Origin at Siop y Seld

Origin is opening at 23 King Street Carmarthen (the old Siop y Seld ) on Saturday 24th September.

This is the gallery for a co-operative of artists and craftmakers from West Wales (the old County of Dyfed).

I have been a member of the co-operative for many years and although we had a gallery in Blue Street Carmarthen it wasn’t very prominent there. This gallery had lots of space and has great potential.
The shop itself is interesting I believe it was rebuilt in 1932 following a fire and was furnished in art deco style. Many of the original features remain.

Anyway I hope you find time to pay us a visit. There will be fine art, cards, pottery, textiles, ironwork, jewellery, woodworkings, glass work and much more.

The painting above is one I did in a demo this year. I have virtually stopped doing demonstrations and talks now.

Black Five underpainting

The progress of “Black Five”, a Stannier Loco pulling goods at Washwood Heath is shown above. I have got the main under painting done. I may get a chance to do some more tomorrow but probably not as I am helping put up the picture hanging system in the new gallery.

Yesterday we went to the gym at Carmarthen Leisure Centre in the morning. Yesterday evening Alex was doing “Zumba”? in the Leisure Centre so I decided to go for a dip in the swimming pool. After about 20 minutes I had enough and decided to try the health suite. This is a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room.

I had a shower went in the Sauna, had a cold shower and then thought I would try the Jacuzzi. There was no one else in it so I got in and had a relax. Several people wandered by and I thought they were giving me a funny look. Anyway I took no notice. After a while a young man walked by, then came back and asked me if I would like him to turn it on.
I did feel a bit of a fool but if you can’t laugh at yourself who can you laugh at.

Black Five

This morning it was walk the dogs, gym and dentist. This afternoon I have started working on another painting.
This wasn’t the painting I intended however. I have had an image from my childhood, (quite a time ago) of the goods trains going past on the line from Washwood Heath. The line was perhaps 60 yards from our house and I could often be found with my elder brother watching the trains running through the cutting as we sat on the bank.
We would also put the occasional penny on the line, daft I know but we were boys. The pennies would be flattened into all shapes.

Anyway the trains came under the Bridge and through the cutting on the way to Stetchford I believe. The drawing I have done for the painting is of a Black Five locomotive and goods train. I am not a Railway anorak and can’t identify all the different types but this was quite common. The painting is not going for sale but for my own collection. As I am ahead of my other work I thought I would indulge myself.

I haven’t decided what weather to do the setting, snow, rain, sunshine or evening light.

I am also thinking about doing the spire of the local church in the background. Maybe a boy peering over the wall?
Maybe maybe not.
Alex has started to do some framing this afternoon; relieved I think to be able to get on.

Wrapping Paper

The sketch above is the view from our hotel room in Gran Canaria showing half built apartments. Most building work is on hold there similar to most parts of Spain and also in the UK.

I was watching an episode of Pepper Pig yesterday with one of the grandchildren.
It was the one where Father Christmas forgets Pepper Pigs Christmas present. Anyway it brought to mind a Christmas day many years ago. It was quite a memorable one.

My parents used to live at the top of a hill in an old stone cottage and barn near Knighton in Mid Wales. It had been a smallholding. The cottage was freezing cold in winter and summer. The only real heating was a wood-burning stove in the little room used as the living/dining room.

It was a cold Christmas and unusually I wasn’t working Christmas day so Alex and I were spending the day with our children at my parent’s home. There was snow on the ground and we had been for a Christmas morning walk while my mother prepared Christmas dinner. When we got back we all sat around the table to Christmas dinner.

Our son decided to put some wrapping paper in the log burner. My grandfather told him not to put any more paper in it. Our son being a boy and seven ignored the advice and as we were sitting waiting for a main course he found a big ball of wrapping paper and stuffed it in the burner. The inevitable happened a large “whoosh” and next thing we were abandoning our turkey to get outside. The pipe from the wood burner was glowing and flames were coming out of the top of the chimney. We all stood outside forlornly waiting until the fire engine arrived. They quickly put out the fire but not before a good deal of water had been sprayed liberally around the living room.

Our Dinner was cold and the house was a mess. I don’t think the firemen were too pleased to be interrupting their Xmas dinner either. Still it could all have been worse.

It is a Christmas however that we will never forget.

Stradey Park - Scarlets Cafe

First thing walk Jac and our resident houseguest. We are now looking after our daughter’s dog who is pretty smelly. Then I watched the Rugby World Cup, went to the gym walked the dogs again and later we are off out to our other daughter’s for tea.

The painting above is one that was sold last year but it seemed appropriate. It shows the old Scarlets Café at Stradey Park on the night of the last game before Scarlets moved to Parc y Scarlets.

My son, Alex and I went to see the Scarlets last weekend for the opening game of the season. Quite a few positives including a win. I remember the first game I took our son to see at Stradey Park. We were playing the all Blacks and it was the most dreadful weather possible. The rain was literally horizontal and the wind was a full-blown gale. We were both soaked to the skin but at least it stays with him as a standout memory from childhood.

No plans to do any painting this weekend. By Monday however painting will be compulsory therapy, i.e. I will be lost in a picture.

Gower

I finished the painting above of the Loughor Estuary today. Unusually it actually took me a lot longer than I anticipated.

Alex has been babysitting grandchildren all week and can now recite all the episodes of Pepper Pig without looking at the T.V. When she can get back to doing some work she will be mighty pleased.
I have in mind the next painting but it may be delayed by visitors this weekend and the Rugby World Cup.

New Mouse

Last night I went to do a simple job changing a couple of sockets. Unfortunately it turned in to a bit of a pig. The old boxes were bent and it was all a bit of a mess. I won’t bore you with all the details but it meant a trip to B&Q at 7.30am this morning and a couple of hours fixing it. Then the computer decided it didn’t like the mouse!
So I was late starting painting today. I have managed 7 hours but have a bit more to go to finish the work I started today.

The sketch above is of a Sol lorry outside our hotel. It was delivering coffee. I had time to do a sketch while waiting for Alex. Carrying a little sketchpad and doing quick sketches is really good practice and fills in countless hours of what would be wasted time. There are several good websites, which show people daily sketches. I don’t actually submit any of mine as they go on here.

Still its nearly 6pm and tea beckons and then it’s the gym.

By the way I had to buy a new mouse.