Own work: Llangathen church

     For a few months now I've been really struggling in the attempt to paint topographical subjects. Finally I've actually achieved something I'm vaguely satisfied with - a little bit too Edwardian - but ok.

Own work: Aberglasney

     I have to admit I'm rather pleased with this sketch.  Not that I had thought it would turn out stylistically quite as it has. I simply didn't sit down and consciously conceive of making a drawing in the Edwardian manner. It just happened and I'm glad it did.

Own work: Grongar Hill

     With my next exhibition slowly creeping up on me - it's September - I've been changed subject matter and gone for the local and my first landscape painting in a long, long time. The subject is Grongar Hill, painted from the churchyard at Llangathen - a visit well worth making if only for the fabulous view over the Towy valley. I'm relatively happy with it. There are however a number of things I would hope not to repeat.

     I've blogged about Grongar Hill, the inspiration for the poet John Dyer, before.  John Piper painted it, I think, three or four times, and it has a fascination for me, which is partly associational and partly for the immense beauty of it and the landscape that surrounds it.  Mixed media.

St Mary, Builth Wells

     Last week's jaunt took us up into Powys and Llandridnod Wells, Builth and Llanwrtyd Wells.  Llandridnod is a quite extraordinary place, as though a late nineteenth century suburb of London had been uprooted and then dropped into rural  mid-wales - all Queen Anne revival, Olde English, plus the odd splash of Gothic revival, Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau.  A rather laid back sort of place, perhaps lacking in direction.  I have never seen so many intact Victorian and Edwardian shop fronts.  Extraordinary.  But far too many parked cars to make photography easy.

     Then on to Builth Wells, one of the three market towns of the old county of Breconshire. (It still has a functioning cattle market - quite a rare thing to find these days esp for someone like me from eastern England where most have disappeared.) A small attractive place hugging the south bank of the Wye with a long, narrow high street. There is plenty to admire both in terms of townscape and individual buildings - though there was nothing outstanding.  I did however like the neo-Georgian Post Office.
     As with Llandridnod, Builth's heyday was probably in the nineteenth century - everything spoke of a relatively comfortable provincial life.  Food, however, was my big concern as we were walking around but I did make the effort and take some pictures of the parish church. To be honest since visiting Oystermouth and Llancarfan I've been a bit hesitant to take photographs of churches - hence I snapped nothing of the slightly bizarre, and florid, Holy Trinity, Llandridnod.

     St Mary's Builth, standing in a large graveyard full of monuments, is a mix of Victorian and Medieval. The tower is massive and blunt, 13th centrury; the church, which dates from 1875 and is the work of John Norton, is High Victorian Gothic, muscular and tough. Mincer-plate tracery in some of the windows. Perhaps a little unlovely though well detailed in places.  Hard to believe it is nearly 150 years old - will it ever weather and mellow? The east end of tower, chancel and organ chamber is well composed.  But all together more successful perhaps if the interior wasn't so cold and cavernous. It's the sort of building that Bodley should have got hold of and decorated within an inch of its life. At present it just looks tatty and barren. It really needs some help.  I'm pretty sure I saw day-light through the roof.

     I suppose too that as a gay man I ought to be grateful that this place trumpets its inclusiveness. It however does nothing for me. A church is a temple of transformation, God orientated, where the worshipper encounters and participates in and with the divine, it is not a place for the semi-secular centred upon our selves. For all the well meaning banners etc I really couldn't worship there. Sorry to bang on about this yet again but I'm slowly feeling my Anglicanism wither and die and it's a far from pleasant experience.  Trouble is that being an Anglican these days is hardly intellectually or spiritually or even aesthetically satisfying.

Vale of Glamorgan

     We've been out on a mystery tour, thanks to the bf.  We headed west along the M4 (while I came up with ever wilder guesses as to our destination - the 'Pobol y Cwm Experience', the 'The Esma Cannon Museum'?) and into the rather posh Vale of Glamorgan. I was in the need of cheering up and the bf knew what would help, and after traversing some ridiculously narrow country lanes (thanks to the sat-nav) we arrived at the village of Llancarfan and the church.

     And here the narrative ends, except to say that there was I happily snapping away inside only to espy a notice stating that to post images of the church, even on social media, one had to seek permission from the PCC, which seems an inordinately and ultimately futile way of controlling images of the church, and one I won't endorse by applying.

     Our second port of call was eminently middle-class community of Cowbridge, a linear community along what was once the main road west out of Cardiff.  It has a not inconsiderable charm. The church, dedicated to The Holy Cross, is a big muscular sort of building, but was actually a chapel-of-ease to Llanbethan.  It forms an interesting grouping with the Grammar School and town gate. The interior highlights the problems of both using and spatially unifying a structure that was built for a standing, not sitting, congregation. It is also an example of what one could call civic Anglicanism - something that tends to leave me cold.  First however let's start with the exterior which is varied and interesting. The brooding, defensive-looking central tower dominates.  The double nave is long and low - in common with many Welsh churches the clerestory is absent - the windows are all Perp.  The E end is complex, even picturesque, with chancel, N chapel (with blocked windows) and deeply projecting vestry.  The inside is more varied still consisting of essentially three disparate spaces: nave, tower and chancel.  The former chancel chapel is screened off and closed off which is a shame as it would add a welcome unexpected element to the interior.  The best things are the mural monuments and the inner door of the porch by George Pace on his best behaviour, and is really quite sensitive. It should look even better with age. Otherwise it is far too dark and there is too much semi-secular clutter.  The fine spaciousness of the nave with its elegant perp arcade deserves better. It would benefit from a wholesale removal of pews and a re-flooring in stone.

Own work: The Rustiche of Sebastiano Serlio XXVIII

     Another completed arch in the 'Rustiche' series.

Tea with Jones and Gray

     Wednesday in Great Week the bf and I were lucky to take afternoon tea with the remarkable Jones & Grey at their house and studio. The duo are insatiable neo-classicists - artists and artisans who can turn their able hands to drawing, painting, model making and plasterwork - with a particular love for the work of the English architect James Wyatt (1746 -1813). Here is their coolly neo-classical website.
Their house is a testament of both their enthusiasm (which is great) and their appreciable skills for each room is graced with their work in the form of the most delicate neo-classical ceilings. The over all effect is utterly enchanting, and the cake was delicious too!

     Alas my poor photography isn't equal to the subject, but at least they'll give you an idea of what has been created.