We are a traditional narrowboat painting and signwriting firm based at the historic Knighton Wharf
on the Shropshire Union Canal.
Since 2015, Lost Art Painters has specialised in authentic canal boat decoration, combining heritage
craftsmanship with modern creativity.
Our aim isn’t to reinvent the wheel — it’s to preserve the timeless art of canal boat painting while
helping you bring your ideas to life. Whether you’re restoring a historic narrowboat or adding a personal
touch to your floating home, we work with you to turn a spark of inspiration into a beautifully hand-
painted boat.
We take pride in traditional techniques, fine materials, and attention to detail — delivering a finish
that exceeds expectations and celebrates the rich heritage of Britain’s waterways.
Our Story
Lost Art Painters is owned and run by Dan Holmes, who has an extensive background in art and
design and holds a First-Class Honours Degree in Fine Art.
The company name came about when Dan taught himself how to paint beside the canal. With hours of
trial, error, and experimentation — and few references to guide him — he uncovered what truly felt like
a lost art: the traditional skill of coach painting narrowboats.
We take great pride in restoring traditional narrowboats and historic working boats, respecting the methods and materials of the original builders.
Before long, other boat owners began asking Dan to paint their vessels, and what started as a passion
became a full-time craft. Today, the workshop at Knighton Wharf continues that same tradition —
creating hand-painted narrowboats that blend heritage, design, and individuality.
From colour matching to period-correct lettering and designs, our aim is always to preserve authenticity while providing long-lasting protection for the years ahead.
Gallery
Browse our gallery to see examples of our hand-painted narrowboats, decorative panels, and signwriting work.
Each piece is a celebration of traditional canal art and the individuality of every boat owner we work with.
Testimonials
What our clients say about us
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Catherine Chefneux
Web Performance and Security geek
Dan Holmes from Lost Art did a complete repaint on our traditional narrowboat, and the results are absolutely superb. From the very beginning, Dan was professional, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about his craft. He took the time to discuss colours, finishes, and traditional details, making sure everything was right before work began.
The quality of the repaint is exceptional — crisp lines, deep gloss, and flawless attention to detail throughout. The boat looks stunning and has completely transformed in appearance. The work was carried out with care and pride, and it really shows in the final result. Everywhere we travel we get comments and are asked where the boat was painted.
Dan kept us informed throughout the process, and treated the boat with real respect. If you’re looking for a traditional narrowboat painter who genuinely understands the art of proper signwriting and painting, we can’t recommend Dan Holmes at Lost Art highly enough.
Martin Buck
Musicbed
We had seen the quality of the work that Dan had achieved, and he had worked on our previous boat which was the reason we chose to book his talents. We had acquired a replica working boat and wanted to ensure the standard of painting merited the legacy of working boats. Dan was from start to finish a conscientious worker whose eye for detail was exemplary.
He kept us informed every step of the process and delivered an outstanding result which more than met our expectations. He even suggested a few minor improvements to the finished product.
During our travels we received so many compliments and inquiries as to who had painted the boat, which were duly passed on but for customer satisfaction he gets 10/10
Janet Shackshaft
Boat: TillerGirl2
It is 2 years since Dan painted our boat, yet still, when we're out & about, we get people admiring our paint job on a daily basis.
Dan is a talented painter with an excellent eye and sense of what will work best. He followed our brief but also made suggestions on what would look good.
We were impressed by his level of prep, stripping the existing paint, removing all the fixtures then building up with at least 12 layers of primer, undercoat then top coat, all done by hand.
This is not a quick process, but Dan was consulting and updating us continually and we were thrilled with the end result ... a boat to be proud of.
Thank you Dan.
Catherine Chefneux
Web Performance and Security geek
Dan Holmes from Lost Art did a complete repaint on our traditional narrowboat, and the results are absolutely superb. From the very beginning, Dan was professional, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about his craft. He took the time to discuss colours, finishes, and traditional details, making sure everything was right before work began.
The quality of the repaint is exceptional — crisp lines, deep gloss, and flawless attention to detail throughout. The boat looks stunning and has completely transformed in appearance. The work was carried out with care and pride, and it really shows in the final result. Everywhere we travel we get comments and are asked where the boat was painted.
Dan kept us informed throughout the process, and treated the boat with real respect. If you’re looking for a traditional narrowboat painter who genuinely understands the art of proper signwriting and painting, we can’t recommend Dan Holmes at Lost Art highly enough.
Martin Buck
Musicbed
We had seen the quality of the work that Dan had achieved, and he had worked on our previous boat which was the reason we chose to book his talents. We had acquired a replica working boat and wanted to ensure the standard of painting merited the legacy of working boats. Dan was from start to finish a conscientious worker whose eye for detail was exemplary.
He kept us informed every step of the process and delivered an outstanding result which more than met our expectations. He even suggested a few minor improvements to the finished product.
During our travels we received so many compliments and inquiries as to who had painted the boat, which were duly passed on but for customer satisfaction he gets 10/10
Janet Shackshaft
Boat: TillerGirl2
It is 2 years since Dan painted our boat, yet still, when we're out & about, we get people admiring our paint job on a daily basis.
Dan is a talented painter with an excellent eye and sense of what will work best. He followed our brief but also made suggestions on what would look good.
We were impressed by his level of prep, stripping the existing paint, removing all the fixtures then building up with at least 12 layers of primer, undercoat then top coat, all done by hand.
This is not a quick process, but Dan was consulting and updating us continually and we were thrilled with the end result ... a boat to be proud of.
Thank you Dan.
Ben Jameson
Hitachi Data Systems
Lost Art did a fantastic job painting our 60' narrowboat to a very high standard which has held up to boating really well subsequently.
Dan is really friendly and helpful, his communication during the whole process was second to none and he looked after the boat really well whilst it was in his care
Dave Martin
Causes
If you want a quality paint job at a reasonable price, Dan’s your man. He works with you, not for you. Comes up with suggestions, and tells you what won’t work. He wants you to be involved from start to finish. Highly recommended!!
Ben Jameson
Hitachi Data Systems
Lost Art did a fantastic job painting our 60' narrowboat to a very high standard which has held up to boating really well subsequently.
Dan is really friendly and helpful, his communication during the whole process was second to none and he looked after the boat really well whilst it was in his care
Dave Martin
Causes
If you want a quality paint job at a reasonable price, Dan’s your man. He works with you, not for you. Comes up with suggestions, and tells you what won’t work. He wants you to be involved from start to finish. Highly recommended!!
Locations & Contacts
Based at Knighton Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal
If you’re looking for a traditional boat painter, want to book a DIY tuition session, or would like to discuss ideas for your narrowboat, we’d love to hear from you.
We use high-quality marine paint systems, carefully applied by hand using traditional brushing and coach painting methods — no shortcuts, no spray booths, just craftsmanship.