Elin Sian Blake

Until Tomorrow Tan Yfory South Wales Mining Valleys Framed Original Oil Painting

Meryl Watts. English ( b.1910 – d.1992 ) Enigma. Oil On Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 22.4 inches x 19.3 inches ( 57cm x 49cm ). Frame size 26.4 inches x 22.8 inches ( 67cm x 58cm ). Available for sale; this original oil painting is by Meryl Watts and dates from the mid-1960s. The painting is presented and supplied in its’ original hand painted frame (which is shown in these photographs). This vintage painting is in very good condition, commensurate with its age. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting was created whilst Watts resided at 1 Bron Avon, Borth-y-Gest, Porthmadog. (Today’s postcode would be LL49 9TU). The painting is signed lower right. Meryl Watts was born on the 5th April 1910, the only child of Charles and Evelin Watts. They lived in Germains Place, Blackheath and she was raised in east end of London where her father was a printer. She studied at the Blackheath Art School, where the Principal was John Edgar Platt, one of the major artists using the technique of color woodcut. She learned this technique from Platt and was influenced by his style, as shown in the attractive and colorful designs that she subsequently produced. Meryl began to work independently in 1937, producing her own work while still living in Blackheath. During World War II the family home and business were destroyed by German bombing and Meryl and her parents were given just a few hours to collect whatever valuables they could before their house was demolished to protect neighboroughing properties from further damage. As a consequence much of her early work was lost. Having left their home the family evacuated to Portmeirion in Wales, where they had frequently stayed on holiday before the war. They struck up a friendship with the Portmeirion architect and founder, Sir Clough William-Ellis. Portmeirion was founded in 1925 and took nearly fifty years to complete. It was a homage to Sir William-Ellis’ love of the Italian Riviera and incorporated the grounds of a twelfth century castle. The resort became extremely popular with tourists and was the backdrop for various TV programs and films, including The Prisoner. Meryl Watts became artist in residence at Portmeirion, and over the next few years she produced an abundance of artwork including sketches, oil paintings and watercolors of famous scenes from the Snowdonia coastal region and other traditional landmarks. This was a new and very successful chapter of her artistic career. From Portmeirion Meryl and her parents moved to a rented house in Borth-Y-Gest, Caernarvonshire, North Wales. In 1944 Meryl’s father purchased the house and Meryl began to work there, using the endless views in the area for her inspiration. After the death of her father in 1957 and her mother in 1969 Meryl lived alone in Borth-y-Gest until she married Professor Joseph Allen...

Julian Ruddock. British ( b.1965 ). To School In Llanfihangel. (First Day At School). Pastel On Paper. Signed Lower Left. Image size 21.7 inches x 29.6 inches ( 55cm x 75cm ). Frame...

Nancy Bailey. English ( b.1913 - d.2012 ). Low Tide On The Minnows, Cornwall, 1972. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Right. Image size 19.3 inches x 39.4 inches ( 49cm x 100cm ). Frame size 25.4 inches x 45.3 inches ( 64.5cm x 115cm ). Available for sale; this original impasto oil painting is by the Cornish artist Nancy Bailey and is dated 1972. The painting is presented and supplied in its original frame (which is shown in these photographs). The painted surface has benefitted from a light clean and a new preserving varnish coat has been applied. This vintage painting is in very good condition, commensurate with its age. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower right and on the reverse it is titled and signed again. Nancy Bailey was born in 1913 and started her working life at the age of 15. As a teenager she used her father’s camera to take photographs of West Country views, many of which were used to produce postcards, which sold throughout the country. This early talent demonstrated her knowledge and appreciation of light and composition that later enabled her to create the beautiful paintings for which she became internationally renowned. Her family moved frequently throughout the south west, before settling in Ireland where for thirteen years she produced high quality marquetry pictures, which sold all over the world. Nancy only started painting seriously when she returned to Cornwall in her fifties. Her painting career, though started somewhat late, continued over forty years. Nancy worked with a palette knife and never used a brush. This gives her work its distinctive texture and captures the landscape and light. Nancy became acclaimed as one of the leading palette knife artists in the UK. Although Nancy travelled widely, including a safari trip to South Africa with the acclaimed nature artist David Shepherd her best work is arguably of the coasts and rivers of the West Country, which she loved so much. Nancy died in 2012, since when demand for her original works has increased. © Big Sky Fine Art The Minnows Islands are a group of large rocks...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). First Light. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Image size 23.4 inches x 17.3 inches ( 59.5cm x 44cm ). Frame size 28.5 inches x 22.4 inches ( 72.5cm x 57cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The painting is presented and supplied in a sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower left. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library books, originally producing very detailed photo-realistic images. Her artistic style developed considerably over the years, becoming more expressive. Blake’s main emphasis is always her love of images from the Welsh countryside and industry. As she explores the heritage of the Welsh valleys, she paints a social commentary on everyday Welsh working life. Her work captures the essence of Welsh tradition whilst simultaneously challenging societal norms. Bold and evocative, Blake's art invites the viewer to take a critical look at the complexities and nuances of Welsh heritage. By melding her artistic vision with a profound cultural understanding, she presents a thought-provoking examination of the past, present, and future of Wales. © Big Sky Fine Art This is a stunning and very tender image of a mother and baby, sitting by a window in the first light of a new day. It is all the more intimate because it is in fact a self-portrait of the artist shortly after the birth of her own daughter. The baby is wrapped in a soft cream blanket and is being held to her mother’s breast, feeding or sleeping after feeding. The mother, dazzingly beautiful, is captured in the dappled light of the new dawn. The background is sparse, making the image almost timeless. The young woman is sitting on a modest wooden chair and on the wall behind her is a hand-carved traditional Welsh love spoon...

A striking acrylic scene showing one of Cornwall's old copper mines in sunset hues of red, pink and purple. Well-presented in an elegant contemporary frame with cream mount. Signed a...

ARTIST: Jeanette Lassen (1924-2008) Scottish TITLE: "Contemplating Their Next Move" SIGNED: lower left MEDIUM: oil on canvas SIZE: 67cm x 62cm inc frame CONDITION: excellent DETA...

A gorgeous nude from 1969 by James Wallace, showing masterful foreshortening (very difficult to pull off this convincingly) and beautifully sensual. One tiny repair visible on back c...

VINTAGE ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING Depicting an ethereal dream-like scene with figures in a wooded landscape at night. Painted in a free expressionist bold style with a rich colour pale...