Les Thomas – the painter's progress | This site is intended as a record of my progress and development as a painter

Early morning sun, Three Cliffs Bay, Gower

Posted on May 4, 2020 by pobbles2000

An oil painting made in ‘one hit’ yesterday, from drawings and photographs taken some years ago. It’s a subject I’m so familiar with that I could really paint it from memory!

It was early on a balmy summer morning. The tide was high, the sea flat and the air still. The sun was catching the tips of the limestone cliffs. I used a warm burnt sienna ground allowing the colour to peep through in places. This gives the painting a warm glow, with the intention of conveying the atmosphere of this tranquil summer morning.

30 x 30cm oil painting on canvas board. All sales enquiries to pobbles2000@yahoo.com

Posted in Painting, Uncategorized | Tagged #Wales, Art, art for sale, contemporary art, Gower, National Trust, Oil painting, painting, seascape., Summer, Welsh artists, Welsh coast | 2 Comments

Lockdown dog walking, Caswell

Posted on May 1, 2020 by pobbles2000

Dog walking Caswell Lockdown walk Caswell Continuing my theme of dog walking on local beaches, these are two recent oil paintings of dog walkers on a local beach.

Both paintings are for sale. Please send enquiries to: pobbles2000@yahoo.com

Posted in Art, Painting, Uncategorized | Tagged #Wales, Art, art for sale, beach, dog walking, Gower, Oil painting, painting, seascape., Surfing, Swansea, welsh art, Welsh artists, Welsh coast | Leave a comment

Dog walker, Swansea Bay

Posted on April 28, 2020 by pobbles2000

This local beach is a favourite among dog walkers. Although I do not have a dog myself, this has become one of my routine walks since the lockdown started. I have found that the restriction of being allowed only to walk from my home has meant that I am appreciating my immediate surroundings more fully. I find myself looking more closely at shells, driftwood and stones on the beach, and viewing with fresh eyes the light over Mumbles in different weather and at different times of the day. This particular painting is from that so called Golden Hour in the evening when the sun catches the lighthouse and everything is bathed in a warm glow.

30 x 30cm oil painting on canvas panel.

Below is a detail from the painting which I quite like as a composition in its own right. I may scale this up and make another painting.

Just a reminder that all my work is for sale. Please post all enquiries to my email address: pobbles2000@yahoo.com

Posted in Art, Oil painting, Swansea, Uncategorized | Tagged #Mumbles, #Wales, Art, art for sale, beach, coast, Gower Peninsula, Oil painting, painting, seascape., Swansea, Swansea Bay, Welsh artists | 4 Comments

The Old Rectory, Rhossili

Posted on March 28, 2020 by pobbles2000

Built around the mid-nineteenth century, The Old Rectory has had an intriguing past – from its role as a base for radar workers during the Second World War, to starring in the hit TV series Torchwood, and of course the inevitable stories of it being haunted. These days, it’s a popular holiday home run by The National Trust.

The house is much photographed given its picturesque setting, but for this painting I’ve taken a more unusual viewpoint from the top of the downs that form the backdrop to the house. I liked the composition with part of the sweeping curve of Rhossili beach in top left hand corner of the picture, shown with the tide out.

10 x 10 inches oil on canvas board.

Posted in Art, Oil painting, Uncategorized | Tagged #Wales, AONB, Art, beach, coast, Coastal painting, Gower Peninsula, landscape, National Trust, Oil painting, Rhossili, Surfing, Swansea, Welsh coastal path | Leave a comment

Across Swansea Bay to Mumbles

Posted on March 15, 2020 by pobbles2000

Mumbles lighthouse, pier and lifeboat station looking across the Swansea Bay from West Cross. Swansea Bay has the second highest tidal range in the world. At each low tide, a large expanse of seashore is uncovered. This area of the shore has a long history of oyster gathering going back many centuries, probably to Roman times. By the mid-19th Century, the shellfish industry employed 600 people in Mumbles and the oysters gathered here were prized across Europe for their quality.

12 x 10 inches, oil painting on canvas board.

Posted in Art, Swansea, Uncategorized | Tagged #Wales, Art, Coastal painting, Gower Peninsula, Oil painting, seascape., Swansea, Swansea Bay, Welsh artists | Leave a comment

Morning walk, Bracelet Bay, Mumbles

Posted on March 12, 2020 by pobbles2000

Finished this morning. Mumbles lighthouse from Bracelet Bay. A milky sun breaking through morning cloud.

10 x 10 inches oil on canvas board.

Posted in Art, Oil painting, Uncategorized | Tagged #Mumbles, Art, beach, Coastal painting, Gower Peninsula, oil, Oil painting, painting, Swansea | Leave a comment

Dennis hits Mumbles, 16.2.20 (SOLD)

Posted on February 24, 2020 by pobbles2000

This is the view of Mumbles Head from Bracelet Bay car park – the view that most people are familiar with, and the one where I’ve sat in the comfort of my car to draw many times. Sometimes the rain falling on the windscreen fragments the view in interesting ways to distort and make strange the familiarity.

I made this painting on Sunday, 16th of February, the tail end of “Storm Dennis”, the rain has cleared although the wind at 50-60 mph is still whipping up the sea. It is this restless ever-changing sea that drew me to make this painting, with the late winter sun catching the waves and the lighthouse.

Oil painting on canvas board, 12 x 10 inches.

Posted in Art, marine painting, Oil painting, Uncategorized | Tagged #Mumbles, #Wales, Art, art for sale, coast, contemporary art, Gower, lighthouses, Marine painting., Oil painting, painting, seascape., storm, Swansea, Welsh artists | Leave a comment

Low tide, Rhossili cliffs

Posted on February 18, 2020 by pobbles2000

A painting made from sketches done on the spot last summer. I wanted to convey the drama and enormity of these cliffs by including tiny figures walking the cliff tops and on the beach below.

Oil painting on professional quality canvas board, 12 x 16 inches.

Please note that all paintings on this site are for sale, unless specified otherwise. Enquiries to pobbles2000@yahoo.com