BIG And Greasy

  I spent a happy but exhausting weekend at Swansea Print Workshop on a specialist course in the ‘BIG’ non-toxic etching technique, pioneered and taught by Andrew Baldwin of Trefeglwys Print Studio. Andrew has invented a new etching ‘ground’ and has also experimented with a range of household materials to take the place of someContinue reading “BIG And Greasy”

Developing The Drawing

    During last week’s life drawing session at Swansea Print Workshop, I took photos of the development of my portrait head of our model. It shows the drawing in different stages of development. I used conté crayon in white, sanguine and black into an A2 brown paper sketchbook.   Please click here if you would likeContinue reading “Developing The Drawing”

Back To Basics

I went back to sketchbook work a few days ago, have done very little for ages, but young nephew was having a sleepover and the following day he was doing competitive ju jitsu and kick boxing so Husb and I went along to watch. It was a great opportunity to sketch figures in motion, somethingContinue reading “Back To Basics”

Prison Or Protection?

Across the field from the Clos Teg standing stone there’s another maenhir in the hedge, Y Garreg Goch – the Red Stone, a monument of red standstone. It’s trapped between two fences and until recently was overgrown with ivy. It looked to me like it was imprisoned, but archaeologist Dewi reasonably pointed out that beingContinue reading “Prison Or Protection?”

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”

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”