Today, I'd like to share with you my painting of St Cwyfan's Church on Cribinau Island near Aberffraw, Ynys Môn /Anglesey and tell you what brought me to paint it.

My watercolour was inspired by Sir Kyffin Williams's magnificent monumental square oil painting of the same subject in it's matching frame, which I was privileged to spend some time with as a teenager. My photo of it here just doesn't do it justice.

This painting stuck in my mind, and made me want to visit the church. Sir Kyffin gave it such a significance for me through his painting. And now I've painted my own interpretation of this incredible place in watercolours.

The sea weed, boulders, wobbly stones and damp sand I had to cross to get to the church are accentuated in my version, with the church beyond on it's island, and the sky around it, an ethereal idealised vision in the distance, reflecting it's original beatific purpose - to bring a piece of Heaven down to the local congregation of farmers and labourers.

The church in the sea was built during the 12th century and largely reconstructed in the 14th. It's position on an island was not planned but instead caused by the sea washing the land away around the church, St Cwyfan's originally having been built on the end of a peninsula..

Access is across the beach and rocky shore at low tide. You can find Cwyfan Church at Ty Croes near Aberffraw LL63 5YR on Ynys Môn Anglesey, but please be careful not to be cut off by the tide!

The unframed A4 original is available from me for £75 including UK postage. Please just message me to arrange purchase. And it's also available printed on all sorts of lovely things, including larger canvases, at: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/138010105

Thanks!

Sam aka LymphomaLass xx

St Cwyfans Church, Anglesey at low tide. © David Henderson/DEEPOL by plainpicture

*

The little church in the sea Featured on Bing 9 February 2022

St Cwyfan’s Church, Anglesey This tiny medieval church has been weathering storms off the island of Anglesey for hundreds of years. First built in the 12th century, the land on which St Cwyfan’s stood would have been attached to the Welsh island back then, sitting between the bays of Porth China and Porth Cwyfan. But over the centuries, the sea has eaten away at the land surrounding the church, creating the tiny islet of Cribinau and cutting it off from Anglesey at high tides. Presumably that is why it is known locally as eglwys bach y mor - the little church in the sea.

The sea continued to erode the island until, in the 1890s, a sea wall was constructed around it, which is still keeping the waves at bay. The oldest part of this Grade II listed medieval church dates back to the 12th century, although most of it was added during reconstruction work in the 14th century. You can get to this remote spot at low tide via a small causeway, as long as you have some proper walking boots. It’s a little uneven underfoot but will reward those who make the journey with spectacular views.

‘The Little Church In The Sea’

‘The Little Church In The Sea’

Or in Welsh: Eglwys bach y môr. Dating from the 12th century, it survives the sea storms only with the help of some robust 19th century defences. Erosion has reduced the peninsula on which it was originally built to a tidal island known as Cribinau. You can find it along the Coastal Path just north of Aberffraw (Anglesey). The church itself is dedicated to the Irish Saint Cwyfan (Kevin) who lived…

View On WordPress

Day 5, Photograph 5; St Cwyfan's Church, Llangwyfan. Last light on the Church in the Sea. Dating from the 12th century, St Cwyfan's church is dedicated to Saint Kevin, who founded the monastery at Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland. The church originally stood at the end of a peninsula between two bays, Porth Cwyfan and Porth China. In later years the sea slowly eroded around the coast in the two bays, therefore the peninsula was cut off, turning Cribinau into a small tidal island. As a consequence, a causeway was built to the island to allow the local population to get to the church. -o- @visitwales @visitsnowdonia #visitwales #visitsnowdonia #snowdonianationalpark #snowdonia #northwales -o- #photography #landscapephotography #landscapephotomag #landscapephotographer -o- @olympusuk #olympusuk #olympuscameras #olympusphotography #omdem1mkii -o- @leefilters #leefilters #leefiltersystem #leebigstopper #longexposure #longexposurephotography -o- @lightroom @photoshop @nik_collection__by_dxo -o- (at Isle of Anglesey) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-qwIFdD1TW/?igshid=1sein1dpzym04

15 amazing Islands around North Wales

15 amazing Islands around North Wales

There are so many beautiful Islands that surround North Wales, they dot the entire the coastline in the most stunning locations. Most where cut off from the mainland after the last warm period 7000 years ago (after the ice age), which increased sea level by around 100m globally cutting them off from the local land mass. Some are classed as the most spiritual and sacred islands in the Western…

View On WordPress

St Cwyfan's Church near Aberffraw, Anglesey

The mounted canvas print of this piece is available from £25.31 (including UK shipping) but there's also all kinds of other lovely things featuring my watercolour painting at: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/138010105

Please contact me direct (via private messaging) to purchase the unframed A4 original for £75 (including UK postage).

Thanks!

Sam aka LymphomaLass xx

Please let me know with you like best.... It may be because of happy memories at one of these places, or it might be the styles and colours in my art. I'd love to know, in the comments...

🎨 Trwyn Du Lighthouse and Ynys Seiriol or Puffin Island from Penmon Point... or...

🎨 St Cwyfan's Church, the church on the island, Ynys Cribinau near Aberfraw... ?

Both are on Ynys Môn/ Anglesey and the A4 unframed paintings are both available for £75 including UK postage, or £95 framed if we live close enough for me to deliver (please just private message me to arrange your purchase), or as prints or printed on all kinds of lovely things at:

St Cwyfan's:

Penmon:

...where there's currently 20% off everything. Thanks! Sam aka LymphomaLass xx

St Cwyfan's Church, Llangwyfan. Last light on the Church in the Sea. Dating from the 12th century, St Cwyfan's church is dedicated to Saint Kevin, who founded the monastery at Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland. The church originally stood at the end of a peninsula between two bays, Porth Cwyfan and Porth China. In later years the sea slowly eroded around the coast in the two bays, therefore the peninsula was cut off, turning Cribinau into a small tidal island. As a consequence, a causeway was built to the island to allow the local population to get to the church. @visitanglesey @visitwales #visitanglesey #northwales #northwalescoast @olympusuk #olympusuk #olympusphotography #olympuscamera #landscapephotography #landscapephotographer #landscapephotomag (at Anglesey) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-G1KhjjVdI/?igshid=1llme6rwsc3yf