I intuitively chose the Porpora -  it may have had something to do with the fact that I had been drawing at Bangor University’s Natural History Museum the previous winter, where  I became hooked on drawing animals, birds and reptiles in mixed- media. My drawing was quick and expressive in order to try and make the animals appear ‘alive’ again.

 

Similarly, I have drawn the reptiles, plants and some Healing Dogs (from the Archaeological collection). Some of these I have invested with a slightly ‘evil’ air.  Alongside this, apart from research, proving that the whole Porpora painting (although, at first glance, seeming quite picturesque), has a malevolent air -  the plants, fungi and reptiles being venomous.

 

My mixed-media brush drawing in monotones was executed alongside the research, as an investigation or analysis into the Porpora. As mentioned before, I had become very fascinated by the little Healing-Dog figurines, found at Llys Awel, a Roman shrine near Abergele, Conwy.

 

As my project work continued there seemed to emerge a theme of healing/ poisoning. Then, because my late father in law, John R. Evans, collected wild plants with his children on the farm, Pant y Buarth, in order to concoct medicines and ointments to treat animals and people, I decided to investigate the plants growing on our farmland, and research their properties -  healing or poisonous?

 

The processes I have used throughout my project are -  drawing in chalk, brush drawing and monoprinting.  The reason for this is that I crave fluidity and expressionism in my work and, throughout the years, these methods have served me well. I have built up a repertoire of mark-making, using media, such as ink, chalk, water, oil pastels/sticks, and enjoy experimenting with different thicknesses of paper.

 

From the start of the project I have made small monoprints, which have now developed into large scroll-like, expressive pieces on Mulberry paper, using large pieces of Perspex as printing plates. Both oil-based and water based printing inks have been used, but towards the end I am using, exclusively water based inks in earth pigments.

The subjects of these prints are a mixture of healing dogs, plants and reptiles (snakes and others).

 

Through executing the medium sized and large monoprints I have been forced to think more about composition, although, at times, in a rather blundering manner.  What I mean by this is, that, when the sun is hot my cabin heats up, obviously, and the printing ink on the perspex tends to dry out alarmingly rapidly, therefore, there is no time to ponder – just try to get the whole plate ready to print off.  Partly, because of this, from my repertoire of wild flower studies, I have chosen the more abstract shaped ones, such as monks hood or wolfbane, broom flowers, bluebells gone to seed (they are a fascinating sight), also pennywort and foxgloves, and, of course dog lichen.

 

Then, as I am printing without a press, using a barren or sometimes just my hands, this sometimes makes for unevenness.  However, I can often use this to my advantage, as I have always liked accidental marks, such as blots and splodges in my work, and, at times these can spark off the imagination, as they are ripe for exploitation.

 

The other person who was responsible for encouraging my interest in wild flowers and ferns was my father Joe Gianelli, who was an amateur botanist; he taught me all of their names, and those of many wild orchids which grew in a boggy part of our large overgrown ‘garden’ years ago. The ones I remember most are Heath Spotted Orchid, Early Marsh Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid and the Early Spotted Orchid.

 

Taking part in the project has enabled me to create works which I never would have thought possible. I had dabbled in monoprinting off and on over the years, but nothing so ambitious as this. It has given one time to really experiment with different media, and coupled with masses of research, given considerable depth to the work. Also, taking part in the project has given me the opportunity to be quite self- indulgent, in revisiting some activities from my childhood  -  collecting wild flowers, looking them up and recording their names in Welsh and English -  mostly the same little flowers grow on Pant y Buarth, as grew around the Snowdon Ranger and the surrounding bogs and mountains. Also memories of my primary school at Rhyd Ddu were awakened, where Mrs Evans, our teacher would take us on nature walks, and upon returning to school we would draw and write about the plants and creatures we saw in our Llyfr Natur (Nature Book). I feel that doing all this work – the brush drawings and monoprints, has improved my drawing and confidence, and who knows what I will be able to create in the future?