Earth, Sea and Stone
N E IL DAVIE S
Ear th, Sea and Stone
N E I L DAV I E S 26 July – 30 August 2014
NEW CRAFTSMAN GALLERY Cover:
Towards Kenidjack Castle 91 x 91 cm First sunny day for a while, so I head for the coast. Across the fields, the ancient hill fort that is Kenidjack Castle can just be seen through an isolated shower which slants down across the headland. Everywhere else I look, the sun is still shining.
24 Fore Street · St Ives Cornwall TR26 1HE 01736 795652 www.newcraftsmanstives.com The full exhibition can be viewed on our website. All work is for sale from receipt of this catalogue.
NEIL DAVIES – Earth, Sea and Stone Painting from his studio on Cornwall’s far west peninsula, where nature is amplified and the scenery is ever changing, Neil Davies’ dramatic works capture the heightened drama of a rugged landscape of earth, sea and stone at the endless mercy of Atlantic weather systems. This year’s record breaking storms have provided a wealth of direct inspiration for this exhibition of vivid and starkly beautiful oil paintings. In pursuit of that fleeting, sensory moment in nature, Davies has spent many hours on the moors in heavy gales, down at Sennen Cove watching waves crash over the breakwater or at Priest Cove when clouds are scudding across the sky and the ocean reflects back a cold bright winter light. Combining broad gestural marks with richly coloured layers of paint and translucent glazes of bright paint and varnish, Davies’ dazzling and deeply textured works convey much of the power and beauty of nature in extremity. His passionate interpretation of landscape and his intuitive manipulation of paint have produced a unique collection of dramatic, individual and evocative images which define a universally memorable moment in time and place.
Light streaming over Land’s End 122 x 165 cm
All works are oil on board
A walk near Land’s End in mid September.The day has been one of sunshine and showers, but as it draws to a close there is an amazing light show in the sky as the setting sun and the rain clouds vie for attention.
Dense bracken and sunlit cottages 45 x 61 cm Walking to the Tinners’ Arms, I notice these cottages up on the ridge, sitting above a wall of rust-brown bracken which is deep in shade. In complete contrast, they sparkle and shimmer as the sunlight catches them, bleaching them so that they blend with the sky behind.
Right:
Circular walk around Carn Galver 122 x 122 cm A warm, damp spring day, on a family walk around one of our favourite places. Carn Galver glowers broodingly in the distance, but all around, the new vegetation is appearing, colours are brightening, and even the gorse is in bloom. All this feels very welcome after the long, wet winter.
Fluctuating light 79 x 102 cm Early spring, and another wild day.There are a lot of these this year, but I am happy because it produces such drama in nature, particularly the sky – light and shade and a whole palette of mixed hues swirl around, competing with each other for space, and I can't paint fast enough.
Following the stream down the valley 122 x 165 cm Between Christmas and New Year, taking our good friends Ali and Nick for a walk down Kenidjack valley, Cape Cornwall in the distance, to show them the wild beauty of West Cornwall.The sun obligingly makes an appearance, making the stream sparkle with light.
Winter light, bitterly cold 61 x 76 cm A freezing cold day during the January storms, but I am glad I decided to brave the elements.The winter light has a special quality, a grey-white brightness which has a beauty equal to that of golden summer light.The sea is restless, reflecting the changing shades of purple and grey in the sky.
Heading for cover 61 x 76 cm On one of the wildest days of the winter storms, I have ventured out to watch the waves at Priest Cove. A couple of other people are there, and the wind is so strong that at one point we are all flattened against a rock together, huddling together for shelter against a particularly strong gust. Only when I arrive home do I hear the newsreader advising people to stay away from coastal edges – high winds, high tides and freak waves have been causing havoc.
Fading light, time to go home 79 x 102 cm Sitting on the cliffs, not far from home, eating cashew nuts.We have walked down the lane to look at the sea, and one of the first proper sunsets of the year. It is fading now, but we have not been disappointed.
Light through the storm clouds 122 x 165 cm Sitting on the beach after a terrific downpour on an afternoon in late October.The strong wind is blowing the rainclouds back out to sea, and a welcome burst of light breaks through, changing the whole mood of the day – sunshine on a rainy day, as the song goes.
Crashing waves over Sennen breakwater 61 x 76 cm Sennen breakwater is under siege in the winter storms – wave after wave hits and surges over the wall and gathering for another attack. The sound is a dramatic as the sight – roaring waves and rattling shingle drown out the sound of the seagulls.
Dodging the showers 61 x 76 cm A long, exhilarating walk with our friends, Ali and Nick, this time from Penberth Cove to Porthcurno, along the coast path. Although the sun is out, we sense that the rain is never far away, and suddenly the heavens open. We shelter for a while against the lifeguards’ hut, then it blows out to sea, leaving watery sunlight and patches of blue sky.
Lightning flash above the bay 45 x 61 cm Mount’s Bay, and a thunderstorm – a rare occurrence in Penwith.The dark is rising fast, and there is not much light left, until a flash of lightning flickers across the bay, lighting up the surf in a burst of brilliance.
Raining light 45 x 61 cm The sky is several shades of deep blue and grey: the rain will be here soon. Out to sea, a shower pours over the horizon, but nearer the shore, the light is streaming down from the sky in torrents, mirroring the downpour in the distance.
Right:
Rocks, sand and rough sea 122 x 122 cm A wild day around the Cornish coast today.The sea is churning, waves turning over on themselves, surf foaming.The sky is in turbulence too, dark clouds and showers coming and going.The rocks are slippery and shiny with sea spray, and the light bounces and sparkles on the wet sand.
A meeting of the elements 61 x 76 cm Another of West Cornwall's breathtaking sunsets, mixed with rainclouds, so that the sky is divided into three – the last patches of purple and blue, a dark streak of storm cloud, and golden yellow where the sun is gradually melting into the sea, merging the elements of fire and water.Who needs fireworks?
Blazing sky at dusk 61 x 76 cm Late spring, and at last a sunny day. Standing on the beach as evening approaches, I am rewarded with a dazzling display of copper, yellow and deep rust as the sun sinks slowly into the sea, leaving behind a still, windless dusk.
Tapestry of clouds over St Ives Bay
Evening sky over Cape Cornwall
41 x 43 cm
43 x 43 cm
On the beach again, this time watching a storm approaching.The day has been warm and sunny, but is set to change as the rainclouds come swirling in, blotting out the light and darkening the headland beyond.The last of the light puts up a good fight, and it is a long time before the colour fades completely from the sky.
On a bracing walk, looking for inspiration, I happen to look back towards Cape Cornwall, which is glowing under a kaleidoscope sky. No sounds except the wind, waves and seabirds. Perfect.
Right:
Lone cottage on the moor 122 x 122 cm A wild, blustery day on the moors, sky constantly changing. Bleached grass, last year’s bracken, heather and gorse erupt in a tangle of colours. In the distance, a lone cottage stands solidly amidst the undergrowth, as if it has always been there, and always will be.
Winter light floods across the sea 45 x 61 cm Bitterly cold, high winds, I am standing gazing out to sea watching the shifting light and the clouds coming and going. Despite my shivering, and the wind whipping my hair round my face, I forget all physical discomfort, and am aware only of this wild spectacle of nature.
Over the breakwater 61 x 76 cm Watching the waves come crashing over the breakwater at Sennen, on one of the windiest days I have ever known. My son Toby, incredulous and trying to stay upright, is filming it on his iPad – but give me the paintbrush any time.
Ditches and bracken on a blustery day 45 x 61 cm Grey sky, clouds full of rain – again.The ground is waterlogged and squelchy underfoot, and the ditches are overflowing.This lone cottage, squatting amidst the damp landscape, looks a little dejected and fed up with the rain too. But even at its most dreary, nature still has its beauty if you look for it.
Moorland dwelling 45 x 61 cm In the middle of nowhere, this cottage sits on the horizon, completely at home in its surroundings of bracken, gorse, heather and dense undergrowth. I wonder who lives here in such splendid isolation?
Towednack bluebells and windswept elder 41 x 61 cm Mid May, and the bluebells are in full bloom, lining the hedgerows with the campion and stitchwort. From the lower Towednack road, they lie in a purple haze up from the valley, clustering around the granite boulders and underneath the wind-shaped elder trees. Summer is on its way at last.
Boggy track across the Downs 45 x 61 cm Up on Conquer Downs – first sun for a while, but really wet and boggy everywhere.The wind is howling, it is grey and misty, but great to be outside and not actually getting wet. Suddenly a corner of the sky clears, and there is a patch of blue and a glimmer of sunlight – decide to have a bar of chocolate to celebrate.
Autumn at Hannibal's Carn 25 x 30 cm Hannibal’s Carn sits darkly in the landscape, surrounded by autumn vegetation in ochres, yellows and rusts.This granite tor always seems to be surrounded by an air of ancient mystery.Wouldn't want to go up there at night – the piskies might be about.
Lone cottage against the light 25 x 30 cm Up on the moor on a winter's day, pushing through the wet undergrowth. Suddenly the sun breaks through the clouds, and light streams down behind this solitary cottage, which is silhouetted darkly against the illuminated backdrop.
The road to Rosemergy 45 x 61 cm Following the winding track up to Rosemergy on a wet winter’s day.The clustering buildings loom dark and solid through the mist and drizzle, and we are damp and cold. Don't suppose the tearoom is open today, either.
Gorse in the hedgerow 25 x 30 cm Early April, and up on the moor, the gorse is taking charge once again. In this part of Cornwall, its bright, scented blooms are as synonymous with spring as the daffodil, and it is always a welcome sight, a reassurance that we have survived another winter.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electrical, mechanical or otherwise, without prior permission of the publishers. Copyright Š 2014 New Craftsman Gallery & Neil Davies. ISBN: 978-0-9926590-6-6
NEW CRAFTSMAN GALLERY