I stayed near Crickhowell, a beautiful
part of the Brecon Beacons, in a tiny, cozy two-room
cottage, which was fine since I'm only four feet eleven
inches high and not very wide but even so, the steep
and narrow spiral staircase to the bedroom required some
careful contortions. When I wasn't
walking and sketching in the countryside or visiting
nearby towns, I'd sit indoors and draw.
The found-object
frame around the mirror is one of the thoughtful touches
around the cottage.
Even when - especially
when - the sky is cloudy, at this time of year the greens
are of almost neon brightness while
the blackness of the hills is streaked with purples,
browns, reds and patches of emerald. I was particularly
spellbound by reflections in the river Usk and by the
copper-coloured water of the Brecon canal. Narrow
boats silently glide by as you walk along the tree-lined
banks. Some of the boats are manned by amateur
skippers, worriedly looking straight ahead, expecting
trouble.
And there were sheep of course. Plump and peaceful, eating and resting, resting and eating, dutifully taking care of their woolliness.
I spent a few hours in Abergavenny
on a day packed with crowds for the Food Festival, which
was fun. But what I liked best were the side-streets
and the people at the bus queue going home.
Some teddies in this shop are very old, very rare and very expensive.
On my next to last day, I was privileged
to be invited to tea at the home of friends of Clive Hicks-Jenkins:
William
Gibbs and his civil partner Sonthaya. By happy coincidence
they live very near the village where I was staying
and Clive suggested I look them up. Due to a stupid (my stupidity)
dental mishap, I nearly cancelled the appointment but fortunately
I was persuaded to ignore vanity and come anyway. It was
a memorable afternoon with this most interesting and
hospitable couple, a marvellous house and garden, and
an art collection that
so stunned and inspired
me that I
quite forgot to take photos. Besides the achievements mentioned at the above
link, William is a patron of the arts, collector, critic,
lecturer and chairman of various Arts Trusts. With
all this activity he still manages to appear
relaxed and at ease. Enthusiasm for life and art and
a discerning sensibility is evident in every corner of
the home that William and Sonthaya share and I'm so
grateful that I didn't miss this opportunity to meet
them.
Still seeing the week in Wales
in my mind's eye and long may it linger. I took a lot
more photos and might post them on Flickr later on.
A few more drawings also to come.
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