Painting the Islands; Anglesey & Skye
I’m now back home, after 2 months painting the Isle of Skye and Anglesey. Travelling with my camper van and bicycle to paint some works in preparation for my solo exhibition in August 2023. It seems far away but the time goes fast. After a visit to Anglesey a few years ago I’ve always wanted to go back and paint the beautiful boats that moor in one of my favourite bays there during August. With that in mind Holyhead was my first stop. I stayed here painting for about two weeks. The weather was perfect and I spent my time painting in the morning followed usually by a swim in the sea to cool off before the afternoon and evening session. A huge thanks to all the lovely people I met at Treaddur Sailing Club who were very welcoming and even kind enough to take me on a boat ride after I mentioned that I would like to paint the regatta (A new painting which will be ready for the exhibition). It was a really special few weeks. Also please check out artwork by fellow artist Annie Midwood who I spent some time painting with on the rocks. (see photo below) so you can see her works by clicking on the previous link.
Visiting the Royal Cambrian Academy
As I was in Anglesey I had to go and see the summer show at the RCA. Especially since it was supposed to be my first Sumer showing with them (my painting was supposed to be in before it got lost in the post). It was however wonderful to see the rest of the exhibition and the large scope of works available there. A big congratulations to all the artists who exhibited there, and I do recommend getting down there for the upcoming winter show at the end of November. (Please see images below)
The Campervan
Some time ago I went on a painting trip. I was living in Wales at the time and had decided to drive down to Pembrokeshire. It was a three hour drive and the forecast was rain the first night, so my plan was to scout out the area during for the first day. After this I’d spend a week painting in the sunshine. As it happens I woke up during that first night with the tent lay flat out on my face. I was half asleep with no spare so decided to pack it all down, still in my pyjamas. I got in the car. it was howling wind and rain outside. Needless to say, I drove the three hours home and that was the end of the trip. At that point then I decided I needed to get myself a camper van in order to stay sane.
A few years down the line and I now have my own bespoke camper van. It was built by the talented @timberandstitchvans . As well as doing the whole build, Jack helped me during the design process to figure out a living space that would work well alongside all the painting related features. Below is the result, which I’m really happy with. It does everything I need, transporting the bikes, it has a kitchen, bed and even a sliding wall space for wet paintings. I can honestly say its changed my work trips, making the bad weather manageable and the overall experience stress-free. If you enjoy these pictures you can see Jack’s work on his instagram page (link above and below).
Painting Isle of Skye
Next stop was the Isle of Skye. I’ve never seen views quite like the views on this island. If you can keep your easel from blowing over and the midges off your face, it’s an amazing place to paint! We stayed for a week or so enjoying a mix of things like hiking and sightseeing, alongside some painting. I met a young photographer from the US who took my photo. The first image is by her, so please check out her great photos – @tethered.photos . So many places were special, but one that sticks in mind is the Bothy on the North east of the island. Maybe because we saw a basking shark, I was trying to paint the interior of the Bothy at the time. I didn’t get much done though, as I kept running outside every time someone shouted “shark”.
Shop Painted Postcards
As with all the finished paintings from this trip they will be unveiled and available for purchase at my next solo exhibition – 5 August to 17 September, 2023, Oriel Mon.
Until then I have some one-off postcards available for sale in the shop. Below you can see a preview of the collection. Please note these will not be available at the show if they sell online prior.
