I went out drawing with a prehistorian and a filmmaker yesterday, down to the little church in the village of Llanrhidian on The Gower Peninsula. There’s an enormous carved stone in the church porch, The Leper Stone, fairly modern, only about twelve hundred years old. Of course, I had to scribble it. I drew withContinue reading “Vikings, Lepers and Wild Flowers”
Category Archives: Travel drawings
Priapus And Placentas
Back on the trail of ancient megaliths with prehistorian Dewi Bowen and filmmaker Melvyn Williams, with my portable drawing board, a folder full of prepared papers and a satchel of drawing materials. We headed out to the Gower Peninsula and pitched up at this magnificent large stone near Weobley Castle. Called Samson’s Jack, or Mansel’sContinue reading “Priapus And Placentas”
Taking It Further….
I’ve been thinking about how artwork develops from my original sketches. I always carry a sketchbook and have dozens and dozens stuffed into cupboards with thousands of sketches done over the years and most stay locked away. But occasionally I find something that inspires me to use some of them as the basis for newContinue reading “Taking It Further….”
The Coalfield Part 1
Visiting Big Pit / Pwll Mawr in Blaenavon on Sunday with Husb, I took the opportunity to do some drawing en plein air in my A4 spiral bound brown paper sketchbook. I stood on the grass up above the mining site and quickly drew the darker areas of the rugged mountainous landscape of the SouthContinue reading “The Coalfield Part 1”
The Place Of The Castle
This is the third of the three drawings I did en plein air at Penlle’r Castell (The Place Of The Castle) up on Mynydd Y Gwair this week, in the wind, the cold and the looming rain. I prepared Fabriano Accademico paper with white gesso and my home made walnut ink which suited the multi-layered, stratified landscapeContinue reading “The Place Of The Castle”
Stratified With Walnuts
I managed to do three drawings en plein air up on Mynydd Y Gwair this week, in the wind, the cold and the looming rain. It was hard work! The Fabriano paper, prepared with white gesso and my home made walnut ink, dribbled and sponged, suited the multi-layered, stratified landscape and I worked very quickly, indicating theContinue reading “Stratified With Walnuts”
Murky Mountain
Up a mountain once again, Mynydd Y Gwair this week, with filmmaker Melvyn Williams and pre-historian Dewi Bowen, visiting Penlle’s Castell. Although it looks reasonably fine, it was shockingly windy and the rain clouds loomed murkily in the distance and I struggled to draw. It was very hard work, staying upright and drawing but one ofContinue reading “Murky Mountain”
Preparation And Plein Air
Here’s another view of Maen Bradwen, or Carreg Bica on Mynydd Drummau Mountain in Neath Port Talbot. It’s a massive stone and local legend has it that it bathes in the River Neath on Easter morning. I drew this fairly quickly with Daler Rowney soft pastels onto Fabriano paper that had been prepared with twoContinue reading “Preparation And Plein Air”
Best Quality
I did three drawings of Maen Bredwan this week, drawing directly onto prepared Fabriano paper that had been coated with gesso and then covered randomly with my own home-made walnut ink. I quickly sketched the basic details with a white conté crayon and then worked into it with Daler Rowney soft pastels (artist quality). It’sContinue reading “Best Quality”
Manure Mountain
Today I was back tramping around the South Wales countryside, continuing with Yr Helfa, The Hunt, a series of drawings done en plein air from ancient stone monuments. It’s been going on for a year now, with filmmaker Melvyn Williams and prehistorian Dewi Bowen and in between I had a solo show of around 40Continue reading “Manure Mountain”
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