‘Sol – Teg Hager Awel’- The title is partially in latin at least the first word ‘Sol’ is derived from the latin name Solis for the sun and ‘Teg Hager Awel’ is Kernewek – Cornish which roughly translates to Beautiful Winter Storm. And so these three paintings being inspired from my stay on the Isles of Scilly are titled accordingly and in respect for the hard won survival of the Cornish language.
All three are inspired from several most intense experiences of winter storms on Tresco, Bryher and St. Mary’s
‘Sol – Teg Hager Awel 2’ Oil on canvas 90 x 170cm is more directly a point of view, from below tregarthen moor and is as close to the sea as I could get. I sat and watched this winter storm as the sun was setting just beyond the edge of Bryher. The waves were huge and it was an absolutely overwhelming experience. I had just a sketchbook with me and spent several hours scrambling and changing my viewpoint to experience the storm. This painting is titled partially in Kernewek (Cornish) Teg Heger Awel translates to Beautiful Winter Storm, and Sol comes from latin Solis. In many celtic cultures Sol was the name for a sun god. the name Scilly is itself derived from Sulis who was the ancient celtic goddess of the sun. On the isles of Scilly she was known as Sulis she who watches and there is a Roman mosaic in Bath that depicts this goddess. So the painting is about nature but it also references many things at the same time including my fascination for understanding nature and how that knowledge evolves and changes over time, and on the back of the painting are the co ordinates of the sun and some brief info about the sun.
‘Sol – Teg Hager Awel 1’ oil on canvas 90×180 cm and ‘Sol – Teg Hager Awel 3’ oil on canvas 90x170cm are much the same experiences