Collection: Janie McLeod

Yn fy hanfod, yn beintiwr tirweddau, rwy'n tynnu ar feddwl ac arfer gweithio Mynegiadaeth Haniaethol.
Mae corfforoldeb pur symud paent o gwmpas wrth geisio dal dealltwriaeth o fy lle mewn amser a gofod, effeithiau newidiadau a wnaed gan ddyn i'r tir a'r amgylchedd synhwyraidd hefyd yn fy nghyffroi.
Mae defnyddio olew a siarcol i greu delweddau haniaethol mawr neu luniadau pastel olew bach, yn ogystal â gwneud printiau mewn stiwdio fach ar ddiwedd fy ngardd gaerog ar ffin Cymru yn her, ond mae'n cynnig lle gwych i greu gwaith yn dilyn teithiau i ogledd Cymru, yn ddiweddar Fforest y Ddena ac atgofion o arfordir garw Cernyw bell sy'n newid yn barhaus.

Mae corfforoldeb cerfluniol defnyddio cyfryngau cymysg i greu gwaith ar gynfas neu blât colagraff ar gyfer argraffu ohono yn ffordd wych o rannu profiad o dir a môr, nid bob amser lleoliad penodol ond distylliad o ddelweddau a phrofiadau i greu'r atgof hwnnw o le a'i fodolaeth werthfawr. Mae'r deunyddiau a ddefnyddir yn amlaf yn ddarnau ac yn olion o waith blaenorol, gan ailgylchu, os mynnwch chi, atgofion ac eitemau gwerthfawr o waith blaenorol.

Rwy'n aelod sefydlol o Borderland Visual Arts www.borderlandvisualarts.com sy'n cynnal gŵyl stiwdios agored flynyddol yng Nghroesoswallt a'r cyffiniau yn ogystal ag arddangosfeydd grŵp bach a mawr. Ers peth amser, rwyf wedi cynnal a hwyluso gweithdai celfyddydau er fy mod wedi ymddeol o hyn bellach.

Fe’m ganwyd yn Stoke Poges a threuliais fy mhlentyndod yn ne Cymru cyn i ni symud fel teulu i dde Swydd Efrog lle mynychais Goleg Celf Doncaster 1969/70 gan gwblhau cwrs sylfaen cyn symud i Lundain i weithio mewn amrywiol orielau.
Yn y pen draw, penderfynais fynd yn ôl i ysgol gelf a mynychu Ysgol Gelf/Dylunio Camberwell 1973/76 gan ennill Diploma mewn celf a dylunio. Euthum ymlaen i weithio yn y Dwyrain Canol a De Iwerddon mewn meysydd cysylltiedig â'r celfyddydau.

Gan ddychwelyd i'r wlad hon, gwnes gais fel myfyriwr aeddfed i Goleg Ripon a Sant Ioan Efrog 1983/86.
Cymhwysais fel Therapydd Galwedigaethol. (OT) ac euthum ymlaen i Brifysgol Birmingham 1990 am hyfforddiant ôl-raddedig mewn iechyd meddwl, a oedd yn ategu fy ngwaith fel Therapydd Galwedigaethol yn y maes hwnnw am bron i bum mlynedd ar hugain yn y GIG. O fewn fy maes, roeddwn i'n gallu defnyddio fy hyfforddiant celfyddydol a'm hangerdd dros y celfyddydau mewn rhaglenni triniaeth i'r rhai sy'n dioddef o broblemau iechyd meddwl.
Rwyf bellach wedi ymddeol ac yn arlunydd llawn amser sy'n llawenydd i mi.

Essentially a landscape painter, I do however draw on the thinking and working practice of Abstract Expressionism.
The sheer physicality of moving paint around whilst trying to capture an understanding of my place in time and space, the effects of man-made changes to the land and the sensory environment is also what excites me.  
Using oil and charcoal to create large abstracted images or small intimate oil pastel drawings as well as printmaking in a small studio at the end of my walled garden on the Welsh border is a challenge but offers a wonderful space to create work following travels to North Wales, recently the Forest of Dean and memories of the rugged ever changing coast line of far flung Cornwall.
The sculptural physicality of using mixed media to create a work on canvas or a collagraph plate for printing from is a wonderful way to share an experience of land and sea, not always a specific location but a distillation of images and experiences to create that remembrance of place and its precious existence. Materials used are most often fragments and remnants of previous work, recycling, if you like, of memories as much as precious items of previous work.

I’m a founder member of Borderland Visual Arts www.borderlandvisualarts.com which hold a yearly open studios festival in and around Oswestry Shropshire as well as small and large group exhibitions. For some time, I have run and facilitated arts workshops although have retired from this now. 

Born in Stoke Poges, my childhood was spent in south Wales before we moved as a family to south Yorkshire where I attended Doncaster College of Art 1969/70 completing a foundation course before moving to London to work in various galleries.
Eventually I decided to get myself back to art school and attending Camberwell School of Art/Design 1973/76 gaining a Diploma in art and design. Going on to work in the Middle East and Southern Ireland in arts related fields.

Returning to this country I applied as a mature student to the College of Ripon and York St John 1983/86.
Qualifying as an Occupational Therapist. (OT) Going on to Birmingham University 1990 for post graduate training in mental health, which complemented my work as an OT in mental health for nearly twenty five years in the NHS. Within my field I was able use my arts training and passion for the arts in treatment programs for those suffering mental health problems. 
I’m now retired and a full-time painter which is a joy.