Neil Davies - Come Rain or Shine

NEIL DAVIES

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NEIL DAVIES Come rain or shine

16 July – 29 August 2016

NEW CRAFTSMAN GALLERY The full exhibition can be viewed on our website.

All work is oil on board and for sale from receipt of catalogue.

Copyright ©2016 New Craftsman Gallery & Neil Davies

24 Fore Street · St Ives Cornwall TR26 1HE 01736 795652 www.newcraftsmanstives.com

NEIL DAVIES Come Rain or Shine This collection of paintings represents my response to the ever-changing

The hedgerows and heathland are in a constant state of flux – gorse,

elemental forces which dominate the Cornish weather, affecting the

heather, bracken, wild flowers all come and go, vegetation turns from

landscape in so many different ways.

lush green to rusts and ochres. In high winds the exposed blackthorn

My work revolves around the changing seasons and weather

and gorse writhe in twisted shapes, often eventually remaining that way.

patterns, and as a result I am acutely aware of the subtle changes which

Then the sun breaks through, the sea is covered in sparkling light, and

nature can have on the surrounding landscape: through my paintings I

there is a subtle change in colours and shades. A lump of granite can be

attempt to edit and interpret this into art.

a dark, brooding hulk of grey, and suddenly it becomes alive with

While out walking the landscape, whether in driving rain, high winds or bright sunlight, I seek to immerse myself in nature. My paintings are

sparkling quartz.

With all today’s distractions – technology, virtual worlds, appoint-

an emotional reaction to these encounters with the elements, a visceral

ments and deadlines, it is easy to lose contact with the natural world,

response to fleeting glimpses of the effects of nature on the bare bones

and I hope that these paintings will act as a reminder, and restore that

of the landscape.

connection.

The light and the sky change constantly: with the seasons, the time of day – dawn, midday, dusk – or an approaching storm.

Neil Davies, July 2016

Front cover: Through the hedgerow to Carn Kenidjack

122 x 165 cm

Up on the moors, on a gloomy day in early spring; dark, threatening clouds with occasional shafts of sun breaking through. In the moments of sunlight, the bleached grass over the hedgerow is suddenly illuminated, a pale, whispering carpet stretching almost to Carn Kenidjack glowering in the background.

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Sunburst over Sennen Beach 122 x 165 cm Out with my son who is looking for inspiration to photograph. He finds it in this amazing cloud formation after a rain storm, as the sun breaks through and disperses the cloud.

Decide I have the subject for my next painting too, so we both go home happy.

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Bitterly cold, Kenidjack Valley

122 x 122 cm

Freezing January day – braving the cold walking down Kenidjack Valley, following the stream to the sea. Sitting by the mine workings looking out to Cape Cornwall, I catch a movement in the water. Entranced by the sight of a mink, diving and splashing in a pool. Watch it until it moves on: aware it shouldn’t be part of our countryside, but still feel privileged to have seen it.

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Unexpected snowfall, Bosporthennis 61 x 76 cm Waking up to a light covering of snow one morning, I head for my favourite places to view its effects. Bosporthennis is transformed, clean and bright, with a freshly laundered sky gleaming above. Granite boulders peer out from their white blanket, and the undergrowth appears stark and black against the snow.

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A dusting of snow, Lower Porthmear

122 x 165 cm

The hamlet of Lower Porthmear, not far from Zennor. Brief snowfall this morning, melting now, colours showing through the white. Carn Galver brooding, dark and menacing, and above it the dark clouds gather again. Too warm now for snow – suspect the rain is coming to wash it all away.

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Natural contrasts 30 x 39 cm Looking up to Hannibal's Carn squatting in the early spring sunshine, I am aware of the startling contrasts in front of me: the dark carn against the white clouds, and the dense tangles of blackthorn next to the first yellow blooms of gorse and the bleached grasses waving in the breeze. Nature is never dull.

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Tregeseal Circle amongst the bracken

122 x 165 cm

Bright autumn day, sun coming and going. Up on Truthwall Common the bracken and patches of gorse glow in the late sun, Tregeseal's circle of stones sticking out like rickety teeth. In the background looms Carn Kenidjack, rugged and sinister.

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April showers 61 x 76 cm Cold, blustery April day, sudden squally showers and occasional short-lived bursts of sun.

Rain-laden clouds scudding quickly across the sky – feels like winter still. First spring gorse is bursting into bloom, lifting the spirits and the dark landscape around it.

Twisted gorse and granite boulders 122 x 122 cm Walking near Towednack to see if the bluebells are out – too early for these yet, but the gorse is in full bloom. Some low bushes are covered in flowers: other, older bushes are leggy and woody, bare gnarled branches twisting over granite walls, small clumps of flowers at their extremities.

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Old barn amidst the granite, White Downs 46 x 61 cm Up on White Downs, near Men-an-Tol and the Nine Maidens, stand the ruins of this old barn, its corrugated roof rusted to a deep shade of Indian red. Surrounded by old stone walls and huge lumps of field granite, it has become part of the landscape in which it stands.

A bouquet of wild gorse 41 x 61 cm On the slopes above Towednack, I come across this gorse bush, its narrow, spindly base supporting an impossibly huge arch of flowers, reminiscent of a giant wedding bouquet cascading over the wall.

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Bluebells and campion, Trendine Hill 46 x 61 cm The bluebells are later and not so plentiful this year, but still manage to produce a swathe of purple across the lower slopes of Trendine Hill, mingling with the campion and fresh green of the new grass. Pleased to see that the twisted elder on the horizon has survived another winter.

May heathland 46 x 61 cm Warm day in late May, larks singing above, and the heath is a riot of colour. Bluebells and campion mingle with the leftover russets of last year’s bracken and the gold of new gorse.

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Field of gorse, Pendeen 58 x 76 cm Walking up the lane to Pendeen Watch, on the way to Boat Cove and Portheras, I come across this vast expanse of gorse, shockingly bright against the vivid blue sky, almost as if it has been intentionally grown as a crop to fill the field.

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Wading through the grass 61 x 76 cm Crossing the field towards this farmstead near Kenidjack, the pale, bleached grass is so long it feels like wading through water. Muddy, rutted tractor tracks cut through the grass like partings in blonde hair. Thick stalks whip my legs – glad I’m wearing jeans, not shorts.

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Patchwork sky

43 x 42 cm

Another coastal walk, out storm-watching: this one arrives gradually, and from the shore I watch as the sky displays myriad shades of blue, gold, purple and black – a patchwork of colours, constantly changing.

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Breezy day at Priest Cove

61 x 61 cm

First clear day after what feels like a week or more of rain. Great to be out breathing in the fresh sea air. There's a stiff breeze whipping up the waves, clouds race across the sky which is constantly changing colour, and the sun comes and goes – but I’m grateful for each appearance, and stay until it starts to sink behind the headland.

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Slippery rocks and rolling mist 61 x 61 cm Making my way across the rocks whilst watching a sea mist roll in; too engrossed to look where I'm going, I lose my footing on a slimy rock, and regain my balance just in time, dignity intact, but still a source of amusement for my two boys. Beware of green rocks ‌

Cottage on the headland 122 x 122 cm A walk along the coast around Zennor, having rounded the headland from Porthglaze Cove to Veor Cove. Starting to drizzle, sea mist gradually rolling in.

Time for a pint at The Gurnard’s Head.

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Sunburst over the headland

61 x 61 cm

Out with the family, some friends and their dog, for a bracing walk along the shore. Chilly, grey afternoon just before Christmas – then suddenly the sun breaks through in style, and the world becomes a different place. Dog enjoys the rock pools and is delighted to find a dead crab.

Calm sea, kaleidoscope sky

122 x 122 cm

Late spring, sitting on the beach at Sennen, looking across to Cape Cornwall. It has been a still, warm day, and as it draws to a close, the sky is putting on a light show. Glowing purples, yellows, reds, pinks and oranges drift across the sky, and the sea sparkles with the last of the sunlight.

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Flash of light through the storm 61 x 61 cm Out on storm watch looking for inspiration, and it was provided in the form of this stream of light which emerged, pouring into the sea, from between the storm clouds over St. Ives Bay, along with a patch of blue and purple sky.

Porth Nanven sunset 122 x 122 cm After a baking hot day in early June, I head down to Porth Nanven, usually one of my places to watch the waves on a stormy day. Today it is the sky which grabs my attention: as the sun sets, streaks of gold stream into the sea, and patches of intense yellow, purple and red flash across the clouds, like old bruises. The calm sea quietly reflects the sky, and I am engulfed by colour.

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Russet sky at sunset 61 x 61 cm Standing on the beach as the sun gradually sets, watching as it dips behind a band of cloud, reappears, then melts into the sea and behind the headland. Suddenly much cooler – time to head home.

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Breaking storm 61 x 61 cm Bitterly cold, raw winter’s day, and it hasn’t been properly light all day. Having escaped from the studio for a much needed blast of sea air, I am now surrounded by the elements at their wildest, giving it all they've got. The wind is howling, the rain lashing, the sea boiling. Dark clouds sail over me like Tolkien’s Ring Wraiths, menacing and persistent. I stand and watch, loving every minute.

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Reflections 61 x 76 cm Porthledden – everything is blue and tranquil, the many hues of blue in the sky reflected in the still, quiet sea, so that they seem to merge; the horizon is blurred, and would be almost lost if it weren’t for the unmistakeable shape of Cape Cornwall.

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Crashing waves over Sennen Pier

79 x 102 cm

Having checked out the new, refurbished ‘First and Last’ in Sennen, I decide to head down to the beach, as the wind is picking up. Rewarded by huge breakers crashing against and over the pier, a kaleidoscope sky and the pungent smell of ozone and seaweed.

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Sunset, from The Enys

46 x 61 cm

Looking out over The Enys, near Pendeen Lighthouse, one evening in May. The weather has been mixed today – sunshine and showers, with the occasional downpour, and it still can’t make up its mind. As the sun sinks lower, the sky glows with a deep saturation of colour for a few minutes, then it disappears and the colours recede.

Coastal crofts, Isle of Skye 122 x 122 cm Skye in April, looking out across the Atlantic – no land between here and Newfoundland. A beautiful, wild island, rugged and untamed.

Try to imagine what life must be like living in one of these crofts.

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Across to Cape Cornwall

79 x 102 cm

Looking across from Sennen to Cape Cornwall on a day of mixed weather, which can't quite make up its mind. On my right, it looks sunny and bright, but to the left there are ominous rain clouds, and I watch with interest while the two vie for the upper hand. Rain clouds 1: sunshine 0.

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All at sea

79 x 102 cm

Just for a change, it is the sea which captures my attention before the sky: the colours have such depth and are so intense today, blues and greens to rival the tail of any peacock. The sky, not to be outdone, offers me a flash of orange over the headland, and further out to sea the light breaks through the cloud. Another painting stored away in my head.

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Packed away for winter

46 x 61 cm

A December walk around Priest Cove, boats pulled up the slipway out of harm’s way, having a wellearned rest. Nets and buoys lie jumbled on the ground, splashes of colour on a grey winter’s day.

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Winter sea, boats hauled up 61 x 76 cm December at Priest Cove – inky sky with splodges of purple and orange, waves stirred into a frenzy, turning over on themselves, smashing on to the rocks and hurtling up the beach. A few fishing boats have been safely hauled up for winter, no match for the ocean at this time of year.

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Luminescence 25 x 30 cm On my way home one evening, glancing behind me I notice a startlingly bright flash of light over the sea, piercing through the gloom and bouncing off the waves. Half expecting an alien landing ‌

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Looking up from the coast road 25 x 30 cm Driving along the coast road from St. Ives to Zennor, I spot these farm buildings and stop to do a quick sketch; up on the ridge above the spring vegetation of the slope, they are illuminated by a sudden shaft of sunlight.

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Storm at dawn 25 x 30 cm Out buying the paper early one Sunday in winter, soon after first light.

Not long after the sun has risen, it is eclipsed by a mass of storm clouds rolling in across the bay, and the daylight all but vanishes again.

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