AN ARTIST who claims to have spotted the creature Bownessie on Windermere has opened a gallery in Skipton.
Michael Bentley, 52, of Clitheroe, recently opened a new art gallery at 2 Albert Street, and it features between 25 and 30 of Mr Bentley’s original paintings.
Mr Bentley, who used to live on the shores Windermere in the Lake District, said he spotted a creature referred to as Bownessie while kayaking on the lake in 2017.
He said: “I was on the lake, just a few hundred metres from it. There was a big black fin sticking out of the water and I was cruising around.”
The artist is known for his Turner-style paintings, including one of Bownessie which he painted shortly after seeing the creature in 2017, and he said he turned down an offer of £100,000 for the work.
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