Where Sea Meets Land

The Daler-Rowney Prize at the Marine Artists Society Exhibition 2026

22/09/2026

The shoreline is never quite the same twice. Tides shift, light changes, rocks are revealed and submerged, and the surface of the water constantly alters the landscape around it. For artists, this meeting point between land and sea offers an ever-changing subject to observe and interpret.

At the Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition 2026, Daler-Rowney is celebrating this relationship between artist and environment through the Daler-Rowney Prize, awarded to a work inspired by where the sea meets the land.

This year’s prize has been awarded to Cathy Veale for Low Tide Reflection.

The Daler-Rowney Prize

Worth £500 of Daler-Rowney art materials, the prize recognises an artist whose work responds to the distinctive character of the coast, with its geology, textures, reflections and changing water levels.

The meeting point between land and water offers artists a particularly rich subject. Exposed rock, tidal pools, wet sand and reflections can all change dramatically with the movement of the tide and the conditions of the day.

It is this combination of close observation and artistic interpretation that the Daler-Rowney Prize celebrates.

Cathy Veale: Low Tide Reflection

The 2026 Daler-Rowney Prize has been awarded to Cathy Veale for Low Tide Reflection.

The title points towards one of the defining characteristics of the coast: change. At low tide, familiar landscapes can take on a completely different appearance as areas normally hidden beneath the water are exposed.

Reflections add another dimension, with water distorting and mirroring the forms around it. In Low Tide Reflection, Veale responds to these qualities through her interpretation of the coastal landscape.

“I’ve always had a fascination and affinity with the sea. Having lived on the coast since I was six and being a keen sailor, I find an endless source of inspiration in the Purbeck area of Dorset. The outstanding natural beauty of its geology, together with the ever-changing patterns of light and colour created by reflections from the chalk cliffs, shifting tides and movement of the water.

Watercolour lends itself particularly well to my style of painting, allowing me to capture the fluidity, transparency and changing qualities of the sea.

I was incredibly honoured and thrilled to receive the Daler-Rowney Prize for my painting Low Tide Reflection at this year’s Royal Society of Marine Artists exhibition. It was especially meaningful after seeing the incredible talent of the other artists exhibiting alongside me.

Receiving the prize has been the highlight of a very good year for me, and I’m looking forward to experiment further with the generous prize from Daler Rowney and see where it takes my work next.” – Cathy Veale

Painting the marine environment

Marine art encompasses far more than traditional depictions of ships and open water. Artists working in the genre respond to coastlines, harbours, beaches, boats, wildlife and the people who live and work around the water.

The subject also presents a distinctive set of technical considerations. Rocks, sand and water each have their own textures and surfaces, while light and colour can change considerably depending on weather, depth and surroundings.

Materials become an important part of responding to these differences. The choice of paint, surface and tools can influence how an artist captures texture, movement, reflections and atmosphere, whether working quickly on location or developing a painting in the studio.

Celebrating marine artists

Founded in 1939 as the Society of Marine Artists, the organisation became the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA) in 1966 after being granted royal status. The Society promotes marine art in its broadest sense, bringing together artists working across painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, textiles and mixed media.

Its Annual Exhibition features work by RSMA members alongside artists selected through an open submission process. This creates an exhibition that encompasses a wide range of approaches, from shipping and sailing to coastal landscapes, marine wildlife and quieter studies of the water.

The Society also maintains connections with organisations across the maritime world, including the National Maritime Museum, Royal Navy and RNLI, reflecting the wider relationship between marine art, maritime history and life at sea.

For Daler-Rowney, supporting the exhibition provides an opportunity to recognise the artists working within this field and to support Cathy Veale with £500 of materials for her ongoing practice.