Painting in Patti's Pavilion

No one currently living around this area of the Swansea Valley can have escaped hearing the name of Dame Adelina Patti. An international Opera star famous for entertaining heads of state with her bird like soprano trills.

She purchased the Victorian Gothic Craig-y-Nos castle in 1878 where she lived out her days in luxury due to her ability to demand extremely high fees and her excellent financial acumen.

Within the grounds of the Craig-y-Nos country park there sits a small dragon topped pavilion. A space where Adelina and friends would be entertained with her summer concerts and could prepare themselves for a vigorous game of lawn tennis or croquet.

In this very same delightful pavilion I have been lucky enough to spend the day (with many more to come) embracing the sunshine and playing with paint. This is to be my summer playground. A studio space with a difference. Surrounded by the beautiful Welsh countryside, it was a sheer delight to set up my easel and paint the day away. Removed from the hustle, bustle and mobile phones of the world outside I was able to indulge my creativity, listening to bird song and watching the dance of the dragonflies.

I feel quite certain that Dame Patti would approve of her little pavilion becoming my painting palace for the season and I look forward to many more creative days to come.