I’ve just completed a new drawing based on the old stables at the Tanygrisiau Slate Mine in North Wales. The drawing was done in fine line ink pens and the washes with quink ink and watercolour. Last year I visited the area to explore the caverns and found the surrounding landscape just as fascinating. I liked the misty hills, large heaps of slate and the derelict buildings in the area; the remains of what was once a thriving industry. You can see ‘Old Stables’ in the Slate Caverns section of my website.
Experimental Drawing
I have been experimenting again with ink over the last couple of weeks. This time I’ve not used the pens as normal and instead focused on Quink ink. By wetting the paper and dropping in black Quink you can get some really interesting and unpredictable results. I’ve just completed a new drawing featuring Tanygrisiau, an area of North Wales that I visited in October when exploring the caverns there. Loose areas of ink on wet paper were added first and then more controlled brushed ink was added on afterwards. It’s an interesting technique and one which I plan to explore a little more.
You can find ‘Tanygrisiau’ in the ‘Small Works’ and ‘Slate Caverns’ sections of this website.
Cathedral Cavern
I have just completed a new drawing called “Cathedral Cavern’ based on Llanfair Slate Cavens in North Wales. I visited the site during the summer and was fascinated to learn about the history and working conditions that the miners experienced. The Cathedral Cavern is the largest area of the mine and the only space that lets in natural light. This piece started off with washes of graphitint pencil to add colour and then I used several layers of dark pencil over the top to add textures, shadows and details.
I have since returned to Snowdonia and visited another cavern at Tanygrisiau. This mine was considerably larger and deeper and was very inspiring to see. The surrounding area outside was bleak but beautiful and has provided me with further subject matter to work with. I’m increasingly drawn to quiet landscapes and this place was just right.
Llanfair Slate Caverns
I recently returned from North Wales where I visited Snowdonia and various other places in the area. I was very much inspired by my trip to to Llanfair Slate Caverns near Harlech. The history of the area is interesting and I enjoyed learning about the working conditions of the miners. The tunnels felt quite atmospheric and I took a number of photos while I was there.
Back in my studio I began to put together some compositions inspired by my visit and have just completed my first drawing. It’s in the new ‘Slate Caverns’ section of my website. This new piece was created using graphitint and pencil which seemed to suit the textures of the rock. More to follow!