Sir Kyffin Williams Rolf on Welsh Art

I'm on a wonderful Welsh adventure as I discover more about four

outstanding artists influenced by this great land.

During this series, I'll be creating paintings inspired by their work.

I'm going to have to paint in ways I've never done before.

And at the end of it, I'll probably turn to you and say,

"Can you tell what it is yet?"

We're leaving the mainland behind, crossing Menai Strait, heading for

the island of Ynys Mon. In English - Anglesey.

It's an island that's crammed full of spectacular scenery,

and it certainly was the inspiration for one of my favourite artists,

Sir Kyffin Williams.

In my humble opinion,

Sir Kyffin Williams is the best artist Wales has ever produced.

His work is hugely popular,

not just here

but in places where they've never ever seen a Welsh farm or a sheep dog.

Kyffin was born in 1918 in Llangefni which is just a few miles from here.

But despite the fact that he was an art teacher in London for many,

many years, all he ever wanted to do was get back here and paint Wales.

And who can blame him?

I knew Kyffin, and felt a real connection with his dramatic paintings.

But as much as I love his landscapes,

some of my favourites are actually his paintings of people.

And with great trepidation and more than a little fear,

I'm going to paint a portrait in his style as a tribute to a great man.

If I'm to get to grips with Kyffin's style, I really need to

revisit the people and places that mattered most to him.

Although Kyffin lived in London for 30 years, he only made it big as a

painter when he was in his 50s, following his return home to North Wales.

There's an old saying that every Welsh home should have a harp

in the corner and a Kyffin Williams on the wall.

Well, there were plenty of Kyffin's paintings on the walls here at this

old cottage where he used to live, when we visited him.

It's right opposite the Menai Strait.

My wife and I had admired his work for many years,

and not only was he a great artist but he became a very dear friend.

And I had the privilege of painting his portrait just before he died.

I'm so proud that Kyffin liked my finished portrait of him sitting in his favourite armchair.

Kyffin never married, he simply lived for his art.

But how did a boy who was born into a family of country vicars

become a celebrated international artist?

Well, I do know that during the Second World War

he ended up at one of Britain's top art schools, the Slade, after epilepsy ended his military career.

VOICE OF WILLIAMS: Why the Slade?

Because an army doctor advised me in his wisdom,

"Williams, you should do something that doesn't tax the brain. Try art."

After the war, I shared my time between teaching at Highgate School, London, and Wales.

Every spare moment was spent in Wales.

Sketching constantly and painting, at least two canvases a week, sometimes one a day.

When Kyffin moved back to his beloved Anglesey in 1974, his great patron and close friend,

Lord Anglesey, converted this cottage and studio for him.

Kyffin never left.

And for the next 30 years until his death in 2006,

the Marquess remained a guiding light in his life and career.

It's great to share memories, as the Lord rarely gives interviews.

Yes, I think we can say with a modicum of certainty,

that in 50 years, say,

people will acknowledge that he, at this period of his life,

was the great artist in Wales.

And he was not in any way,

-"Oh, aren't I great?"

-No.

Until, of course, he got his knighthood and then was acting like a boy, he was so delighted with it!

Oh, he was a great man. He was a great man and a great artist.

He was mad keen on artists who took the trouble to actually draw.

Those who didn't, he was very cross with them.

I once heard him call a contemporary artist "evil".

But it seems Kyffin did like one young contemporary artist - me.

Though I can't think why!

When I first saw any work by you, I said, "That man knows how to draw."

And I said to Kyffin, "That man knows how to draw." And I think he'd already met you so he agreed with me.

As I travel through Kyffin's creative heartland, I'm getting

increasingly nervous about painting a portrait in his style.

At a time when most artists were using brushes, Kyffin became the master of the palette knife,

a technique he used to depict the edginess of Snowdonia and Anglesey.

I nearly always stick to brushes, so this is really going to test me.

Well, I've got my palette there, I've got a bag full of tubes of oil paint,

and I've got this little thing, a palette knife.

They were all tools of choice for Sir Kyffin Williams.

I don't know how I'm going to go doing a painting using this little thing,

but he made an art of it.

'Today I'm visiting Hefin and Nestor Jones at their Snowdonia farm.'

I've been looking forward to this.

'Hefin has kindly agreed to sit for his portrait and, boy, am I nervous.'

The Jones's knew Kyffin and loved the way he portrayed their Wales.

They also happen to be the parents of another famous Welsh son,

the opera superstar Bryn Terfel, and unsurprisingly, music runs in the family.

A bit like myself.

You're very musical, aren't you?

Yeah, yeah. I don't know where it all came from but my parents were both from Wales,

and from Victorian times... and everybody sang.

They always did it, you know, so I was always surrounded by music.

Still the same. Hefin is in the male voice choir and I'm with the ladies' choir, so keeping the tradition up.

Lovely. Lovely.

THEY SING IN WELSH

Lovely. You've got a great smiling face, I can't wait to paint you.

-Oh!

-It's a Kyffin Williams colour that shirt, isn't it?

-Is it? Worth a lot then.

-I don't know about that!

So, can you show me where I can change into my painting gear?

-Yes.

-You lead the way.

THEY SING IN WELSH

-Lead on. Lead on.

-OK.

What you really need to understand is that Kyffin created at least two

big oil paintings a week, 52 weeks of the year, using a palette knife.

By the way, this is the first time I've ever painted a portrait with a pallet knife,

and I could end up with egg on my face here.

Kyffin would have loved to have painted you, you know, because

he loved painting people from the local community. Your face will

be somewhere here and that will be coming down there, and then the rest of it down there,

and perhaps a little bit of that browny colour in there.

I wish I could get the colours so flat and so orderly,

and ordered and in their right position the way Kyffin did.

And then what I'm going to try and do is get some of the colours

for your face a little bit, get some red into that just underneath there.

Lovely. I'm floundering at the moment a little bit.

I don't know whether I'm getting it right until I've gone much further with it than I have so far but I...

Gosh, it's not as easy as one might have imagined

by looking at the ease with which Kyffin Williams did it.

I'm taking my time to finish the rest of Hefin's portrait, but Kyffin would always rush back to his studio

with his sketches and finish his painting in just one go. Remarkable.

John Smith helped care for Kyffin in the last years of his life,

a life that revolved around his studio.

We've got a magic day for it. Isn't it brilliant sunlight out there?

But when I come in here to this studio, when I came before, he had

everything dark. He used to paint in here with it almost pitch black.

What was the reason for that?

He suffered from epilepsy which probably developed as a child

but became worse when he was in London.

This made him sensitive to light. He was on medication.

And that is the reason that it affected...

It affected his ability to cope with bright sunlight?

Yes. And consequently his paintings gradually became darker.

He didn't used to go out on the mountains when it was sunny, did he?

-Not at all.

-He wanted it to be wet and dingy.

-Cloudy, rain, wind.

-Yeah. Snow.

I saw him in hospital, I went to see him, and eventually after about an hour I was about to leave,

and I went through the door and for some weird reason I just felt that

I probably wouldn't see him again.

I'm very...emotional.

Thinking about all our loss, you know?

Mmm. It's a pity you hadn't known him sort of ten years before.

I felt the other day, I was thinking about this, and you

could have put a wonderful exhibition on together, the two of you.

-We could have gone painting together, which I would have loved.

-Yes.

It's been an incredibly emotional day, but life affirming too.

This visit has really helped me to reconnect with my old friend Kyffin.

Kyffin said that he painted for excitement and never really thought

he would make it as an artist, but standing here in his old studio,

I honestly think he has done more for the visual arts in Wales

than any other artist.

I'm now in the heart of the place that inspired Kyffin more than anywhere else, Snowdonia.

Although I was proud to call Kyffin a friend,

there are still lots of things I don't know about him as an artist.

To help me, I've asked his best pal, Derek Llwyd Morgan, to join me up Snowdonia.

Derek is also the world authority on the life and the art of Sir Kyffin.

I know my wife and I have always loved seeing his work in the Royal Academy.

-We would make a beeline for that room.

-Yes.

And be stunned and amazed. Why did he return to Wales after so long away?

By the mid-'70s, he had sold enough to have confidence to come back to Wales

and be a full-time professional painter.

Do you think his paintings have an effect on the way people

-see their surroundings here in Wales?

-Oh, yes.

Having looked at Kyffin canvases for a while before coming up the mountain,

you come up the mountain and you see the mountain Kyffinesque, not in nature but through Kyffin's eyes,

-and I'll always think that is the mark of a good artist.

-How lovely.

What's your lasting memory of the man?

Oh, I have no doubt about that.

Every time I have been to an exhibition of his, I always thought that I would

like also to put Kyffin on show, for people to see that glorious moustache and the brilliant blue-grey eyes

that depicted Wales in such a brilliant manner.

HE SPEAKS WELSH

It's that swirling rain that comes from every direction and gets everywhere.

I'm really gutted that the weather is just too bad for me to sketch up here.

But I doubt that these conditions ever stopped Kyffin from painting.

So, I'm back down the mountain now,

and I know exactly what will cheer me up.

# Now the ladies of the harem of the court of King Caractacus

# Were just passing by All together now

# The ladies of the... # Noses. You can remember noses.

# Now the noses on the faces

# Of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Caractacus

# Were just passing by All together now

# The noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem

# Of the court of King... # It's no good crying!

# Now the noses on the faces of the ladies

# Of the harem of the court of King Caractacus... #

Just move your mouth in time to the music.

# The boys who put the powder on the noses on the faces

# Of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Caractacus...

-# You're too late

-Too late!

-Because they've just passed by. #

Oh, dear! They might have coped a little better with Jake The Peg, possibly.

Thankfully the weather does improve, though, so I can whip out my sketch book at one of Kyffin's favourite

spots in Snowdonia. I'm really starting to see this inspirational landscape through his eyes now.

Time to return to my portrait of Bryn Terfel's dad, Hefin.

For me, this is a labour of love for Kyffin so I want to do him proud.

Get it on that edge of the palette knife so I can actually draw with it.

That goes down there.

At a later time, that is going to be that brilliant gleaming white down that edge,

and this darkness is going to come in under here.

I think, under the edge of the hair like that.

Yes, I think that works. Yeah, that works.

You're pleased with yourself!

-Well, it worked you see, that little bit worked. It just worked.

-Yeah.

A couple of little lines of darkness on the shirt there.

I've got you looking about 22 years old here, is that OK with you?

Yeah, that's fine with me, yes.

It's almost the same as your shirt colour, that's great.

Yeah, that's nice.

You've got such an infectiously smiling face.

You cheer people up just looking at you.

I don't know whether you know all these things, do you?

You're very kind.

I'll just put a different colour in there. I've started to get the measure of how to do it.

Nowhere near as good as the master but I've got an idea.

He's obviously not pussyfooting about, he's not scraping

the palette knife over the dry canvas, he's putting on great swathes of thick colour.

Kyffin was inspired by local characters.

Like me, he loved painting people.

Last year, I had the honour of opening an exhibition of his portraits,

here at the Kyffin Williams gallery in Llangefni.

They are fantastic. What a treat.

What's remarkable about these portraits is that they are done in the same

sweeping style as he's done his landscapes, with a palette knife and quantities of thick, thick paint.

Even the great man himself struggled a bit.

As he said, "Every portrait I have painted has been a considerable strain, nothing comes easily to me."

That's a shock, isn't it? "But I believe that some of my best work

"has been of the many interesting faces I have painted."

And you would have to agree with him.

The relationship one has with one's sitter,

it invariably creates a tension which isn't there with a landscape.

I do like painting portraits, I find it immensely difficult.

Because it is so difficult, it is so tremendously worthwhile.

For me, this is one of Kyffin's best portraits.

The subject is Evan Roberts, a remarkable blind botanist from Capel Curig. It's magical.

I'm meeting Evan's son, Ioan, to find out more.

Why do you think Kyffin chose your dad?

Somebody mentioned Evan Roberts to him.

He got very interested and started delving into his life,

and next thing he came up and he started painting.

-Was he happy with your dad as a subject?

-No.

-No?

-No, he got quite annoyed with my father.

-Why?

-Because he was always moving.

Blind, couldn't see, and if he was talking to him, he'd do that.

Move his head. And that's exactly how the painting is.

I understand he became a very respected botanist.

-Oh, yes. Worldwide.

-Worldwide?

-Yes.

It's amazing, isn't it, that a man from a little house here

in the middle of Wales gets this worldwide reputation?

Yes. And all self-taught.

-Very inspiring.

-No schooling.

Hardly any schooling. He hated the school.

What did you think of the portrait?

-Beautiful.

-Is that the dad that you knew?

-Sorry.

-Yeah, I feel the same.

It's very emotional, isn't it?

-I lived all my life with him.

-Yeah.

-Sorry.

-Come on. Easy!

Kyffin was passionate about teaching local kids to draw, and he passed on those fantastic skills throughout

his life, and like Kyffin, I believe the future of art in this country lies with the younger generation.

They don't often look happy and smiling in a portrait.

Children need to learn the basics, it's as simple as that.

Slabs of colour across the background that are put on with a knife.

They were all done by Sir Kyffin Williams.

-Really good, isn't it?

-It is.

Oh, look at the teeth you've got, Destiny. How many teeth is that?

312 teeth in that fellow's mouth!

Hey, that's a good one, Josh, with the smile. Look at that.

Lovely.

That's very good. Good one, Ossian, lovely.

You've got another four million teeth now!

Gosh, look at the hair.

I can't believe how talented these kids are.

Kyffin would have been blown away.

Enough drawing for now, time for a tune about a Welsh sheep dog who bit me on the backside.

-Do you want to learn a song?

-Yes.

OK, I've written a special song for you today.

So, in Welsh it goes...

# Ci mawr, Ci mawr ddu Dangos eu ddanedd, troi i rhedeg

# Ci mawr, ci mawr ddu Brathais fy penol

# Ah! #

Is that good?

-Yes.

-Did you understand my Welsh, then?

-Yes.

-Did you? Well, that's a relief.

One, two. One, two, three, four.

# Ci mawr, Ci mawr ddu Dangos eu ddanedd, troi i rhedeg

# Ci mawr, ci mawr ddu Brathais fy penol

# Ah! #

Very good! That was a good shout at the end.

I know how much teaching drawing meant to Kyffin. He would have got such a kick out of today.

Drawing, like painting and other art forms, is an act of appreciation and love,

and as long as people enjoy the world around them, it will always be an act of devotion.

Gosh, it's so hard not to miss the man.

As I follow in Kyffin's footsteps, I can see why this land was so inspirational to him.

Kyffin's Wales... Oh, shut up, will you, sheep? I'm trying to do a piece to camera.

SHEEP BAAS

There are things about Kyffin's Wales which have changed beyond

recognition, but in other ways time has stood still.

The farmsteads are still here,

together with the families that have worked this land for generations.

I guess that's why I wanted to paint Bryn Terfel's farmer dad, Hefin,

because he's just the type of Welshman Kyffin loved to paint.

Oh, come on. Now, sit!

I'm starting to feel quite happy about this, which is a great relief because I was very nervous before

I started this, as to whether I would be able to do it, you know?

Have you met Kyffin yourself?

-I met him, yes.

-Oh, yes?

-He was a nice man.

-And we got on like a house on fire, you know, we sort of admired the same things, I think.

-Yeah.

# Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus

# Aur y byd na'i berlau man... #

Who's doing harmony, you or me?

# Gofyn wyf am galon hapus

# Calon onest, calon lan

# Calon lan yn llawn daioni

# Tecach yw na'r lili dlos

# Dim ond calon lan all ganu

# Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos. #

Good.

Oh, dear... Yes!

-Come and have a look and see what you think, Hefin.

-OK.

Oh. That's really good.

-Does it capture you, do you think?

-Yes. Yes.

-I'm a bit older, maybe, but...

-A bit taller?

-Older.

-Older!

I thought you said taller. Where's that dangerous lady of yours?

-I've been watching you.

-Have you?

-Yes.

-I wasn't aware of you there.

The woman that's the first to congratulate you on a good job.

-Thank you very much.

-It's a very good painting.

Well, it's been wonderful learning more about Sir Kyffin Williams and about his life and about his work.

It has been incredibly emotional at times, and massively challenging

towards the end here, trying to work in the palette knife and do a portrait with a palette knife.

I really hope that, as a friend and as a fellow artist, he would

have appreciated my homage to him,

to a great, great Welshman who is sadly missed.

That was the most difficult bit of all!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]