Top Heavy

Back to hunting wild megaliths across the out-of-the-way places in West Wales today, in intermittent drizzle. Our first call was to the Clos Teg standing stone in a field a bit north of Pontyberem. Clos Teg means beautiful, or fair, close. According to local legends, the stone was placed in its current position by the GodsContinue reading “Top Heavy”

Out Of Practice

I’ve missed life drawing at Swansea Print Workshop for a couple of months now, because I’ve been going out and about on the trail of wild megaliths across South Wales on the same day as the drawing sessions. But for the next three weeks, I’ll be hunting the ancient stones on a different day soContinue reading “Out Of Practice”

On The Spot

  Last Saturday I did some ‘live’ drawing at an art event at Volcano in Swansea’s High Street. My young nephew posed for the best part of 2 hours but he was happy as Larry playing games on my phone. I worked inside the building and drew onto translucent drafting film with carbon, Bideford BlackContinue reading “On The Spot”

Making Mistakes

    I did something unusual at the weekend. Fellow artist Claudia Mollzahn was holding an art event at Volcano theatre in Swansea’s High Street and offered me window space to develop something over two hours. I’ve had some translucent drawing film on a roll knocking around the place for ages so I decided toContinue reading “Making Mistakes”

The Speaking Stone

Out drawing megaliths last week and the last Neolithic stone of the day is another in an urban setting, ‘Carreg Hir’ (Long Stone) also called the ‘Penrhiwtyn’ stone in the playground of Cwrt Sart comprehensive school in Briton Ferry, Neath. It’s a magnificent menhir, over 9 feet tall but it has a controversial history withContinue reading “The Speaking Stone”

The Living Stones

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”

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”