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”

From The Sugarloaf

There are two mountains called Sugarloaf in South Wales and Husb and I travelled up and down the nearest, on the A483 between Llanwrtyd Wells and Llandovery on our way to Builth Wells. We stopped at the picnic area to munch our cheese and pickle rolls (home-made green tomato chutney) and I spent a coupleContinue reading “From The Sugarloaf”

BBBRRRRR 2!!!!!

Husb and I spent a few days in The Lake District earlier this week and visited the stupendous Castlerigg stone circle near Keswick. I did a quick scribble, just a few seconds as it was so cold, freezing! I used conté crayons in white, sanguine and black into my A4 spiral bound brown paper sketchbook.Continue reading “BBBRRRRR 2!!!!!”