Llansteffan in Moonlight from the sea

Okay so here is the finished painting of Llansteffan in moonlight from the sea.  The profile of the castle and headland is very different from the seaward side. I have seen it from this position on many occasions but haven't sketched it surprisingly, well I suppose I was sailing at the time.
Anyway I have now done a painting from this viewpoint. Ferryside is in the distance on the right.
To the left of the Castle is Scotts Bay.
Happy New Year to all!

Crossing Carmarthen Bar

I have had an image of a painting in my mind for a long time and I have finally got around to doing it.

I remember crossing the Carmarthen Bar in the darkness coming into Llansteffan many years ago. It was a little bit fraught. There were three of us, Terry who sadly is no longer with us, Tony and myself. We were on a Terry's yacht. Tony and I were helping him bring it back to Llansteffan for craning out over winter. It had been a good days sail but the winter nights were drawing in and the situation wasn't helped because there was live practice firing off the ranges.  Not normally a problem if this is published but we hadn't seen any notification of the event. Possibly no-one expected a yacht to be crossing Carmarthen Bay at this time of night or at this time of year.

Anyway this had caused us to go further out to sea than we had anticipated putting us behind our expected arrival time. We were then informed that we couldn't enter the estuary as live firing was continuing. The law on this is disputable in any case Terry decided we had little choice at this point but to continue and he informed the range authorities by VHF radio accordingly. They didn't dispute our right of passage or the lack of publication. It was however slightly unerving to see tracer and hear gunfire going out to sea although it was probably a good mile off and not going in our direction.
Crossing the Bar itself in darkness is not a great idea, the channel changes frequently and many ships have come to grief on it.

Anyway there was a good moon and this kept popping in and out of clouds giving us a helpoing hand. I was relieved to see the profile of Llansteffan Castle rise before us with Ferryside on the starboard bow in the distance.

Anyway I made a mental note of the scene and that is what I have attempted from memory.

The picture above is the opening stage of the painting, half a dozen lines drawn with a brush.

I then block in the darkest tones of the paitning. Yes, I know it doesn't look much at the moment but trust me it will be fine. I have mentally painted the picture and know what I am doing, touch wood!

M4

Alex and I were up early this morning as we had to take a relative to the airport. Although the forecast hadn't been too bad the M4 was pretty dire with downpours and plenty of standing water.
Fortunately the temperature was just above freezing. I took it easy a stance that was well justified as we passed several cars that had gone into the armco barriers and also one that had turned over.
(I hope no-one was seriously injured).
Anyway on my return I did the above painting giving an idea of the conditions.
Most of our visitors have gone now and it seems very quiet. We had a good Christmas and now have to start thinking about what to cook and how to lose some of those extra pounds!

Alvis

The above painting of an Alvis was sold before Christmas. I saw the car at the Pontargothis Vintage Show and was much taken by it. I believe it is an Alvis Speed 20? Anyway a real classic car and I enjoyed painting it.
I suppose you could now say Alvis has left the building! Sorry!
Yesterday I went to the rugby with our son and two granddaughters. A good game in many respects the Scarlets forwards and tackling were positive points but the decision making and tactic of kicking the ball to the Ospreys back three whenever we had the ball left me somewhere between confused and spitting feathers. Oh well another game lost. At least it was four hours that got me away from  eating mince pies!

Boxing Day

A full Christmas Day yesterday with family and lots of food and festive joy. The scene above is of the Ebeneezer Chapel in Abergwili. We actually did have snow yesterday but it was only a small amount and it didn't stick.

Off to the Rugby today to watch Scarlets and Ospreys.

Happy Christmas from the Towy Valley

Happy Christmas from the Towy Valley

A Childs Christmas in Wales

The above painting shows a Black Five (Stannier) locomotive crossing the Bascule Bridge at Carmarthen in winter. I did the painting at the end of last year and for the most part it has hung on my own wall.

I have heard the BBC are doing a full reading of a Childs Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas. To be honest I am hot and cold with Dylan Thomas. Some work I really like. Other  works pass me by. A Childs Christmas in Wales is one of his works that takes me straight in with its nostalgic descriptive prose. It started life as a piece for the radio and he developed it so it has a different origin to many of his works.

Anyway reading it makes me think of my own childhood of the excitement of the first snowfall and dragging our sledge to the big hill with my brother and sister. Invariably we would have to come back almost straight away as my sister got very cold and we would end up pulling the sled home with her on it. Snowball fights, ice slides, and large snowballs set loose down the hill are all distant but real memories. I still remember opening my present on Christmas morning,  a green train made by my father from a piece of telegraph pole, and some of the fence from the back garden. I am not sure how he explained the hole in the fence to the landlord? That train lasted years and my son played with it when he was young.

I guess that is the real appeal of Thomas's Childs Christmas in Wales in that it prompts the readers or listeners own memories.

Anyway have a Happy Christmas.