We managed to get to 4 ancient stones earlier this week and this one, Ty’n y Selar, is near Margam, in a field right next to the M4 motorway. It’s a fine large menhir, around 8 feet tall, but the sound of the traffic really intruded into the atmosphere of the place, disrupting the peace.Continue reading “The Living Stones”
Tag Archives: Neolithic
The Base Of The Stone
The second stone I drew on this week’s journey to explore the standing stones of South Wales is just three or so miles from where I live and I had no idea it existed. It’s in an area of Swansea called Bon-y-Maen and it never occurred to me to translate the name – it’sContinue reading “The Base Of The Stone”
Stone In A School
After the rain lifted this morning I was out with archaeologist Dewi Bowen and film maker Melvyn Williams, hunting Welsh megaliths. We stayed close to home and started out by visiting the local Dylan Thomas comprehensive school, where there is a fine Bronze Age standing stone, the Cockett Valley stone, at the far end ofContinue reading “Stone In A School”
Going Solo
Exciting but scary news. I’ve been offered a solo show based on the work I’m doing on Bronze Age and Neolithic ancestral stones in South Wales. I’ve never done a solo show before, always been part of group shows but this body of work is coming along very quickly and I am already planning toContinue reading “Going Solo”
Massed Stones
Here’s the recent drawing output from the last 4 days drawing ancient ancestral stone monuments across South Wales, through Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Powys. These stones are sited along the route of Y Twrch Trwyth, The Boar’s Trail, a story from the Mabinogion, the collected myths and legends of Wales. I’m travelling around SouthContinue reading “Massed Stones”
The Third Stone
This is the third standing stone in the Llechdwnni group. It is positioned opposite the pair I posted yesterday and the archaeologist I’m journeying with, Dewi Bowen, thinks that the three stones might have been planned as a circle originally and either were not completed or the rest have disappeared over the millennia. I’m travellingContinue reading “The Third Stone”
Hidden In Plain View
As I’m continuing to work with Dewi Bowen, the archaeologist, I realise just how many ancestral stone monuments there are across the Welsh landscape. Apart for a few years in England, I’ve lived in Wales all my life and I never realised how ubiquitous these ancient monuments are. They seem reasonably well documented, on websitesContinue reading “Hidden In Plain View”
The Stone Outside The Village
A journey around Carmarthenshire today, to find, record and draw more Neolithic stone monuments, the first is the Is-coed Stone just outside the gorgeous seashore village of Ferryside. And now I’m tired and aching zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz I’m travelling around South West Wales with archaeologist Dewi Bowen who is researching his new book on Neolithic / Bronze AgeContinue reading “The Stone Outside The Village”
Memory And Imagination
Working on Fabriano paper with my home-made walnut ink, I’m drawing expressively from my experiences trekking up local mountains to draw Neolithic and Bronze Age stones. The ink flows like liquid silk, holding the brush strokes when undiluted and moving freely across the paper when thinned out with water to make a variety of washes.Continue reading “Memory And Imagination”
Sponges, Brushes And Cloths
Continuing with the work I was doing yesterday, and will probably be doing over the next few days, working onto Fabriano paper with my home-made walnut ink, making expressionistic drawings inspired by, but not directly related to, the several days I have recently spent wandering mountains around South Wales to draw Neolithic and Bronze AgeContinue reading “Sponges, Brushes And Cloths”