New paintings by Ann Fletcher-Williams at The Seagull, Cardigan

The Seagull exhibition, which runs until Saturday, 29 April, is free to enter and open from 11am until 4pm from Wednesdays to Saturdays.

Ann Fletcher-Williams moved to Cardigan since 2022, but has been a regular visitor to this part of Wales since she was 15 months old.

Family holidays in Newport, Pembrokeshire forged a life-long love affair with the majestic hills, rugged coast and endlessly fascinating shoreline of West Wales.

Elemental/Elennaidd is a collection of richly layered and deeply colourful paintings which reflect Ann’s special relationship with the local landscape; its shapes, textures, contrasts, and hidden elements.

She uses mixed media, mainly acrylic paint and collage with oil pastels, pens and pencils to make her paintings and enjoys exploring what colour can be in relation to the landscape.

Her paintings also explore the notion of Hiraeth, a Welsh term with a complex meaning something akin to homesickness, longing, memory and identity.

“Hiraeth is central to everything I do and I have been hugely inspired by ‘The Long Field’ by US author Pamela Petro," said Ann.

"Her wonderful memoir has enabled me to explore what Hiraeth means to me and her evocative and atmospheric words have found their way into many of the paintings included in this exhibition.”

Deep olive water from the Lone Wanderings series (Image: Ann Fletcher-Williams)

Pamela Petro commented: “Ann Fletcher-Williams’ paintings are profoundly resonant of both landscape and memory.

"Through her marks and pastings, her rubbings and scrapings, and her use of text as well, snippets of which often appear half obscured or buried, Fletcher-Williams has given us works of topographic depth that is both literal and emotional.

"These are paintings that touch the soul.”

Elemental/Elennaidd features 30 paintings inspired by Carningli Mountain and its environs, The Parrog in Newport and Ann’s lone wanderings undertaken since moving to the region

The ‘Lone Wanderings’ pieces have been created in tandem with writings made outside.

The exhibition will also showcase a new poem by Welsh poet and writer Simone Mansell Broome called ‘For him there was no longing’.

The poem, which reflects on her father’s ambivalent Welshness, has been composed especially for the exhibition.

Ann Fletcher-Williams was trained as a fine artist at Sunderland University before building a highly successful career as an exhibition curator, gallery manager and University lecturer.

Most recently she has worked for Arts Council England developing creative diversity in the North of England before returning to art making in 2020.