Of course my home of Ystradgynlais had to feature in my art at some point. This is one of my first pieces of art to feature Ystradgynlais, though I’m sure there will be many more to come once I’ve had a chance to explore more.
This woodland oil painting was inspired by a spring morning walk in the woods of Ystradfawr Nature Reserve. Once the site of extensive coal mining, it now consists of a variety of trails through deciduous woodlands, meadows, and streams. Located on the eastern side of Ystradgynlais with views up the valley towards Cribarth and Abercrave, and views down the valley towards Varteg Hill and Alltygrug Mountain, it provides plenty of inspiration for art throughout the seasons.
Woodlands and forests are the inspiration for much of my art. With this oil painting, the main aspect I wanted to capture was the incredible vibrancy and colours of morning sunlight through lush spring foliage. I used the bright greens and yellows where the sun is striking the new leaves and grass to contrast with the cooler tones of the areas in shade to convey the feel of a fresh morning.
I also wanted to convey not only the feeling of tranquility of walking in woodlands on a fine morning, but also the sense of curiosity I feel when following woodland paths. The winding trails always fire up my imagination as to what lies around the next bend. Having only walked the woodlands for a couple of years, whilst I vaguely know the routes, Ystradfawr nature reserve it’s yet to become familiar to the point I know exactly where each trail leads. I look forward to creating many more pieces of art inspired by this beautiful woodland.
Spring Morning in Ystradfawr was painted in oils on a 11.5″ x 15.5″ canvas wrap with the image painted around the 0.5″ deep edges. Finally the piece was varnished with Gamvar Matte Varnish for protection.
The piece was sold in August 2020.
