13 May – 2 July 2023

A series of crafted fine art by north Wales artists
Series curation: Jonathan Le Vay

Everybody has a place that they truly call home.

Home, for me, is the sight of the Clwydian hills, a place that I’ve spent more time exploring than anywhere else.

From the windows at my house in the market town of Mold I can see them.

When I drop my son’s off at school, I drive towards them.

When I’m in the nearby Cities of Chester and Liverpool, I can see the hills in the distance, the calling of home.

Through the different seasons the colours of the landscape dramatically change. I sense the history of people who once lived there, I see the wildlife by looking properly.

And yet, through so much change, the landscape doesn’t change and hasn’t changed. A reassuring familiarity, a place where you can stand in the footprints of our ancestors and see the same things they would’ve seen. A place called home.

David has worked as an illustrator, painter, mural artist and metal worker since graduating from Glyndŵr University in 2004. His work is diverse, it’s evolved on the road of an organic journey. Soon after graduating, David started creating images for the Health & Safety Industry. Tapping into his own experience in Engineering and welding, he understood high risk industry and therefore was able to create congruent visuals that played a part in keeping others safe. David’s adaptable, playful style of drawing and painting has been applied to many different outlets over the years. Giant mascots for the Olympic Games have been hand painted, sculptures for the National Trust have been designed and engineered, restaurants and bars have been adorned with his murals. Even vehicles have been drawn all over!

The last ten years have seen David move more towards helping others by sharing his knowledge of solving a visual challenge. David has worked closely with both adults and children from all walks of life through organisations such as the NHS, social services, MIND, CAHMS and the Children’s Commissioner of Wales.

Designing hospital wards, building self esteem and investing his creativity in people who benefit from creative encouragement.

This collection of work is a warm return to David’s more traditional roots of watercolour painting and drawing wildlife. Something that as a child he spent a huge portion of his time doing. Through this collection of small sized paintings, David aims to project his interpretation of the landscape and wildlife of the place he will always call home!

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13 Mai – 2 Gorffennaf 2023

Cyfres o gelfyddyd gain wedi’i saernïo gan artistiaid Gogledd Cymru
Curadur y gyfres: Jonathan Le Vay

Mae gan bawb fan y maen nhw’n ei alw’n gartref.

I mi, mae golygfa bryniau Clwyd yn gartref, lleoliad rwyf wedi treulio mwy o amser yn anturio drwyddo’n fwy nag unman arall.

Medraf eu gweld drwy ffenestr fy nghartref yn nhref farchnad Yr Wyddgrug.

Wrth i mi hebrwng fy mab i’r ysgol rwy’n gyrru tuag atyn nhw.

Pan rwyf yn ninasoedd Caer a Lerpwl rwy’n medru gweld y bryniau yn y pellter. Mae cartref yn galw.

Mae lliwiau’r tirlun yn newid yn ddramatig drwy’r gwahanol dymhorau. Rwy’n synhwyro hanes y bobl arferai fyw yno, wrth syllu’n ofalus rwy’n gweld y bywyd gwyllt.

Ac eto, drwy’r holl newidiadau, nid yw’r tirlun yn newid ac nid yw wedi newid. Ceir math o agosrwydd cysurlon yma, lle mae modd sefyll yn ôl traed ein hynafiaid a gweld yr hyn welon nhw. Dyma gartref.

Ers graddio o Brifysgol Glyndŵr yn 2004 mae David wedi gweithio fel darlunydd, paentiwr, artist murluniau a gweithiwyr metel. Mae ei waith yn amrywiaethol ac wedi esblygu ar lwybr siwrnai organig. Yn fuan wedi graddio dechreuodd David greu delweddau ar gyfer y Diwydiant Iechyd a Diogelwch. Gan gymryd o’i brofiad mewn peirianneg a weldio roedd yn deall diwydiant risg uchel ac o ganlyniad yn medru creu deunydd gweledol i gyd-fynd â hynny gan chwarae rhan mewn diogelu eraill. Dros y blynyddoedd mae arddull lluniadu a phaentio hyblyg a chwareus David wedi cael eu defnyddio at ddibenion amrywiol a niferus. Paentiwyd ffigurau mascot enfawr â llaw ar gyfer y Gemau Olympaidd, dyluniwyd a lluniwyd cerfluniau ar gyfer yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol, addurnwyd bwytai a thafarnau gyda’i furluniau. Tynnwyd lluniau ar gerbydau hyd yn oed!

Dros y ddeng mlynedd ddiwethaf mae David wedi symud fwyfwy tuag at gynorthwyo eraill drwy rannu ei wybodaeth ynglŷn â datrys her weledol. Mae David wedi gweithio’n agos gydag oedolion a phlant o bob cefndir drwy sefydliadau megis y GIG, gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, MIND, CAMHS a Chomisiynydd Plant Cymru. Mae wedi dylunio wardiau ysbyty, codi hunan-barch a buddsoddi ei greadigrwydd mewn pobl sy’n elwa o anogaeth greadigol.

Mae’r casgliad hwn o waith yn gweld David yn dychwelyd yn gysurus at ei wreiddiau traddodiadol o baentio dyfrlliw a darlunio bywyd gwyllt. Dyma rywbeth arferai dreulio oriau maith yn ei wneud pan oedd yn blentyn. Drwy’r casgliad hwn o baentiadau maint bychan amcan David yw cyflwyno ei ddehongliad o dirlun a bywyd gwyllt y lleoliad y bydd bob amser yn ei alw’n gartref.yn y gosodwaith hwn.

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