Hurry to Anglesey. If you’re quick, you’ll be able to catch Anthony Garratt, as he finishes the last of the four landscape paintings that he’s making. They’re each 8ft wide and, when finished, are erected onto hyper-strong steel frames, enabling them to be displayed on the spots where they were made, without being blown into Snowdonia by the wind.
The project has been funded by Judith Matthews, owner of the business Menai Holiday Cottages and a passionate advocate for the island, who saw similar outdoor paintings by Mr Garratt when she visited Tresco last year. She chose four of Anglesey’s loveliest locations and persuaded landowners to take part.
Seeing Mr Garratt at work is quite something. He covers the enormous boards laid flat on the grass or possibly the sands of a beach at speed. Paint is flung, flicked, dribbled and poured or, in the later stages, worked with a conventional brush (a large one). Mr Garratt doesn’t hesitate to walk over the surface of his artwork, leaving a footprint temporarily embedded in the paint.
The result embodies the energy of the process. Like other low-lying islands, Anglesey’s weather changes constantly, so it behoves the artist to paint fast. Only when you see the works in position can you truly appreciate them, as a contemplation on space, light and the moment. They remain in situ until October. Do go.
Country mouse gains a new feline friend
Country mouse has been adopted by a ginger tom.
Spectator: Birds of a feather
Lucy Baring can't count on chickens.
-
Merlins: Britain's smallest bird of prey is a 'swerving, zigzagging, 240mph weighted missile' that's gutsy enough to chase off a golden eagleSize doesn’t matter when it comes to the fighting spirit of the tiny merlin, a fierce parent and favoured hunting accessory of Mary, Queen of Scots.
-
The greatest moment in the life of Jessie Owens: Country Life Quiz of the Day, June 13, 2025Breathtaking athleticism and Shakespeare's birthday are among the questions in the final quiz of the week.
