Melin Pant Yr Ynn

Residency at Melin Pant Yr Ynn in Blaenau Ffestiniog

After meeting Carol Sherman on Ynys Enlli I was invited to stay at Melin Pant Yr Ynn. My days were focused on the sky line of the Moelwynion, a group of mountains to the west of Blaenau. Looking out from the mill there was clear view of these mountains, I enjoyed observing  them in all lights across the day. We were fortune to have snow and clear weather which gave a sense of the Moelwynion being lit up by pink light at sunrsie. Part of my practice was getting up for dawn and watching the light cross the mountains which invoked a deep sense of revernace. I also explored Diphwys Casson Slate Mine at the back of the mill, reading and researching about the heritage and history of the area gave me a sense of history and respect for people of the area. 

This led me to create images and maps of the area which spoke to both the iconic mountain skyline and the richness of the industrial heritage of Blaenau. I used slate pigment within these images which I collected and processed from old slate tips. I was struck by the raw aesthetics of the disused mines which symbiose recent man-made history alongside the much older formation of the Moelwynion approx. 500 million years ago! An underlying sense of deep time and change developed during my time here.