#StandingStoneSunday 16

Drawing Saint Elfys (Elvis) burial chamber.

It’s #StandingStoneSunday again and here’s a drawing I made during a 2 day trip to Pembrokeshire to draw more ancient Neolithic monuments on my quest across South Wales with Rhondda-born archaeologist Dewi Bowen and Swansea film maker Melvyn Williams, hunting the wild megalith, accompanied by my portable drawing board, portfolio of Fabriano paper and a bag full of assorted artist’s materials.

The first stone we came to is the burial chamber of Saint Elfys (Elvis). It’s near Saint David’s which is not too far from the Preseli Mountains. Elfys Preseli. Hmmmm! I wonder if Elvis Presley had Welsh ancestors?

A detail of St. Elfys stone.

Dewi was researching his latest book on Neolithic monuments, which is nearly finished, and Melvyn made a documentary film of our literary and artistic adventures.

#Caturday Archives 14

Sparta Puss supports the nurses.

I painted this portrait of Sparta Puss way back in lockdown, for my window art gallery. Back then, the speech bubble said “Stay Safe”. I thought I’d update it, painted out the original slogan and painted in Sparta’s support for our nurses, currently striking for fair pay. Throughout the first lockdown, we took to the streets to clap the NHS workers. And that included many politicians, including the then Prime Minister. But where are those politicians now? Clapping costs nothing of course!

The Cat’s Eyes…

Rough and Irritating.

Painting My Niece.

I’m working on my niece’s eyes and I’m now finding it difficult because the canvas is rough and it’s hard to control my brushstrokes. I only re-started painting again, after a 4 decade break, at the beginning of lockdown in Spring 2020, and I’d forgotten how irritating canvas can be. But it’s a challenge and I find painting on paper even more irritating … too smooth! 😀

Getting Down To The Details.

Close up with a fine brush.

I’ve been working on a painted portrait of my great-niece for a while now. I pick it up and put it down and leave it for a while. I’ve gone through many stages of underpainting and now I’ve started working on the fine details. Still a fair amount of work to do, but I think I’m on the final straight now.

Here’s one of the stages of underpainting. It looks horrible, like something from Halloween, and she had a fit when she saw it lol 😀

The “Halloween” underpainting.

Bar at the Elysium Gallery.

Doodling knick-knacks.

I did a bit of scribbling last evening in the Elysium Bar. I usually scribble people but I want to push myself out of my comfort zone a bit, so I’m trying different things, like interiors. A while back I copied Manet’s “Bar at the Folies Bergere” so I’m taking some inspiration from there.

If I’m honest, I don’t particularly like drawing objects, they’re repetitive and I don’t get much emotional engagement! Oooh listen to me 😀 LOL

Here’s my copy of Manet’s painting below. Took me AGES!!!!

Psychedelic Mark-Making.

Scribbling musicians.

Here’s another little scribble from Elysium on New Year’s Eve. The Felix Subway Band is psychedelic and fast and I really got into the music as I was putting down the marks into my sketchbook. I’m off to Elysium this evening too, for a friend’s birthday. Since lockdown lifted I’ve been cramming in the gigs like there’s no tomorrow, because let’s face it, there may be no tomorrow. So I’m going to appreciate the here and now as much as possible.

Psychedelic scribbles.

Felix Subway and the Hat Full of Menace.

New Year’s Eve 2022.

Husb and I went out on New Year’s Eve, just enjoying that after all these long lockdowns, we are now able to! We went up to the Elysium Gallery and Bar to party and listen to live music with Bad Shout, Normal Behaviour and The Felix Subway Band. There’s such a brilliant live music scene in Swansea now, with loads of musicians of all ages writing and performing original material all over the city.

Of course, I had to have a scribble. Here’s Alfie from the psychedelic Felix Subway Band, performing behind a guy with a menacing hat. Well, I thought the hat was menacing anyway. Must be all that psychedelia.

Mari’s Little Visit.

The Mari Lwyd 2022.

It’s nearly New Year and the Mari Lwyd is out and about, stalking the land. She comes into her full powers on the night of “Hen Galan”, the “Old” New Year on January 13th, but she’s just having a little visit now to wish you all Blwyddyn Newydd Dda … A Happy New Year.

Mari’s little feet.

A Wassail Winner and a Magic Mushroom Hat!

Watching the fire….

Here’s the last drawing I did at the fundraiser at Cinema & Co.ffee the other night, for the MacMillan Cancer Charity and the Wounded Highlanders. I couldn’t resist scribbling these two, sitting and watching the indoor fire demos. The one on the left was wearing a magic mushroom (fly agaric) hat and won the fancy dress competition prize.

I also won a raffle prize – two tickets to the annual Gower Wassail and Mari Llwyd festival in January. Result!

Looking forward to this!

Scribbling and Indoor Fire…

Scribbly heads.

Here are a couple more sketches I did yesterday evening into my sketchbook at Cinema & Co.ffee, where Husb and I went to a fundraising event for MacMillan Cancer Support and Wounded Highlanders (a veterans’ sports organisation). There was a varied programme throughout the evening including some cool videos and indoor fire demos from Ddraig Tribe.

Of course, I had to have a scribble …