Y daith yn fy nghalon
The journey in my heart
Over 230 paintings, images and photos of work painted nearly every single day for three years
Bilingual 210mm x 250mm
Bilingual 210mm x 250mm
Yn un ar bymtheg oed, gadewais yr ysgol a chofrestru ar gwrs sylfaenol yng Ngholeg Celf a Thechnoleg Bath Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne. ‘Roeddwn wrth fy modd yno. Cawsom hyfforddiant ar ddefnyddio camera ac ‘ystafelloedd tywyll’ a’n hanfon ar drywydd gwahanol brosiectau o gwmpas y ddinas. Cawsom ein cyflwyno i fyd ffasiwn gan gynllunio a gwneud ein dillad ein hunain ac yna eu gwisgo er mwyn ceisio denu edmygedd ein ffrindiau! Yn ddiweddarach cawsom gwrs graffeg a dylunio pryd y rhoddwyd pythefnos i ni ddatblygu testun roddwyd i ni ac ar ddiwedd y cyfnod cyd-gyfarfod i drafod a beirniadu gwaith y naill a’r llall. Rhain oedd y sesiynau a’m siapiodd oherwydd drwy wrando ar sylwadau adeiladol a diddirmyg fy nghyd-fyfyrwyr dysgais weld y drwg a’r da yn fy ngwaith fy hun. (Mae beirniadaeth adeiladol yn parhau’n egwyddor y byddaf yn ei arddel gyda bob llun y byddaf yn gweithio arno. Deuthum i’r casgliad hefyd na fyddwn yn derbyn beirniadaeth gan neb ond gan artist arall (teimlaf yr un modd am feirniaid cerdd, llyfr a ffilm – gwneud yn hytrach na dweud!)
I left school at sixteen and later that summer started on a ’foundation course’ at Bath Lane College of Art & Technology, Newcastle Upon Tyne, and absolutely loved it. We were shown how to use cameras and dark rooms and sent out around the city to pursue various projects. We were given an introduction to fashion and had to design and make our own clothes which we all wore to try and impress our friends. Later we were put on a graphics and design course, given a subject to develop and at the end of the fortnight everyone would sit down and criticise each others work. It was these sessions which shaped me; and through my fellow students comments I learned to see the good and bad in my own work without being derisive (Constructive criticism is still a lesson I take from every painting I make), and I also reached the conclusion that I wouldn’t take criticism from anyone who’s not a working artist (I feel very much the same about music, book or film critics - If you can’t walk the walk??).
Gadewais Newcastle yn fy arddegau yn y 1970au ac es ar fy union i weithio ar fferm teulu Naish yng Ngwm Pennant. I fachgen o’r ddinas roedd hyn yn fedydd tân ond roeddwn wrth fy modd. Heb wybod dim am reolau cefn gwlad na’r ardal roeddwn y byw ynddi na’r mynyddoedd arhosais ar y fferm yn bennaf i ddod yn gyfarwydd â’r filltir sgwâr. ’Doeddwn i’n gwybod dim am fy nghymdogion newydd ychwaith ac er ein bod yn gyfangwbl wahanol yn ddiwylliannol canfyddais yn fuan eu bod yn bobl hyfryd ac yn weithwyr caled er na allwn amgyffred eu diddordeb arswydus braidd mewn ralïo ceir!
I moved down from the North East in the late 1970’s as a teenager straight onto a working farm to live with the Naish family in Cwm Pennant. For a city boy this was definitley being thrown into the deep end, but I absolutely loved it! Not knowing the rules of the countryside or where I lived, or anything about mountains I stayed mainly on the farm exploring my unfamiliar surroundings. I also knew nothing about my new neighbours; even though culturally we were worlds apart I soon found out they were hard working lovely people, and, through the terrifying ordeal of ‘Rally Driving’ that they were also just a little bit wild in a way I could never have conceived
I moved down from the North East in the late 1970’s as a teenager straight onto a working farm to live with the Naish family in Cwm Pennant. For a city boy this was definitley being thrown into the deep end, but I absolutely loved it! Not knowing the rules of the countryside or where I lived, or anything about mountains I stayed mainly on the farm exploring my unfamiliar surroundings. I also knew nothing about my new neighbours; even though culturally we were worlds apart I soon found out they were hard working lovely people, and, through the terrifying ordeal of ‘Rally Driving’ that they were also just a little bit wild in a way I could never have conceived
Aeth fy ngwaith fel waliwr, meddyg coed ac fel torrwr coed, oedd yn tarfu ar linellau trydan ‘Manweb’, â mi ar hyd a lled Penrhyn Llŷn, Ynys Môn, Gwynedd a rhannau helaethaf o Gonwy. Ond beth, meddech chi, sydd â wnelo hyn i gyd â chelf?
Wel, ar ôl gweithio am 35 o flynyddoedd yn yr awyr agored mi fyddwn i’n dipyn o ddwlyn petawn i heb ddysgu dim am y byd o’m cwmpas, Rwyf wedi bod yn ddigon ffodus i weld rhannau o Gymru nad pawb sy’n cael mynediad atynt fel corneli caeau, ffyrdd diarffordd, buarthau ffermydd a bywydau pobl. Rwy’n gwybod beth yw oerni; ‘rwy’n gwybod beth yw bod yn wlyb socian a theimlo gwres yr Haf. Rwy’n adnabod y tywydd a’r tymhorau a phrofi gweld effeithiau goleuni. Rwyf yn gwybod am goed a theimlad carreg ac yn gallu amgyffred cefn gwlad a’r tirwedd. |
My years of stonework, tree surgery and doing powerline clearance for ‘Manweb’ have taken me all over the Llŷn Penninsula, Anglesey, Gwynedd and most parts of Conwy, - so what’s all of this got to do with ‘Art’?
Well, after working for 35 years ‘in’ the landscape, if I didn’t learn anything about my surroundings I must be a bit stupid! I’ve been lucky enough to see parts of Wales not many people have access to; the far corners of fields, lost little lanes, into farmyards and into people’s lives. I know the cold, I know drenching rain, I know summer heat, I know weather, I know the seasons, I know the light, I know the trees, I know what stone looks and feels like, I Know the countryside and the lay of the land. |
Mae gosod eich gwaith mewn oriel yn weithred siwglo rhyfedd. Ar yr un llaw maent angen artistiaid sefydledig, sydd yn gwerthu ac arddanos ar eu waliau; ond ar y llaw arall mae'n anodd iawn i ddod yn sefydledig a gwerthu eich gwaith os ydych methu cael y gwaith i mewn i'r orielau yn y lle cyntaf.
Yn hwyr yn 2013 bum yn ffodus iawn i gyfarfod yr arlunydd 'abstract', Alun Pritchard (mab y diweddar arlunydd Ifor Pritchard). Wrth rannu diodydd gydag Alun 'roedd y ddau ohonom yn cwyno am ddiffyg cyfleon i arddangos mewn galeriau. Awgrymodd byddai’r ddau ohonom yn creu galeri 'pop up', ac am wahodd John Rowlands hefyd arlunydd 'abstract' sefydledig lleol a chyn athro celf. Datblygwyd cynlluniau, darganfodwyd adeilad, a mis Ebrill 2014 agorwyd ein harddangosfa gyntaf ar y cyd. Dros y blynyddoedd nesaf, a newid safle, buom yn llwyddiannus i allu cynnal pedair arddangosfa pellach; ac yn ddiweddarach rhoddwyd gwahoddiad i Jennie Chester a David Griffiths i ymuno gyda ni.
Yn hwyr yn 2013 bum yn ffodus iawn i gyfarfod yr arlunydd 'abstract', Alun Pritchard (mab y diweddar arlunydd Ifor Pritchard). Wrth rannu diodydd gydag Alun 'roedd y ddau ohonom yn cwyno am ddiffyg cyfleon i arddangos mewn galeriau. Awgrymodd byddai’r ddau ohonom yn creu galeri 'pop up', ac am wahodd John Rowlands hefyd arlunydd 'abstract' sefydledig lleol a chyn athro celf. Datblygwyd cynlluniau, darganfodwyd adeilad, a mis Ebrill 2014 agorwyd ein harddangosfa gyntaf ar y cyd. Dros y blynyddoedd nesaf, a newid safle, buom yn llwyddiannus i allu cynnal pedair arddangosfa pellach; ac yn ddiweddarach rhoddwyd gwahoddiad i Jennie Chester a David Griffiths i ymuno gyda ni.
Placing your work in Galleries is a strange juggling act. On the one hand they need to have established selling artists hanging on their walls, but on the other hand it’s very difficult to become established and sell your work if you can’t get it into the galleries.
Late in 2013 I had the good fortune to meet up with abstract Artist Alun Pritchard (son of the late Artist Ifor Pritchard). Over a few drinks with Alun we were bemoaning the lack of gallery opportunities and he suggested we create our own ‘pop up’ gallery, and along with John Rowlands - an established abstract artist and former Art teacher - we laid some plans, found a venue in Tremadog, and in April 2014 held our first exhibition together. Over the next few years and a change of venue we managed to successfully arrange a further four exhibitions eventually inviting Jennie Chester and David Giffiths to join us.
Late in 2013 I had the good fortune to meet up with abstract Artist Alun Pritchard (son of the late Artist Ifor Pritchard). Over a few drinks with Alun we were bemoaning the lack of gallery opportunities and he suggested we create our own ‘pop up’ gallery, and along with John Rowlands - an established abstract artist and former Art teacher - we laid some plans, found a venue in Tremadog, and in April 2014 held our first exhibition together. Over the next few years and a change of venue we managed to successfully arrange a further four exhibitions eventually inviting Jennie Chester and David Giffiths to join us.
Mae peintio’r tirlun Cymreig yn creu heriau unigryw. Gall yr awyr fod yn las dwys uwchben mynyddoedd Gwynedd, tra bod awyr Sir Fôn yn aml yn medru bod yn fwy cynnil a gwelw ei ddirgryndod. Gall gymylau ddechrau crynhoi ar Benrhyn Llŷn a thyfu’n fwy dramatig wrth symud at Eryri. Mae’r symudiadau cyson o olau a chysgodion sy’n llifo ar draws y caeau a’r mynyddoedd yn anodd eu cyfleu, yn enwedig mewn paent olew - mae’r pigment yn dueddol o sugno’r golau sydd ar wyneb y peintiad.
Mae’r broblem fel tae’n dwysáu wrth nesáu at yr arfordir - mwy o olau’n adlewyrchu oddi ar y môr dybien i. Er mwyn datrys y broblem dwi’n gosod paent tenau (bron fel dyfrlliw) ar gefndir gwyn er mwyn i’r cefndir ddangos fymryn. Ar gefndir tywyll (fel arfer) dwi’n defnyddio llawer mwy o weadau er mwyn i’r golau sydd ar gael greu lliwiau sy’n dirgrynu arnynt. Mae’n hollol amhosib i mi beintio o dan unrhyw olau ond golau naturiol
Mae’r broblem fel tae’n dwysáu wrth nesáu at yr arfordir - mwy o olau’n adlewyrchu oddi ar y môr dybien i. Er mwyn datrys y broblem dwi’n gosod paent tenau (bron fel dyfrlliw) ar gefndir gwyn er mwyn i’r cefndir ddangos fymryn. Ar gefndir tywyll (fel arfer) dwi’n defnyddio llawer mwy o weadau er mwyn i’r golau sydd ar gael greu lliwiau sy’n dirgrynu arnynt. Mae’n hollol amhosib i mi beintio o dan unrhyw olau ond golau naturiol
Painting the Welsh landscape poses its own unique set of challenges. The sky can occasionally be very intensely, unbelievably ‘blue’ over the mountains of Gwynedd, while an Anglesey sky can have another more subtle paler vibrancy to it. More often than not cloud formations start at the tip of ‘Pen Llyn’ and grow more dramatic as they move inland towards the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia). The constant movement of light and shadows flowing across the fields and mountains is very elusive and hard to capture or replicate especially in Oil paint; its pigments tending to absorb the light hitting the surface of the painting. The problem seems to be intensified the nearer you get to the coast, I imagine because there’s more ‘reflected’ light from the sea. To try and counteract this problem - If I’m painting on a white background - I’ll apply the paint quite thinly almost like watercolour to get the background to show through slightly. When I’m painting on a dark background (usually) I tend to use a lot more textures to get the available light to bounce back/shimmer off the imperfections. I also find it totally impossible to paint under anything other than natural daylight!
Mae fy niddordeb yn y ffordd mae’r ymennydd yn dehongli yr hyn a welwn ynhwb i mi geisio defnyddio technegau newydd ar gyfres o beintiadau a’u gollwng os nad ydw i’n hapus. Dwi’n wir fwynhau peintio ar banel du. Gallaf adael rhai arwynebau heb eu peintio a thrwy ychwanegu ambell farc brws, drawsffurfio y rhannau duon hyn i gysgodion neu dywyllwch a gadael i ddychymyg pobl lenwi’r manylion cudd. Yr unig broblem gyda’r dull hwn yw fod rhan ohona i yn mwynhau peidio peintio popeth tra’n ceisio cyflwyno rhywbeth sy’n ymddangos yn ‘ddiffniad-uchel’. Mae’n weithred o gydbwyso y mae f’ymennydd yn ceisio
delio ag o a dwi’n ceisio darbwyllo’n hunan fod ‘llai yn fwy’ - mwy neu lai!?
My interest into how the brain interprets what we see drives me to constantly try new techniques that I adopt over a series of paintings, and drop them if I’m not satisfied. I really enjoy painting on a black panel; I’ve found I can leave large areas unpainted, and by adding just a few simple ‘brushstrokes’ transform these black areas into shadow or shade and let peoples imagination fill in the details of what might be hidden there. The only problem I’m encountering with this approach is one part of me enjoys trying ‘not’ to paint everything, while I’m also trying to present something that appears ‘high definition’. It’s a juggling act which my own brain is struggling to deal with and I’m trying to convince myself that ‘less is more’ - more or less!?
delio ag o a dwi’n ceisio darbwyllo’n hunan fod ‘llai yn fwy’ - mwy neu lai!?
My interest into how the brain interprets what we see drives me to constantly try new techniques that I adopt over a series of paintings, and drop them if I’m not satisfied. I really enjoy painting on a black panel; I’ve found I can leave large areas unpainted, and by adding just a few simple ‘brushstrokes’ transform these black areas into shadow or shade and let peoples imagination fill in the details of what might be hidden there. The only problem I’m encountering with this approach is one part of me enjoys trying ‘not’ to paint everything, while I’m also trying to present something that appears ‘high definition’. It’s a juggling act which my own brain is struggling to deal with and I’m trying to convince myself that ‘less is more’ - more or less!?
Dwi ddim yn ymweld ag orielau yn gyson ond, pan fyddaf, dwi’n ceisio peidio archwilio gwaith artistiaid eraill yn rhy fanwl. Mae’n syndod i fi faint o artistiaid sy’n ceisio peintio mewn dull sy’n lled ymdebygu i waith artist arall. Dwi’n mynnu peintio yn fy ffordd fy hun a dwi’n ceisio datblygu rhywbeth sydd ddim o reidrwydd yn wir unigryw ond sy’n perthyn i mi’n unigryw.
I don’t visit galleries on a regular basis and usually fly around them trying not to examine other artists work too closely, I’m often surprised by how many artists are trying to paint in a way that vaguely resembles another artist. I’ve a determination to paint in my own way, and try and develop something that may not be necessarily truly unique - but is uniquely mine.
I don’t visit galleries on a regular basis and usually fly around them trying not to examine other artists work too closely, I’m often surprised by how many artists are trying to paint in a way that vaguely resembles another artist. I’ve a determination to paint in my own way, and try and develop something that may not be necessarily truly unique - but is uniquely mine.