Newport Sketch Blog 2020

Newport Sketch Blog for 2020

I made a resolution this year to get out and do a sketch /watercolour at least once every week if possible, in Newport and the surrounding area. I have painted pictures in Newport many times over the years (see the homepage), but these should be at least 52 fresh new images. Naturally these will all be 'en plein air', so if you see someone sketching in the area it may well be me.

Fields Park Crescent.

2020 was unusual in many ways. One of the more banal anomalies was that it had 53 official weeks instead of the usual 52. So I had to get out to do an extra picture. My other half likes to go running in the morning. and I sometimes accompany, but on my cycle! One December morning we went down Fields Park Crescent, and I saw the incredible huge 'Victorian Gothick' mansion looking purple and theatrical in the dawn light. I liked the way it counterpoised the familiar shape of the Civic Centre visible visible straight ahead, also lighted by the early sun. So I decided to come back and paint the scene. I was asked 'are you painting the haunted house?' Not because it is haunted, but it aught to be, by a suitably melodramatic spectre.

week 53

December 27th -January 2nd(2021)

Twbarlwm in the snow.

This picture does not comply with my original intention for the year - to paint from life every week. Christmas week has been too wet to get out. Ironically the weather today, Christmas eve, is lovely, but I'm too busy getting ready for Christmas day. So here is a picture from a photo of the snow in 2013, the last time we had a big snowfall. I used this picture for December in the calendar I was selling, before covid closed my shop, and, naturally, for Christmas cards. Happy Christmas!

week 52

December 20th -December 26th

View from the Docks Relief Road Bridge.

I think that's the catchy name given to the new road bridge. I suppose I could have called this 'yet another view of the Transporter Bridge'. I was trying to find a good view of the ruined dockside warehouse building on the right. Sometimes winter colours are subdued and subtle, but winter skies can be more interesting than summer. This is not really a sunset genre picture, I finished it at about 2.30 in the afternoon. But the sun is so low in the sky during December that it can colour the sky at any time of day depending on the weather.

week 51

December 13th -December 19th

The Transporter Bridge.

I painted this earlier in the autumn, the afternoon sun was very low and reflected off the wet mudbanks, giving the contrast to the dark shadows under the old wharf structure. This image is in the calendar I had printed up for the christmas shop which has taken up so much of my time lately. I also used it for the cover of the book I'm selling at the same event.

week 50

December 6th -December 12th

The West of England Tavern.

I've been very busy getting stuff ready for my stall in Newport Christmas Market in Friars Walk. But I did manage to get out to paint the West of England, not forgetting to feature the cable housings and massive overhead cables attached to the transporter bridge. Something I quite liked too was the small section of cobbled roadway. which has somehow survived in the foreground, complete with tram tracks. watercolour 42x29cm

week 49

November 29th -December 5th

Commercial Street and corner of Corn Street.

This was in November, but just before the recent bout of rain and wind so some autumn leaves were still on the trees. watercolour 59x42cm

week 48

November 22nd -November 28th

Belle View Park gates to Cardiff Road

I haven't been out painting much recently - the weather isn't on my side. Or anyone else's actually, it's been very wet. I painted this on about the last day there was enough sunshine. When I'm painting outside in the cold I occasionally wonder Why I didn't take a photo and copy it, especially when I'm doing something as technical as the park gate here. Surely I could have set it up more accurately at home? I did sit there and sketch it on the pavement though, and the metalwork was quite intricate, maybe I wasn't 100% accurate!. There were some great autumn colours on the trees in the park which I was glad to paint a little bit of, and the gates with their golden trimmings really did stand out against the shadows in the afternoon sunlight. watercolour 42x29cm

week 47

November 15th -November 21st

A.B,Florist's shop. Pill

I noticed the colours of this building as I was cycling down Commercial Road. Its at the southern end of a conservation area where all the nineteenth and early twentieth century facades have been tidied up very nicely. And it has a very tidy looking shopfront too. There are some public benches just opposite so I was able to sit for several hours working on this picture. watercolour 29x42cm

Commercial Road looking south.

This picture is from a position just a few yards down from the one above, on the opposite side of the road. In contrast the the picture above there was no-where convenient to work in the spot where I thought the composition worked best. So I made the rough sketch shown to the right and worked from a photo. Also in this view the sunlight only shines on the western side of the road for a brief period in the morning, so I didn't think I'd have time to catch it except by photographing the scene. I've noticed that newspapers often use this view when they want to illustrate a scare story about Pill. What I like about the view is, of course the transporter bridge looming over the streets, but also the last Kwick Save sign anywhere, and I also like the way that ultra-conservative Victorian architectural taste has framed this view with a full on Gothic chapel facade on the right and a castle turret on the left.

week 46

November 8th -November 14th

Sketch in Commercial Road

Twmbarlwm in Autumn

During the stormy weather last week I decided to use my sketches & photos to paint another view of Twmbarlwm in autumn colours.. I was observing the colour changes for a few hours while I sketched the views below, and I particularly noticed the shadows of banks of clouds moving over the landscape, which I've tried to put into this painting. When I finnished it reminded me of Tolkein's paintings of the shire, Lookout for hobbits. watercolour 59x42cm

Twmbarlwm in winter from fields along Mountain Road.

Twmbarlwm from Ridgeway in October 1

I've painted Twmbarlwm .several times, and it also turns up as a backdrop to many of my views of Newport. It has such a distinctive shape its easy to see how it was seen as the tomb of an enormous giant, with the tump for his nose! The two sketches above done fron Ridgeway were from the same afternoon, the lower sketch being later in the afternoon with the sun lower anf the hill more darkly silhouetted.

week 45

November 1st -November 7th

View south from George St, bridge

I have painted this view before, but not since the '91 or'92. since when its changed a bit. The transporter is still the same, with the silhouette of St.Michael's underneath, but that's about all on the shore. The river itself is completely oblivious to the changes and looks the same as ever. watercolour 59x42cm

View west from George St. bridge

This view, familiar to anyone coming over the bridge towards town, gained a bit of interest from the autumn colours. Both the paintings this week were done last week before the constant rain started! watercolour 42x29cm

week 44

October 25th -October 31st

Autumn tree in Commercial Street.

With a magnificent and typically Newport shop facade behind it. watercolour 29x42cm

Lower Dock street

Another Newport chateau. A lot of the old buildings on Commercial street and Commercial Road have been cleaned up and their facades restored. And on Lower Dock Street too. In fact it looks much more nineteenth century now than I ever remember seeing it, at least on the western side of the street. I particularly like this one which looks like it housed port officials of some kind. I read on the Paul Foch Auctions website (who currently use the building) that it was an immigration centre, and that the turret on top is a lookout to observe ships in the docks. watercolour 42x29cm

week 43

October 18th -October 24th

The Baltic Oil Building

I thought this place deserved another view. This time I chose an angle to get the transporterin the picture too. watercolour 59x21cm

Bird Dock

Bird Dock is on the east side of the river, and is the only dock with public access anywhere near it. Even here you can't see much of the main dock, which is modern and has an immense roof so ships can unload protected from the weather if they want to. Next to it is this small and primitive looking dock, which looks disused. But I decided to stop and sketch it as its the only bit of Newport's docks I could see. I also used artistic license to remove a fence which obscures the view a bit. watercolour 42x29cm

week 42

October 11th -October 17th

The Baltic Oil Building

I was looking to paint some of Newport's old industrial dockside, but there isn't much of it left. The Baltic Oil building is one of the last ones, preserved because it is the last building associated with the long filled in Town Dock. Presumably Baltic oil was whale oil. Appropriately oil is still the business here, although not whale oil. watercolour 42x29cm

View down Stanley Road

Looking into Baneswell, with the cathederal at the top of the hill. This view was painted in the 1980's by an artist called Falcon Hildred, He wasn't from Newport, but he painted a lot of scenes in Newport. If you have seen the drawings at the visitor centre of the Transporter bridge you will know his work. He is very interested in industrial landscapes, a bit like my other painting this week. It's well worth googling him to see some of his pictures, you won't be surpised that he's one of my favorite artists.This scene has changed quite a bit from the 80's though - The new Admiral building is obvious. Also the new station. The church on Bridge Street which used to feature in this view is now a parking lot. And St.Woolos, which was quite visible in Mr Hildred's picture, is entirely obscured by trees. watercolour 42x29cm

week 41

October 4th -October 10th

Holy Trinity Church, Christchurch

While I was painting the view in Christchurch a couple of weeks ago I was asked if the parish could use some prints to raise funds. So I thought that I would paint the church itself from inside the churchyard. It's another one of Newport's ancient mediaeval buildings. Autumn had just started, this was in the sunny but very windy weather just before the constant rain set in. watercolour 41x29cm

week 40

September 27th - October 3rd

Back of No.8 Barrack Hill

To me this looked mediaeval too, a castle turret jutting out from fortifications above a moat. But it's not a moat, its the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal. All along the canal sides people have come up with ingenious ways to maximise the use of their gardens. This example is particularly impressive.While I was sketching I met Liz, who lives in No8, who told me how her partner had built this construction, and how she enjoyed the view from there. watercolour 41x29cm

Newport Castle from the Old Bridge

I painted this one leaning over the parapet of the bridge in the bright sunshine last week - I had to work over a couple of days on this as after midday the sun has moved round and the East facing front of the castle is in shadow. A lot of people talked to me including fellow cyclist Gareth (and Clara on a small seat on his bike), who shared a post of me on Instagram which has helped me on that. watercolour 58x42cm

Castell Meredydd in early Autumn

I visited the abandonned ruin of Castell Meredydd near Machen earlier in the year, and wanted to go back. I had intended to go to see the full autumn colours on the beech trees there, but Monday was beautiful and warm and I decided to go then, in case the weather never gets good again. The tree canopies were still mainly green, but the ground was covered with autumn leaves. This does look mainly like a picture of a tree, but if you look there is a bit of mediaeval masonry in view. watercolour 42x29cm

week 39

September 19th -September 26th

The New Footbridge from Hortons Cafe

I've painted the old bridges in Newport several times so I thought I'd try the newest bridge. Its clean lines and modern look were quite a challenge for my watercolour technique. watercolour 29x42cm

The New Footbridge from the riverside walk.

There's so much new build here you can hardly see any old Newport. The market spire is just poking above the duck egg blue box of the riverfront theatre. Which somehow remids me of a giant static caravan. I'm not complaining about the new developments though - I've loved being on the riverside walkways in the sunshine this week. watercolour 42x29cm

week 38

September 13th -September 19th

St. Woolos & The Six Bells

Last week when I painted in Beechwood Park it felt like the last day of summer, with the slightest autumn tinge just noticeable in the trees. This Wednesday turned out to be a sunny warm afternoon, contrary to the forecast, but it felt like the middle of autumn already. St. Woolos and its grounds feel like they were taken from a village a few centurys ago and dumped incongruously in the middle of Newport. The leafy village atmosphere was slightly broken by a group of youths going into the grounds to smoke weed. On the right the former Six Bells pub used to be one of Newport's most well known pubs. Just near enough the town centre to worth walking to, it had a reputation as the best place to meet nurses. It went through a few odd name changes, and is now unfortunately shut, probably never to open as a pub again. watercolour 29x42cm

Christchurch

Another mediaeval church, another lych gate, and another famous Newport pub, this time still open! When I lived for some years on Christchurch Road the Greyhound was my regular pub. Not so because it was the nearest, but the Christchurch bus which stopped in the centre of this picture, was very convenient. It was always a nice walk if the weather was good too. It was, as always, full of parked cars, but during the hours I sat painting they all moved at some point, so I filled in behind each one while I had the chance. watercolour 59x21cm

week 37

September 6th -September 12th

Twmbarlwm from Beechwood Park

Twmbarlwm shows up in views along many streets in Newport. I lived for a number of years on Christchurch Road, and saw this one all the time, although the weather always makes each day different. The weather forecast was the reason I went and sketched on tuesday - bright warm sunshine after a crisp start. The rest of the week is a predicted washout. watercolour 29x42cm

week 36

August 30th -Sept 5th

Tunnel Terrace

This view used to be easy to see from the railway bridge on Bridge Street, and you could see the monumental mass of brickwork of the Stow Hill railway tunnel. But the huge bridge parapets and new trackside infrastucture for electrification means you can hardly see it now. The Houses of Tunnel Terrace in their diffent colours coming down the hill made me think of any number of souvenir paintings of seaside cottages in Devon or Cornwall. I had to paint this one partially in the rain, trying to get those house colours right. I didn't paint the train on the spot - I'm not that quick!, but I did sketch a quick outline and took a photo, then filled it in at home. watercolour 59x42cm

week 35

August 23th -August 29th

Newport Market from the Town Bridge.

I picked a particularly windy day to stand on the bridge and paint. It was very difficult to hold the sketch pad and still use pencil, paintbrushes, paints and a jar of water. But at least it wasn't raining. I had intended to get 'The Wave' in the picture, but by the time I set the rest of the picture up it didn't fit - one of its red feet is just showing on the left. The tide was running extra fiercely on Thursday morning, I've tried to show some of the powerful swirls and whirlpools. The river had a slightly yellower tinge than the brown\grey mudbanks. watercolour 59x42cm

week 34

August 16th -August 22nd

The Ship and Pilot.

On Church St., Pill. With St. Michaels church in the background. The silhouette of St Michaels stands out above the low level housing around it. and is recognisable in views looking towards the transporter bridge which I've painted before. The Ship and Pilot is a famous historical pub of Newport docks and it looks great outside and inside. It's managed to stay open when so many others have shut. I painted this on Wednesday, the day with the huge lightning storm in the evening, and the weather was fiercely hot and heavy. I took about six hours to draw and paint this, but luckily the friendly locals kept me alive with a couple of pints of cold lager! watercolour29x42cm

Courtybella Gardens.

From the bottom of Church St. on the corner of Commercial St. And like the picture below on Ridgeway, this features a well known ex-public Toilet. This one has become a (quite small) Arts centre. I painted the scene down the road about twenty years ago, including the building on the right, which is now the Pill Library. I had a conversation with the then landlord of the Cambrian Inn, which couldn't happen now as unlike the Ship and Pilot, the Cambrian closed years ago, and is on its way to becoming a ruin. watercolour 42x29cm

week 33

August 9th-August 15th

Cafe on Ridgeway

I probably wouldn't have painted a picture of this building a couple of years ago, when it was a public toilet. But now it has been transformed into a very popular cafe. Its setup, with tiny indoor area (currently shut of course) , but excellent outdoor seating, with almost unlimited space on the grass at the Ridgeway viewpoint is making it even more popular than ever with a combination of covid restrictions and summer weather. watercolour29x42cm

Looking down Stow Hill towards High Street.

Stow Hill, from St.Woolos to the high street must be one of the oldest roads in Newport. I like the way that, as you walk down it, the spires of several buildings pierce the skyline and then disappear as you reach the bottom, as does the horizon of hills and fields beyond Newport. At this point the spires visible are the Presbyterian Chapel to the left, St. Mary's tower in the centre (my own parish church), and to the right of that among the chimneys the spire on the indoor market. The Presbyterian church catastrophically burned down in June 2018, which I witnessed myself as I happened to be in the Pen & Wig pub just further down the street at the time. watercolour 30x29cm

week 32

August 2nd -August 8th

View from Temperance Hill Risca towards Pontymister

Another view with a prominent church steeple, this is a view from the footpath/cyclepath next to the canal, just a few minutes from from fourteen locks by bike. I liked the way the main road swirled through the centre of the valley, cutting it in half a bit like a river. The reddish structure on the further side of the road on the right is the brickworks. The speckly shdows in the distant field on the right are stones in a cemetery, brought out by the evening sun.
watercolour 21x29cm

View from Summerhill Road

A view I saw often as a child as I went to StJoseph's Primary on Fairoak Avenue, and walked across Summerhill Road evry day to get home in Kensington Place. I saw this view in a painting by a local artist caled Peter Ross, who has an exhibition right now in the Barnabas House in town, which is well worth seeing. He was painting from photos taken in the 50's and early 60's, and the view is still very similar, except for the addition of the George Street Bridge. watercolour29x42cm

George St. Bridge from the riverside walk

More George St. Bridge. This was on a dull muggy & thundery afternoon. watercolour 21x29cm

week 31

July 26th -August 1st

Cafe by New Footbridge

Just a little way along from the previous sketch, This was a much sunnier day, the cafe was very popular with socially distanced tables outside. As usual I tried to get a bit of the old quays in the last state of disintegration to give some contrast to the new buildings.
watercolour 42x29cm

View down Manley Road

Coming down Risca Road near the Handpost, if you look down Manley Road or Bolton Road there are some good views of the Civic Centre and hills beyond Newport , framed by the houses on either side. watercolour29x42cm

Charles Street

I sketched the view above quite quickly, but I thought I'd go back and try again. When I went back on tuesday (21st) it was very sunny and I decided to go down to the bottom of Charles St. I usually emphasise buildings, but as I've had plenty of practice at trees this year I thought I'd concentrate on the London Plane trees and just fill in a bit of building in the background. The strong sunlight and leafy shadows gave a kind of mediterranean feel. watercolour 21x29cm

week 30

July 19th -July 25th

The sketch refered to above. watercolour 42x29cm

View down Vicarage lane

Badish weather again this week, but I did this one last Friday morning (10th). Its that very steep lane next to Dewsland Park Road. I thought it was time to get some views in streets again. The ever present transporter bridge was nicely framed by the view down the lane , so I thought I'd better paint it. watercolour29x42cm

week 29

July12th -July 18th

Juction of Cardiff Rd. & Commercial St.

The main building here was the 'Prince of Wales' Pub, but I've visited it more often since it became Lilo's restaurant, its great inexpensive middle eastern food. watercolour 29x21cm

West Usk Lighthouse

Bad weather all last week stopped any sketching, and this week some annoying trapped nerve pain in my hip is keeping me in for a day or two, and with more bad weather later in the week I'm not sure when I'll get out. But I did go out just over a week ago on Friday 26th June, the last day of the last period of hot weather, and got a bit of sunburn sketching the lighthouse, which was doing a good impression of a tropical island with its palm trees and rum shack looking outbuildings. watercolour29x42cm

week 28

July5th -July 11th

Uskmouth Power Station

By the time I finished the lighthouse picture, which is shown at high tide, the tide had gone right out. I liked the colours of the late afternoon light on the big banks of mud, sand and shingle which had just been uncovered, so I quickly sketched this view showing the power station. The boat went by quite fast, so I noted the position and left a space for it, then filled it in later from a photo. If I can I'll make a more formal painting from this later. watercolour 29x42cm

Old Jetty at Jack's Pill

The weather this week has been too showery to get out - luckily I got some sketches done last week while the weather was hot and sunny. This view from Jack's Pill shows a contrast between old and new Newport, from the disintegrating timbers in the foreground to the masses of new housing on the opposite bank. With the George Street bridge as a sort of middle period between them. watercolour 59x42cm

week 27

June 28th -July 4th

Newport Castle

And even older Newport. I've painted this view before, the castle and bridge haven't changed much in twenty five years. But the background buildings are quite different - can't see the civic centre any more. And the railway has changed with the electrification. Which has also spoiled many other views - the parapets which were added to bridges over the railway are too high to see over. watercolour 29x42cm

View from Caerleon Bridge

This picture is a bit different from all the others on this blog page - I painted it at home. I liked the view from this bridge a lot, - I liked the colours of the water over the rocky shoals, very clear for the tidal part of the Usk, and the way they contrasted with the stiller water in the deep channel. I also liked the way the natural architecture of the layers of sedimentary rock seemed to grade into the man made architecture of the walls and old towers. But it was impossible to sit down and paint on the narrow bridge walkway. So I did a quick very rough sketch to catch the proportions as the appeared by eye, tried to memorise the colours and took some photos. Then I set this picture up at home as quickly as I could, getting the detail from the photos. watercolour36x30cm

week 26

June 21st -June 27th

Caerleon from Bulmore Road

When I did the sketch for the picture above I was looking for some views which I sketched in the early 90's. One of them was the view of the Hanbury Arms shown on my Newport Gallery page, and I also did some views of Caerleon bridge from the riverside fields just downstream on either side. I found all these viewpoints impossible to access now. But I did find a small spot on the Bulmore road where I could stand next to a garden wall and see a view looking back towards the village.I've just noticed that the Hanbury Arms has appeared in the last three pictures I've posted. watercolour 41x29cm

Boats on the Usk at StJulians

With Caerleon bridge in the distance. Three good pubs are visible from here - the Hanbury Arms is the white blob to the extreme left, the Ship Inn is the first isolated building to the right of the bridge, and more obviously the St. Julians is on the right. The changed weather means there's more chance of being rained on (not good for watercolours) but it does make the skies more interesting to paint. watercolour59x84cm

week 25

June 14th -June 20th

The Usk at StJulians before a thunderrstorm

The day before I painted the picture above I did this quick sketch from nearly the same spot,but looking the opposite direction down the river. I was trying to get the odd colours created by an approaching (very small) thunderstorm. This sketch too under half an hour. The one above took more than four hours. watercolour 21x30cm

Transporter Bridge Trolley

If you call yourself NewportartistJB can you do too many pictures of the Transporter? of course not! watercolour29x21cm

The Viaduct by Glebelands Park

Another week, another viaduct. This particular one is mostly unknown, even in Newport. The tide was falling very fast while I was painting - by the time I finished the massive stonework piers were showing, which I wished I had painted - so I made a quick pencil sketch in case I make another painting from it later. watercolour59x21cm

Fuschia and Cornflowers

Another practice at using oil paints in the garden - I did this the previous week while the weather was still hot, but only photoed it when the paint got dry. The sun and heat feel a bit of a distant memory now. oils 30x30cm

week 24

June 7th -June 13th

The bridge sketch refered to above.

The Viaduct to Nowhere, Machen.

The old railway viaduct is just accross the Rhymney River in Machen, where it stops short suddenly like the Pont d'Avignon. But there's no dancing, or any sort of walking on it as it's sealed off. Under the bridge and by the river, just visible on the bottom left it is very popular for walking though. I painted this one on Tuesday, just before the weather changed. watercolour59x21cm

Fruit setting on my apple tree

It could be the end of our long hot early summer this week, so I got out sketching a few times, and I sketched the same apple branch which had the blossom on it in week 17 watercolour 29x59cm

week 23

May 31st -June 6th

Belle Vue Park

Another bright hot day on monday, so I painted this. Belle View Park is somewhere where Newport doesn't look like a Dirty Old Town.I may put another wash on parts of this as I suddenly noticed that it looks like the pavillion is being attacked by a giant green jellyfish. watercolour 40x30cm

The Waterloo and Transporter Bridge again

With lockdown easing a bit I ventured into town again and found a convenient place to sketch just out of the traffic & pedestrian route. You can't really get a scene more Newport than this, with the bridge and the instantly recognizable tower of the Waterloo. Not to mention Fanny's Cafe and CIC Steel. CIC and the Waterloo are unfortunately shut down (pre covid), but the Cafe is open. watercolour59x21cm

week 22

May 24th - May 30th

Boats near mouth of the Ebbw River again

Alot warmer than the last time I painted near here in January. watercolour 29x21cm

Cwm Byrgwm ventilation shaft & British Road

I took a bike ride up national cycle route 492, which starts in Cwmbran and follows an old railway track to the heads of the valleys. On the way I spotted this scene, which looked like the valleys of history. Of course the shaft and waste tips are disused, and no-one who lives in the cottages is employed in mining anymore, but it still had the look. watercolour 29x21cm

Big Pit

Of course I had to get a picture of the iconic pithead too. watercolour 29x21cm

The pavilion in Belle Vue Park

The Parks are open again, so I thought I would start doing some sketches in Newport again. I spent far too long drawing in Belle View park, and got locked in! I had to climb a wall to escape. Should have noticed that the clientele had changed from families (with social distancing of course) to groups of youths, often with Tshirts pulled over their heads. Also the light had changed completely from when I started in the morning. It would have been better to come back the next day to catch the morning light again. watercolour 40x59cm

week 21

May 17th - May 23rd

Beechwood House

I did this one much quicker. And the park keepers in Beechwood Park came round to warn everyone at shutting time, so no repeat of the lock in. When I was at primary school I was scared of the Beechwood Parkies, who were very hot on stopping small kids fishing for minnows & sticklebacks in the ponds. Perhaps they thought we would take the ornamental goldfish. watercolour 40x30cm

A dingle at Blaen Bran

Blaen Bran is a 'community woodland area' transformed from old collieries just up the mountain from Upper Cwmbran. watercolour 21x59cm

Wild geese on the canal between Newport and Cwmbran

They may be wild, but not at all worried by humans, which made them easy to sketch! watercolour 21x29cm

Foxgloves

Lockdown continues - so more botanical sketching in the garden watercolour 21x59cm

week 20

May 10th - May 16th

Lillys

Lockdown is still giving plenty of opportunity to sketch plants in the garden. So I tried some oil painting. My oil painting tequnique is still work in progress. Closer to Marianne North than Monet. oils 42x42cm

Beech Tree at Caer Licyn

Another hot sunny day, another obscure ruined castle site. These giant and powerful looking beech trees are growing on the tump of another old motte and bailey type castle ruin. This time at Caer Licyn, which is near the slightly more famous Caerleon, but on top of a hill on the edge of Wentwood. There are no walls, just earthworks, with lots of old stone masonry scattered around. It is very close to a hill fort and several other ancient structures, so it's possibly rather older than the medieaval remains imply. It has a huge view over the Bristol Channel, which you don't see in the picture as to see the tree I was facing the other way. watercolour 40x29cm

week 19

May 3rd - May 9th

Castell Meredydd

This is near Machen, just inside the Newport County (or city?) Council boundary. In contrast to Castell Troggy, this is a forgotten ruin which is worth seeing, if only for the incredible huge beech trees which fill the site. It's also a rare thing - a castle built by the native Welsh gentry. Or built for them, by the same peasants who built the Anglo-Norman castles.I didn't really do this place justice, I'll have to go back again. Those beech trees will look incredible in autumn. watercolour 59x21cm

Rhododendron Flowers

In the sun, In the garden again. I think today (Sunday) will be the last day of good weather watercolour 29x21cm

week 18

April 26th - May 2nd

Apple Blossom

Lockdown is giving plenty of opportunity to sketch plants in the garden. watercolour 42x25cm

Castell Troggy

Wentwood is at about the limit of my exercise cycle ride. While I was there I checked out this place. I last visited it 25-30 years ago, when it felt like a castle lost in the woods, with a courtyard, walls, remains of a tower and even small rooms with a surviving ceiling. This time the place seemed to have sunk into the jungle. The courtyard area had turned into a marshy bog, and the ceilings fallen in creating an unstable mound of rubble. This is the surviving bit of the tower. In another 25 years I guess there'll be nothing left at all watercolour 29x21cm

week 17

April 19th - 25th

Sunken lane with lambs.

Off Mountain Road near Upper Grippath farm. While cycling home from Wern yr Huad I noticed another public path which looked like no one ever used, blocked by many fallen trees. So a few days later I came up again, and as I suspected saw nobody at all while I was there. But I did see plenty of sheep and lambs in the fields, and when some came near where I was I painted them in too. watercolour 59x40cm

Broken weir, Wern yr Huad

Don't recognise the name? - I didn't either when I found it on a map, in the woods round the Pant yr Eos reservoir., which are near Mountain Road, between Fourteen locks and Twmbarlwm. This really is an obscure corner of nearly jungle like forest. watercolour 29x21cm

week 16

April 12th - 18th

Easter weekend

April 12th

Primroses in my garden

I decided not to even cycle over the holiday weekend, so while at home I thought I'd try an oil sketch.I like the Spanish artist Sorolla a lot, who did many brilliant oil sketches of sunny gardens. My garden was certainly sunny, but I think I need more practice!
oils 29x21cm

week 15

April 5th - 11th

Burnt forest, Twmbarlwm

I left my cycling glasses near the trees I sketched last week - so I cycled back and found them again. I started sketching the Tump and then the cattle which roam around there, but more people were out than last week, so I took a trail I've never been on before and found the forest area which burnt down last summer. That was completely deserted so I sketched it. The colours were much more intense in real life. watercolour29x21cm

week 14

March 29th - April 4th

Knarled trees, Twmbarlwm.

With Risca, the Chanel, Flatholm & Steepholm in the background.The weather has been like summer ever since lockdown.A few people visible on Twmbarlwm, but it's a big area so very spread out.
I guess there will be a lot of pictures of trees, or my garden from now on. Not what I intended when I started, but the trees will be in the areas around Newport. watercolour29x21cm

week 13 Lockdown

March 22nd - 28th

Old breakwaters near Peterstone

Lockdown announced on monday night after my last sketch.But we're allowed a cycle ride. I cycle nearly every day for exercise anyway, so the idea now is to find places between half to one hour's distance away, and remote from other people, to sketch while taking a breather.I heard the coastal path in Pembrokeshire is shut, so I thought I'd head here while it was still open. Saw no one at all while painting.
watercolour29x21cm

week 12

March 15th - 21st

The Town Bridge

With a strong tide ebbing.Actually did this on monday of week 13. Social distancing is on, with lots of rumours of worse to come, so I thought I'd better get out while the weather is so good. watercolour29x21cm

week 11

March 8th - 14th

The Mouth of the Ebbw with West Pier of Alexandra Docks

The ship appeared as I was painting, so I quickly put it in the picture. Wind was so strong I could hardly hold the sketch book down. watercolour59x21cm

week 10

March 1st - 7th

Old King Billy pub.

Then a coffee house. Then shut. watercolour29x21cm

week 9

February 23rd - 29th

The Mouth of the Usk from the Wetlands Reserve

With the two lighthouses, the power station, the LG white elephant & Mynedd Machen watercolour59x21cm

week 8

February 16th - 22nd

Old Jetty, near transporter bridge.

Always liked painting these things. I'll probably try an oil painting from this one too. watercolour29x21cm

week 7

February 9th - 15th

The West of England,Pill

Cars are a bit of a challenge in watercolour. For me anyway. watercolour29x21cm

week 6

February 2nd - 8th

The Transporter Bridge, west bank

Sunniest day so far. I thought that if I'm painting Newport, I have to do some of the transporter bridge. watercolour29x21cm

Town Bridge & Old Art College

Enough good weather to get out twice this week. That makes up for missing the first week. watercolour29x21cm

Alexandra Docks from across the river

The sun going down on another cold evening. Looks a bit sketchy, but looked dramatic in real life - I may try to make a more finished painting from it watercolour29x21cm

week 5

January 25th - February 1st

week 4

January 19th - 25th

Caerleon Bridge

If this looks like a cold, dark & wet January day - it was. watercolour29x21cm

week 3

January 12th - 18th

The Waterloo Inn

A break in the weather on Wednesday afternoon . I've painted and drawn this several times before.Always liked the tower. Not sure if I drew it straight this time! watercolour29x21cm

week 2

January 5th - 11th

Boats at the mouth of the Ebbw River

Some sunny weather at last on Friday, so I managed to get out and start painting. Everyone likes painting boats! watercolour59x21cm

week 1

January 1st-4th

.Week one is off to a bad start as the weather hasn't been good enough. But its not a full week, so the first proper week will start on Sunday 5th Jan.