crib goch snowdon and Yr Arran

Recently an old friend told me he had just been across the Crib Goch Ridge on Snowdon- something we first did together as boys-that made me think -so this wood cut is for you Mike!
I had some problem getting the print quality that I required but the answer was very simple -for a Welsh image use a good welsh ink -thanks caligo!

woodcut dob park pack horse bridge

jules my partner has done two abstract paintings based on this lovely old pack horse bridge and the ford beneath it both of which were selected for the harrogate open exhibition this year-clever girl.
to see her stuff go to juliaodell.co.uk-lovely colours

woodcut tryfan west face

Tryfan east face from Pen yr Olau Wen
as a very young lad the place where i did my first rock climb in North Wales.A weekend off school parents and homework and the feeling of freedom!
I remember my second ( the second person on the rope) fell on me on one of the upper pitches.Between 15 and 20 I must have done nearly all the climbs on tryfan-after that I started climbing more in the Llanberis pass for all that tryfan is a beautiful mountain.The welsh have this lovely word hiraeth (yearning /longing for a place) I always feel that for tryfan -I never had a bad moment on that mountain and very many good ones!

woodcuts swaledale sheep and lambs

i am not sure if this is the same sheep I did a woodcut of earlier in the year-no they don't all look the same -but they aren't much different either-anyway -a proud mum with her lambs

yorkshire dales churches woodcuts

Two woodcuts of churches in the dales-the church on the hill and St.Mary's Stainburn.
the one at the top is a very old church(built in the 11/12 century)-services are no longer held in it.It is held in trust and preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust.Inside it is whitewashed and very plain, the choir stalls might just hold a bass, a tenorand a couple of trebles!I don't think this was a church where the landed gentry went-just good honest yorkshire folk.Sitting quietly in the old pews I thought that I felt the history of the building. As I bowed my head ,in my mind I saw a monk in brown homespun pass followed by yorkshire farmers, a yeomen in oatmeal and brown coloured clothes their women folk similarly attired with the occaisional piece of brightly coloured cloth brought from the local market -some 6 miles away.The church sits on the edge of the valley that leads up to almescliffe rocks.Julia Odell is doing a painting looking up the valley to the rocks.A real haven of peace in a troubled world -I fell in love with the church and its location.

Swaledale Ewe suckling two lambs

i couldn't resist doing a woodcut of this very proud swaledale ewe suckling her two lambs.
they were just outside St.Mary's Church -Stainburn that we were photographing with almescliffe crag in the background

woodcuts yorkshire dales

I have been doing some more woodcuts of the dales(with more to come).When I was very young and could not afford what most outdoor shops today consider basic essentials. When i was out walking and climbing with friends we slept in barns and caves-they all had names Ben Froggats barn at Baslow-the poltergeist barn at the roaches-
I was snug-ish in my sleeping bag-a victorian bedspread sewn up on two sides-nothing fancy like lilo's or camping mats we slept on the floor-I was in my 20's before i could afford a "proper" sleeping bag!
These images bring back a memory of some of those great days