Denise Forward’s 'Waiting' – A tribute to the families who waited for their menfolk to return from sea.

This painting depicts women and children gathered on the quayside, waiting for their menfolk to return home from sea. The wind blows through their hair and clothes as they stand or play on the cobbled waterfront, with the sea and a dramatic sky behind them.

The painting captures the uncertainty of waiting for fishing vessels to return, a familiar experience for families in Grimsby and Cleethorpes. While the children occupy themselves, the women wait together, sharing the experience of life in a fishing community.

Denise recently exhibited 'Waiting' and other paintings at People Make Grimsby, in Freshney Place. The exhibition was very well received.

Denise's accompanying account explains how the women in her own family made a lasting impression on her. Their stories of hardship, loss, family life and resilience inspired her interest in family history and, more recently, her paintings.

'Waiting' brings together these personal memories and the wider experience of fishing families, paying tribute to the women who stayed ashore while their men were at sea.

The painting is now part of the Grimsby & Cleethorpes Museum collection.