Cardiau Post-Postcards

Capel Celyn was a Welsh speaking rural community to the north west of Bala in the Tryweryn valley. The valley was flooded in the 1960’s to supply the Liverpool Corporation with water. Nearly 70 residents lost their home, despite Wales wide opposition to the private members bill. All but one Welsh MP voted against the motion. The Cofiwch Dryweryn (Remember Tryweryn) mural was painted on a wall at Llanrhystud near Aberystwyth by Meic Stephens in 1963. In 2019 the mural was repeatedly vandalised which sparked the painting of 100’s of “Cofiwch Dryweryn” murals across Wales and globally! This is a watercolour of a Capel Celyn cottage, with the faceless family looking over the “Cofiwch Dryweryn” plaque painted across the entrance of the cottage gate, faceless but not forgotten!

This is a mixed media artwork: pen, watercolour and experimenting with gold leaf, inspired by the amazing Gustav Klimt. Gold of course has been mined in Wales for over 2,000 years and gold jewellery was used by the wealthy and high ranking people of ancient times as a mark of their status. The workmanship of the goldsmiths was of exceptional standards, producing some remarkable pieces.

On New Years day, children would go around all the farms and cottages singing for some ‘calennig’ (money). They would carry a ‘perllan’ which was an apple with three pieces of wood stuck in the bottom and then decorated. This would then be placed on the mantle piece or given as a present for good luck. I made my own perllan from an orange and items pinched from the Christmas decorations! This is a watercolour of my perllan.

The Mari Lwyd (Y Fari Lwyd, the Grey Mare/Holy Mary) is an ancient Welsh New Year celebration. A horse’s skull is decorated with ribbons and bells and carried from door to door . It tries to gain access to the home by performing a series of verses, known as pwnco. they respond with their own rhymes, in a fake battle to outwit the Mari Lwyd and prevent it from entering the house. This is a tradition that still carries on in Llangynwyd, Maesteg today.