We’re at that time of year when the old Welsh tradition of The Mari Lwyd / Y Fari Lwyd, is awakening from her slumbers ready for her night, Hen Galan, a month away early in the New Year. I’m going to post my archive Mari Lwyds throughout December and early January to get us all in the mood. Here’s one who visited Gellionen Chapel six years ago – back in the days before Covid19. I drew her in black, sanguine and white conte crayon into a brown paper sketchbook.
I’ve been playing with my latest Mari Lwyd drawing in Adobe Photoshop, using the Gradient Map function. It’s fun and chilled, there’s no pressure.
There were lots of performers at the Riverside Folk Club last week, mostly human. But suddenly The Mari Lwyd arrived, wreaking havoc and mischief across the room. Of course, I had to scribble her.
Another little sketch from the Riverside Folk Club last week. I used ink drawing pens and I made a mistake drawing his hand so I filled in his jumper with Nitram charcoal to cover it up. Cheating or creative license? 😀
Husb sings in a local community choir, Aderyn Du Brynmill Blackbirds, and they gave a short performance of Medieval Christmas Carols at the Riverside Folk Club in Loughor earlier this week. I tagged along and of course, I had to have a scribble. Here are two of the performers that I caught with my drawing pens.
Husb sings in a local community choir, Aderyn Du Brynmill Blackbirds, and they gave a short performance of Medieval Christmas Carols at the Riverside Folk Club in Loughor earlier this week. I tagged along and of course, I had to have a scribble. The duo on the left is done using the continuous line technique and on the right I used blind contour drawing, watching the model the whole time I was drawing him and never looking at the paper. It’s hard to resist the urge to sneak a look!
Husb and I went to the Annual General Meeting of the Friends of the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery a few days ago. Of course, I had to have a scribble…..
Here’s my Mari Lwyd linocut for this year. I cut the block a couple of weeks ago and did some proof prints at the 9-to-90 Creative Community to demonstrate the chine collé technique. But I wanted something different, rather than the usual tissue papers, for this year’s annual print. I went to the latest exhibition at GS Artists on Friday and there was a large plate of Tunnocks Teacakes, which are covered in lovely stripy, shiny foil. So I asked the people there to eat the cakes and give me the foil, and they really stepped up! And I love the effect.
This is the third exhibition that I've put work into in just over a week. It's been a bit bonkers! This is a show by the artists and photographers who drew, painted and filmed throughout the recent Swansea Fringe. It was heaven! I drew in rock venues while my ears took a hammering from Metal, Rock and Punk. AWESOME!!!!! 
The show is in Orchard Street Gallery which is part of HQ Urban Kitchen on Swansea’s Orchard Street and runs through to the end of January.
The other venues showing my work are Cinema&Co.ffee and GS Artists.
Art is often seen as highbrow and serious but art is also fun and Husb and I had a great time this evening at GS Artist’s opening event for this year’s 9to90 Creative Community Annual Show – and collage session. Swansea artist Rachael Barry provided the inspiration to chill out and have a good time with Shirley Bassey and Max Boyce. The gallery was serving mince pies (my favourites) and Tunnock’s Teacakes, which have a distinctive stripy foil wrapper. So, waste not, want not, I used the wrappers to create my Max Boyce collage.
Husb on the other hand, decide to merge Max and Shirley to create “Shmax”!
The exhibition continues tomorrow, Saturday 2nd December (11.00 to 16.00) and then Tuesdays to Fridays, 11.00 – 16.00, to December 15th.
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