Rhossili Bay and Burry Holmes

The Gower is spectacular when viewed from land or sea. The only downside is the roads getting pretty clogged in Summer. The above painting shows Rhossili Bay and Burry Holmes in the background. The painting sold a couple of days ago.

This week I am concentrating on my piano as I have an exam coming up next week. We do have to take down an exhibition on Thursday however.

A walk over the top - nearly

This morning Jac and I decided to take a walk through the woods and back down over Penlanffos. The path was pretty much over grown in places and a bit slippy underfoot on the way up through the woods but quite passable.

We got to the top and came out on the track where we saw our nemesis. yes the cattle were out in force on the 400yd stretch between us and the cattle grid. I looked at Jac he looked at me, the cattle gave us the "Make my day," look. Now we have had a run in on two occasions with them last year but now was the time to man up. Yes we turned around and went back despite having covered 3/4 of the walk.

The painting at the top is sold but depicts a time when the cattle were less territorial about their space.

Moonlight

The above painting of Boathouse by moonlight sold last week. In the past we have had many pleasant evenings swinging to an anchor watching the moon rise over the Laugharne Estuary.(ok strictly speaking the Taf but you know what I mean).

I see a lot of very heated discussions and personal abuse on the internet regarding the referendum result at the moment and I really think this is a time for cool heads.

I am with Lisa Miller on this.

"Well we may or may not have got the outcome we voted for but there it is. Better make the best of it."

Heulwen Steaming

The above painting of Heulwen a sadle tank engine on the Gwili Railway sold last week. It had been a wet couple of days when I saw her steaming in Bronwydd Station. The reflections did it for me.

Alex and I have been away for a couple of weeks in the Cotswolds but are now back with a meadow surrounding the house. I have always enjoyed visiting the galleries in London even the Tate Modern. I do "get" some of the work but then again most of it passes me by. I think I find it hard to appreciate something that requires no technical ability. I suppose I like going because sometimes there are things that do appeal to me and I go in hope more than expectation. Some of the exhibitions in the Turbine Hall have been to my liking eg. Rachel Whitebread and Ai Weiwei porcelain sunflowers seeds.

Unfortunately from the previews of the Tate Modern Extension I am only likely to grumble and mutter if I go in there at the moment.

I love cricket

Alex and I spent a pleasant afternoon watching village cricket yesterday.  I have enjoyed watching cricket since being a boy when my grandfather would take me out of school to watch first class matches. My grandfather knew all the players old and new. I still have Tiger Smiths autograph. He played test for England until 1912. None of this business about fining parents for missing school in those days. Anyway a lovely relaxing afternoon with tea and the odd beer.

Shepherd and his flock

One of the constants in the Welsh countryside is sheep. The above painting shows a shepherd with his flock in the Preseli's. This particular painting is now in Dubai.  I like the style of this painting it had a ground put onfirst and was quickly executed in a fluid manner.

Storey Arms

When we lived in Brecon we often climbed the Beacons and I keep threatening to go back up there.
It is a beautiful and exhilarating view from Pen y Fan. The painting above is of a red kite over Storey Arms the starting point for the climb. The painting is sold.

Pyramids

I am quite happy to paint most things but I generally like to "know" what they are, how they work and preferably have seen them or something similar. My absolute preference is to paint form life but of course this is not always possible.

A few years back I was asked to do a painting of the Pyramids. now I have been there and had no problem doing the painting. To be honest I wouldn't want ot go back there now but I am glad I went.

Tenby

The above painting of Tenby has sold this week. I have a lot of connections with Tenby and have done a few paintings over the years. In days gone by we have sailed into Tenby and anchored on the beach stopping overnight. Nowadays Alex and I like to stop there for a couple of days out of season staying in a B&B.

Shabby

I was asked the other day if I paint animals and in particular would I paint highland cattle. I replied I only paint animals incidental to a composition. I only do animal portraits of animals I know, like my own dog and his mother above. Shabby by name and nature!

I paint horses on the beach and cattle in fields but all part of a landscape.

Ah, the problem with my phone, I had a Eureka moment yesterday and contacted the Chief Executive of BT. Problem solved I now have an answering service. Thank you Mr Patterson.

BT

No not one of my paintings. Over the years we have had problems with....BT....We have had line faults, holes dug up outside the house and then filled in before the fault was corrected (three times) been off line for weeks. Now for some reason BT have taken call answering off 5 weeks ago and we are trying to get them to put it back.

Apparently for a multi million pound international telecom giant this task is too difficult although promising to fix it is very easy.

So yes it makes you want to scream.

Nantgarredig - Bridge over the Towy

I popped down to Nantgarredig today and had a few pleasant hours painting the view of the bridge over the Towy.

Last time I painted this view was many years ago in watercolour and I included the house at the end of the bridge. Trees have grown since and I decided to leave it out moving the composition across.

Anyway all went well. For the sake of modernity I include the selfie!!

Llansteffan Winter Walk

The above painting sold this week showing a winter walk on Llansteffan Beach, but hey now we are officially in Summer. Jac and I walked around the reservoirs this morning and it was stunning. The light coming through the trees and the sounds of the birds were spectacular. There are seven little ducklings on the top reservoir at the moment albeit a fox will probably thin them out.

This morning I am in Origin and Alex is taking over this afternoon.

I was thinking the other day when it comes to clearing out our house when we have gone. I can imagine our relatives talking to each other:

"Look what I have found!"

"What? Not another vacuum cleaner."

"Yes. How many is that? Did Alex collect them?"

Yes its true we could probably open a vacuum cleaner museum. Anyway as they say, cleanliness is next to godliness.

Link   Freddie

Picton Castle Exhibition June 2016

There we are all set up at Picton Castle Large gallery for the month of June. It took us a few hours as we had taken a good number of paintings and prints. In the end we had to take some paintings home but we put up 65 originals and 5 prints. Fair play to Alex she has worked hard framing packing and making lists of the work. We managed to packit all in the Vauxhall and get us both in it!

One thing I must say. On our way from out of nowhere Alex said:

"You know That thing with Wings on the hill is that in Rio?"

I burst out laughing and replied, "Err yes, and That thing with Wings is a statue of Christ the Redeemer,"

"This better not go on your blog," said Alex. 

As if!