An oil painting/people portrait of a man finishing off his pasty while having a hard earned rest from scouring the stalls and bargain buying down Singleton Market, Swansea. “Pasty Alfresco” 24 x 30 cm.
Pasty Alfresco
Category: Swansea
Uplands from Swansea Beach
New oil painting – “Uplands from Swansea Beach” – 60 x 50 cm – £295
“The title of this painting has a double meaning as Uplands also refers to the area of Swansea in the background of this painting as well as being upland from the beach, up the snaking road from Bryn y Mor. I loved painting the variety of colours in this painting, all the sudden spring colours of April. The lime and blue greens, purples and burgundies of newly sprouting leaves on various types of trees, the light pinks and oranges of fragile, floating cherry blossoms. Swansea is a leafy city and trees sprawl across the many sea facing hills of Swansea. I tried to contrast this light, fragile, often transient colouring with the that of the more concentrated, weighty, more permanent huddled terracotta houses and in turn with the sandy changeability of the sandy beach and wispy blue and white of the sea. “
Unmounted prints of this painting are available here
Tide’s Out!
Delighted to say I have SOLD “Tide’s In, Mumbles” via facebook – a reminder that my artwork can be bought direct here on facebook or on twitter as well as on my website http://emmacownie.artweb.com/
Swansea From Mumbles painting
This is a new “naive” style oil painting “Swansea from Mumbles” 80 x 60cm £435 –
This is a rarely seen view of Swansea town centre and surrounds as seen through a telescopic lens from the beach at Mumbles – I loved this viewed when I first saw it, especially as one can see The Black Mountain (in the Brecon Beacons National Park) in the distant background.
This painting shows me why I love Swansea and South Wales. With all the huddled up houses hanging onto hills and valleys and sliding down to the sand of Swansea Bay. It is like the Valleys of South Wales are transplanted to the seaside. As a result this view almost has a slight incongruity to it.
It is as if, in a child like manner, two of my favourite aspects of Wales have been sandwiched together, the glorious coastline and the beautifully sculpted valleys in one view. Best of both worlds. For me this makes Swansea the heart of and gateway to South West and West Wales. A transition physically and geologically from the Valleys to the breathtaking coastline that lies around the corner of Mumbles and all the way up West Wales to the jutting rugged glory of the North Wales coastline. I love this part of the world. It is so beautiful and inspiring.
Limited edition mounted prints are available hereÂ
Transforming an Art Studio into an Art Gallery
Transforming an art studio into an art gallery – I have recently put some curtains for privacy and a few picture hanging rails onto the white walls of my art studio and it has really transformed it from a studio into somewhere where one can view art, serving as a private viewing space for artlovers to have a look at my paintings in “the flesh”.
Having this viewing space is designed to help artlovers make that final decision about buying my artwork. I have sold dozens of pieces of artwork this way and really enjoy meeting artlovers who like my artwork.
It also helps some artlovers to meet me and to get to know who they will be buying art from. It all adds to the enriching experience of buying art.
Artlovers also often like to hear about the inspiration behind certain paintings and this brings the artwork to life.
Although my paintings are professionally photographed some artlovers simply like to see the paintings in front of their very eyes.
Also artlovers can say, in advance, what paintings, in particular, they would like “hung” or displayed for them to have a closer look at and they will be hung on the white walls ready for them to view.
They can do this in the afternoon or the evening as the tracking lights enable viewing in the evening too.
Just SOLD!
Delighted to say I have just SOLD this original oil painting of “Brynmill from Swansea Beach” via Artfinder, one week adding to my shop!
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Ice cream with Nan and Bampi
A new oil painting – 40 x 50cm – “Ice cream with Nan and Bampi” – this people portrait is a snapshot of life in Brynmill, Swansea where I live. This is a refreshments kiosk in the picturesque Brynmill Park where we can see two grandparents, after the school run, treating their grand child to an afternoon ice cream.
I love the colours in the painting, they remind me of the bright bold colours of Ladybird books from my childhood. I am especially proud of the movement in the figures I think I managed to achieve; the caring consideration towards the grandchild illustrated in the movement of the grand parents. Bampi is a slang name in South Wales for Grandad.
Brynmill from Swansea Beach
“Brynmill from Swansea Beach” is a new painting of the area of Brynmill in Swansea, “from the beach” – it is not actually from the beach as such as the image that inspired this painting was shot from Swansea Marina using a telescopic lens.
At the top of the hill is Brynmill Primary School, with the Patti Pavilion in the foreground. I love how the terraced houses perched on hills, a Welsh motif, slide down to the beach. It is as if the cwtched houses are all sunbathing and happy to be at the seaside.
My Attic Art Studio
At present I work  mainly from my attic art studio as the sky light enables me to paint most of the day, normally from 6.30 am onwards. It is also warmer than my newly built garden studio which I am sure will come into it’s own in Spring and Summer.
At present it is too cold and glum, plus my husband is planning to cut  and lay huge boulders as rustic garden steps in the next few weeks.  I will be using Clearwell boulders from the Forest of Dean and buying the stone from a company called Wyestone in Herefordshire which recently supplied stone to the Chelsea Flower Show and also featured on Alan Titchmarsh’s “Love our Garden”.
In fact, the waney edge wooden cladding on my new garden art studio is from The Old Mill Yard in Carmarthenshire which also featured on a television program recently when the timber yard was featured on George Clarke’s “Amazing Spaces”.
When the light fades in my attic art studio I switch on a combination of blue artificial “day” lights so that I can squeeze a bit more painting time in the evening too. My house and art studio overlook two parks, Singleton and Brynmill, here in Swansea, Wales. I can hear swans, ducks, various birds from my attic studio as well as magpies, seagulls and ravens scurrying across the tiled roof of the house. I love the sounds of nature and the sounds of children playing as I paint. It is very relaxing and conducive to painting, listening to these sounds amid the bustle of a city.
Hopefully I will be even more immersed in the sounds of nature from my new studio.
The Back Lane Gallery – Opening Soon!
This is a mock “How to….” video detailing the steps in building an art studio/gallery in one’s back garden.
As I need more room to paint (I paint in my attic art studio at present) as my paintings get increasingly bigger, my husband project managed the building of an art complex at our home so that artlovers can visit for a private viewing of my artwork in the art gallery and also buy paintings, prints and so on from his log cabin office.
I have sold dozens of pieces of artwork this way and really enjoy meeting artlovers who love my artwork. Having a viewing space is designed to help artlovers make that final decision about buying my artwork.
It also helps some artlovers to meet the artist and to get to know who they will be buying art from. It all adds to the enriching experience of buying art.
Artlovers also often like to hear about the inspiration behind certain paintings and this brings the artwork to life. Although my paintings are professionally photographed some artlovers simply like to see the paintings in front of their very eyes. If you want to book a date to visit me at my home then contact me and arrange an appointment. We will be happy to see you!