Chris Richards' Uploads

Pentre Ifan is a megalithic dolmen located in Pembrokeshire. I sketched at a point when I hadn't sketched for some time and felt like I should. I didn't give it the time it deserved and didn't even erase the pencil marks. Definitely one I should re-sketch at some point.

A quick 4x6" colour sketch in did in preparation for a much larger painting. Llyn Y Fan Fach is one of my favourite locations in Wales.

A cottage I spotted while walking waterfall country in Neath Valley.

Another tiny 4x6" acrylic. This one is of Rhossili Bay in the Gower - voted one of the top ten beaches in the world according to Trip Advisor.

At the top of Pentregwenlais near Llandybie is Gwenlais Quarry. In itself, the quarry is quite beautiful with its sheer rock faces and the way that nature has started to reclaim it. This scene is one of the paths that leads down from the top of the quarry back towards Pentregwenlais. I was going to do it as a pen & wash but by the time I'd finished with the watercolour I thought it was too complex to start putting ink in there. Watercolours on watercolour paper (6x8")

I stumbled across this old mill some years ago while walking in Drefach-Felindre. The area was once a hub of the wool industry, and now houses the National Wool Museum. I only managed to discover its name when I was doing a Google search as at the time of drawing, it was up for sale as an 11 bedroom property!

Things have been so busy of late and my output has greatly reduced. However, I have returned to oil painting. I revisited this piece I started last year and put in a few more hours to finish it. The scene was from a few summers ago when I visited Pen Arthur forest for the first time. The piece takes me right back to that day when the late summer afternoon sunlight struggled to penetrate the canopy.

I started painting with acrylics again towards the end of 2018. On 4x6" canvas wraps, they were so small, but so much fun to paint. I was pleased with this one except for the fact the magentas for the foxgloves weren't as vibrant as I hoped. The location that inspired it is Irfon Forest in Mid-Wales. I can't imagine it's a particularly touristy spot, but it's an absolute hidden gem with extensive views over the Brecon Beacons.

Really enjoying experimenting with soft pastels. This piece was the first time I used Pastelmat. It's an amazing surface to use with pastels as it takes loads of pastel, the colour stays vibrant, and there's minimal dust

Acrylic painting of Camber Sands in winter.

Looking at Trichrug hill from the top of Pen Arthur Forest. This was my first attempt at pen and wash in 2018. I was pleased with it for an initial effort. I struggle to be loose with my art, so this was a step forward. The only thing that really bugs me was my colour choice for the distant hills - it looks more like the sea.

A quick watercolour sketch of Cwm Berwyn Forest. Well worth doing as I have a much better idea of what to do and what not to do for the final piece.

I've wandered Brechfa forest in Carmarthenshire on several occasions, but have only seen a very small part of what this huge forest has to offer. I'm hoping that once travel restrictions are lifted, I can get back out there and explore more. Pen on sketchbook paper (6"x8")

I started this oil painting in Feb 2020, and finished it in April the same year. I guess it's a tribute to Welsh beaches in winter - miles of sand, and barely anyone around.

My last finished painting of 2020. A morning in the woodlands of Ystradfawr Nature Reserve near my home. This is the final result of one of my colour sketches - Spring on the Line. It sold to lady in a care home who's lost her mobility. I hope it gives her a bit of the great outdoors when she's sitting in her room.

My first art of 2021, and the first in about 7 months after feeling blocked since last year. Reference was some random photo of a house on a country lane from when I used to go for long walks in Sussex. I decided to push myself into doing some form of artwork every day. This was the result from day three.

This was my first full-scale piece of 2020. One of my favourite locations in Wales.

In 2017, I had a short run of finishing acrylic paintings after not painting for many years. Here I was pushing towards a more realistic style despite the very cheap and thin paints.

A colour sketch of Llyn Brianne in preparation for a much larger piece. The sketch was done in acrylic, but then I changed my mind and started the full-sized piece in oils.

A colour sketch in preparation for a larger piece. The scene is from woodland very close to my home on a spring morning during last year's lockdown.

I first bought some cheap soft pastels back in 2018 and did a couple of sketches. I bought a nice set of Rembrandt pastels a few months later — didn't use them. I bought some pastel pads, none if which seemed right. September 2020, I bought a couple more sets of bargain pastels and tried a couple of pieces — no good, still couldn't bring myself to use them. Jess bought me pastel pencils for Christmas — I was too scared to use them. I even bought a pad of Pastelmat which is supposed to be THE paper to use for pastel paintings in January. I was too scared to use that as well! FINALLY, after a few unsuccessful attempts at working with watercolour (brush issues), I cast aside my fear and thought I'd mess around with pastels. Some time later, and this was the result. I've finally broken through my pastel fear-barrier. I've got to say, I love soft pastels and I'm excited about doing more pieces in this medium.