The spectacular Maen Llia standing stone near the village of Ystradfellte at the junction of two valleys, possibly a marker stone on an ancient trackway. It’s a huge diamond shaped conglomerate slab, probably from the Bronze Age and local legend says that the stone drinks from the nearby stream on Midsummer morning.
I drew onto a piece of paper prepared with some of my home-made walnut ink. I had dribbled it across the surface and the lines it made resonated with the scars across the landscape. I drew with carbon and then, for the first time in this series of drawings, put in some colour with oil pastels.
I’m travelling around South West Wales with archaeologist Dewi Bowen who is researching his new book on Neolithic / Bronze Age monuments. His previous book on the standing stones of Ancient Siluria (South East Wales) can be found here. Accompanying us is film maker Melvyn Williams who is recording a documentary about the our experiences. Some of Melvyn’s short films can be seen here. I’m working on a series of expressive drawings of ancestral sites and if you want to see some of my other artworks, please click here.
This stone is really impressive. And I see blue sky and sunshine. That is really nice!
The rain you sent to us didn’t arrive. 😉 But we’ve got really cold air from the East. *brrr*
Have a beautiful weekend. 🙂
Thank you 🙂 I hope your Russian cold doesn’t come our way. Hope you have some of our sunshine instead 😀
Yes, we had a sunny day yesterday. But I’m a bit tired of the cold now. Have a happy week! 😀
And you too. It’s lovely here, it was 13 Celsius yesterday, almost Sumer 😊
Wow Rosie, what a stone. Love your drawing and the touch of blue gives it some real oomph. I can’t tell from the photo, but has the stone been shaped that way or is it natural ? I have only ever seen rounded conglomerate boulders.
Thanks Leonie. I will ask my archaeologist chum about the stone. I was certainly surprised when we came up over the hill and saw it. Normally they are relatively unworked.