Tir Ni – prosiect wedi ei gyllido gan grant ymchwil a datblygu Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru.

Ers derbyn y grant, mae gan tri darn tirlun rwyf wedi eu creu yn ddiweddar deimlad gwahanol fel rwy’n datblygu fy arddull paentio. Drwy weithio ar y darnau yma, ceisio tynnu nol ar y manylion a cymeryd gofal, dyma’r canlyniadau:

Yn dilyn ymweliadau i galeriau ac arddangosfeydd yn ystod yr haf, rwyf ar hyn o bryd yng nghanol y broses o archwilio fy mheintio yn y stiwdio, yn gwneud camgymeriadau, ail-weithio darnau, newid a gwerthuso, gan feddwl yn ofalus am yr hyn rwyf yn ei greu.

Mae’n anodd gan fod pasiwn yn cymeryd drosodd ar adegau, a rwy’n colli fy hun yn fy nghelf a mynd nol i fy hen arddulliau. Dydw i ddim yn trio newid fy arddull, ond datblygu y broses o baentio, mynd a fo yn bellach na’r gorffennol, camu nol, dadansoddi a cwestiynu.

Mae’n cymeryd amser gan nad ydwi’n gallu dibynnu ar fy arddull arferol er mwyn paentio yn gyflym, ond bod yn fwy sensitive, cymeryd gofal a gweld y celf yn datblygu. Mae’n rhwystredig ar brydiau ond rwyf angen y cyfnod yma o ddatblygu ar ol ymchwil y misoedd diwethaf.

Galeri Albany Caerdydd – casgliad preifat Kyffin Williams:

Diddorol oedd gweld defnydd dwys o las mewn un arddull o baentio tirlun, gyda defnydd llachar o felyn. Roedd y paent wedi ei ddefnyddio yn drwchus a theimladwy, gan ddangos marciau y gyllell a cyfeiriad y brwsh.

Diddorol oedd gweld llinellau trwm mewn rhai cyfansoddiadau.

Y wers yma i mi ydi pwysigrwydd amrywiaeth o ffyrdd o ddefnyddio paent, o dew i denau, ac o esmwyth i ddangos marciau. Sicrhau fod amrywiaeth o fewn darn celf.

Galeri Celfyddyd Gain 108, Harrogate:

Wedi cael trafodaethau gwych yn fan hyn. Dyma rai sylwadau ddaru aros gyda mi ar ol y sgyrsiau Mae artistiaid yn paentio oherwydd eu bod angen cyfleu eu hunain a’u teimladau ac emosiynau. Celf abstract yn rhoi cyfle i’r gwyliwr weld pethau personol fel unigolion. Gall fod mwy diddorol fel hyn, nid oes angen rhoi popeth ar blat. 

Nid yw newid arddull i siwtio galeri yn mynd i weithio pob tro gan eich bod yn colli synnwyr o wir iaith a teimlad yr unigolyn. 

Adnabod eich marchnad – ble ydwi’n ffitio mewn, ai cyfryngau cymdeithasol ydi’r ffordd orau i mi arddangos? Oes galeri i mi allan yna?

Mae dau fath o berson yn casglu celf;  y rhai hynny sy’n caru celf, a’r rhai hynny sydd eisiau buddsoddi mewn celf, gyda mwy o ddiddordeb ym mhoblogrwydd yr artist a gwneud arian na’r gwaith celf. 

Sioe Haf, Royal Academy of the Arts, Llundain

Dyma sioe rwyf pob tro yn ei fwynhau, er nad ydi pob darn at fy nant i gan fod cymaint o amrywiaeth i’w gael. Roedd yr arddangosfa yn yr ystafell felyn yn goblyn o dda i fod yn onest, er fod rhai darnau yn well nac eraill. Nid wyf am fynd ati i enwi artistiaid a darnau, ond wrth feddwl am y sioe yn ei chyfanrwydd, roedd rhai darnau cofiadwy iawn.

Eto, mae hyn yn gwneud i mi feddwl am fy ngwaith fel casgliad, a sicrhau fod darnau yn gweithio gyda’i gilydd yn hytrach na meddwl am arddulliau gwahanol i ddarnau gwahanol. Beth sy’n bwysig? Rwyf angen gofyn y cwestiwn, ydwi’n rhoi gormod mewn i un darn?

Ddylwn i fod yn gweithio ar sawl darn ar yr run pryd, fel sy’n digwydd weithiau yn y stiwdio? Angen ystyried pob opsiwn.

Arddangosfa 1932 Picasso, Tate Modern:

Nid fi yw’r ffan mwyaf o Picasso i ddweud y gwir ond mae pob tro werth cael golwg pan yn Llundain (wedi gweld arwr arall – Turner – yn y Tate wedyn. Dim angen geiriau am hwnnw!).

Roedd y fodel noeth fenywaidd wedi ei phaentio mewn sawl gwahanol arddull, rhai yn dda, rhai yn wahanol. Roedd y defnydd o ofod a lliwiau mawr yn wers i mi fel unigolyn. Oes angen yr holl fanylion a darnau bach o fewn darn i wneud iddo weithio? Eto, meddwl am y drefn a’r dull rwyf yn mynd ati i baentio. Dim llawer i ddweud am hyn a dweud y gwir, rwy’n gweld ei waith yn anodd weithiau, dyma yw fy marn i.

Wedi i mi ymchwilio cymaint o waith ac ymweld a chymaint o galeriau, y cwbwl allai wneud ydi paentio yn y stiwdio a gweld beth ddaw. Mae’n ddefnyddiol siarad drwy’r gwaith ac edrych ar yr hyn rwyf wedi greu yn y gorffennol, ac ail-weithio mewn i rai darnau. Ond efallai mai amser i stopio siarad a paentio mwy ydi hi!

Y cwbwl allai wneud ydi rhoi cynnig iddi, a dal ati.

Tir Ni / Our Land – Funded through the Arts Council of Wales R&D grant:

Since receiving the R&D grant, three landscapes that I have produced recently have a different feel, as I look to develop my painting practice. Having re-worked in to these paintings, stripping back detail and trying to take more care, these are the results as I begin to think about the larger pieces I want to produce, in order to push my painting practice further:

After all the exhibitions and gallery visits over the summer months I am now at the stage of exploring my painting process in the studio, making many mistakes, reworking and changing, re-evaluating and thinking carefully about what it is I am producing.

It is difficult as passion tends to take over at times and I lose myself within my art, then not dealing with the land but rather being too self reliant on my usual style. It is not that I want to change my style, but rather develop my painting method, and take it further than I have done before, by analyzing, stepping back and asking difficult questions.

It takes longer, as I am not relying on my usual process within the studio, and being able to knock paintings out rapidly, but rather trying to be more sensitive, taking grater care and seeing the art work grow. It can be frustrating at times but I need this period of developing after plenty of research over the last few months. Some recent gallery visits include:

Albany Gallery Cardiff – Kyffin Williams private collection:

Interesting to see intensive use of blue in one style of landscape painting, with bright use of lemon yellow.

Paint as usual applied thickly, with much feeling, showing palette knife marking and brush strokes. Interesting to see some bolder lines used in some compositions.

The lesson here for me is to realise the importance of a variety of ways of applying paint, from thin to thick to smooth to mark making. Ensuring there is variety within a painting.

108 Fine Art Gallery, Harrogate:

Great discussions had here. Here are some pointers I kept in mind after my visit and discussions.
Artists are painting because they need to express themselves through feeling and emotion.
Abstract art giving viewer opportunity to see personal things as an individual. This can be more interesting and engaging, no need to give everything away.

Changing a style to suite a gallery or movement will not always work or come over as strongly as you lose your individual language and true self of feeling.

Knowing my market place- where do I fit in, is social media my best form of exhibiting? Is there a gallery for me out there?

There are two types of collectors, those who love art and those who hope to invest, not so interested in the work, much more so in the rise of fame in the artist and its worth.

Royal Academy of the Arts Summer Show, London:

This is a show that I always enjoy, although not all selected works of course are to my taste, as there is a vast variety selected. The hanging of the yellow room gallery was bloody awesome if I am honest, although some works were better than others. I am not going to go in to naming pieces or artists, but thinking about the show collectively, there were some memorable and some less memorable pieces.

Again this is getting me to think about a body of work, and making sure they work as a collection, rather than thinking about different styling of art works. What is important? I need to be asking the question, am I putting too much in to one piece?

Should I have many on the go as I do sometimes in the studio? Need to explore all options.

Picasso 1932 Exhibition, Tate Modern:

Not a massive fan of Picasso to be honest but always worth a look when in London (went to see another great – Turner – at the Tate later. No words needed!)

The female nude painted in so many different ways, some good, some different. The use of large colouring and space is the lesson for me as an individual. Do I need all the small pieces and detail within a composition to make it work? Again, thinking about the organisation of my compositions and approach to painting. Not much to say really, here, I want to explore my own methods, I find his work sometimes difficult; this is just my point of view.

After researching so many works and visiting so many galleries I can only paint in the studio and see what comes. It is helpful talking through the work and looking at what I have produced in the past and re-working some works, but maybe it is time to shut up and just paint!

All I can do is try and have a go, perseverance is key.