Drawing Tuesday: A quick trip to Swansea

 On Tuesday I headed off to Swansea   to  help take down the Cwilt Cymru  exhibition and bring home my quilts.  With 5 hours on the   train each way, I had plenty of time for 'trainstitching' working on 2 pieces . With a whole table to myself  for most of 1 journey, I also had plenty of room to spread out!

  I was staying in a Premier Inn, very conveniently  located opposite Swansea Museum , so after dropping off  my bag, I visited there first . I loved this  ancient stone ( a male priest in a kilt apparently but I like to think it was a feisty  woman!)  and these fabric  and driftwood boats  by 'ContexArt' as part of Swansea Festival of Stitch

Just round the corner, next to the Marina was the National Waterfront Museum which had a fascinating  array of exhibits including thought-provoking films and recordings of people describing their lives and  work as well  displays highlighting the  importance of  coal, metals  and other industries

In the section on  Welsh artists  and authors, I was drawn  to these slate and pebble sculptures by Kyffin Williams ( one of my favourite artists)

With the museum about to close, no time for drawing  there. When buying Welsh Cakes in the  gift shop , I asked directions for the quickest route to the  sea  and  spent a very pleasant  hour walking along the promenade and the almost deserted beach. 

 I found a bench ( with  a  poignant memorial plaque : " Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day")  and sat and painted with my very mini ( or should that be minty!) travel watercolour set.

Pretty poor  results but it was all about  the experience  ( and a passing small child was impressed!)

 The light was going, time to head back  into town  via the sand dune  plant restoration trials.

 After  dinner at Pizza Express  next door to  Swansea  Castle ,  I walked around the marina area ,  using the very impressive ' Sail Bridge' 

 The following day, most of the  Cwilt Cymru exhibition  apart from my 4 pieces ( below)  had already been taken down  and were placed on large sheets  of bubble wrap.   It was great to catch up with Judy Stephens  as we companionably  matched up  quilts with wrappings  and poles , carefully packing   them up into rolls   greatly assisted by a member of museum staff  who'd helped to unwrap them . I don't know how  Judy managed to  get them all in her small car!   My quilts  fitted neatly into my   bag  (  a Berghaus  Mule II 80-  expensive but it's proved invaluable on many trips)  but then I deliberately  make my quilts narrow so I can post them easily!