Part of what makes Nick’s work so distinctive is his surprisingly simple approach.
He paints using just five colours – red, blue, raw umber, black and white – creating scenes that feel timeless and bursting with energy.
The result is artwork that instantly feels familiar. Warm. Playful. Full of atmosphere. The joy of Weston, basically.
From Canvas to Concrete
Nick’s biggest challenge came when he was invited to paint a mural for Upfest the Weston Wallz street art festival – the town-wide project transforming Weston into an open-air art gallery.
Until then, his work had mostly lived on canvas.
Suddenly, he was standing outside the Sovereign Centre with a giant wall in front of him, a paintbrush in hand and the Great British seaside weather doing its thing.
Thankfully, help came from Bristol mural artist Andy Council, who introduced Nick to the techniques of large-scale public art – including the brilliantly named “doodle grid” method.
But while others might reach for spray cans, Nick stuck to what he knows best: acrylic paint, brushes and an old-school palette.
Even when the wind tried to launch his stepladder towards the beach.
More Than Paintings
What makes Nick’s work resonate so strongly is that it feels genuinely connected to the town.
They’re affectionate snapshots of real life – the humour, the bustle, the people and the personality that make the resort unlike anywhere else.
Not just something to look at. Something that belongs here.
More details
Text after the fold
