Fishermen at St. Illtyd's, Oxwich 2024

This coastal landscape centers on St. Illtyd's Church in Oxwich, perched among the trees of the Gower Peninsula with characteristic Welsh resilience. The single orange branch, caught in afternoon light, provides a sharp counterpoint to the prevailing grays and sage greens while the fishermen add human scale to the dramatic coastal setting.
The woodblock technique strips away unnecessary detail to focus on essential forms—the church's simple geometry, the sculptural quality of the rocks, and the layered complexity of the sky above. The restrained palette works effectively here, with that strategic burst of warm orange breaking through the predominantly cool tonality as the day's light catches the tree. T
The church's position among protective trees speaks to centuries of Gower's relationship with wind and weather, while the rocky shore and its working figures anchor the composition in the peninsula's distinctive geology and ongoing human presence. It's a straightforward recording of place that manages to capture something of the particular quality of afternoon light and space that defines this stretch of the Welsh coast.