The Great Atlantic Galleries

Neil Davies
Bosporthennis - an enduring presence

We are delighted to present an exhibition of new work by Neil Davies entitle “Bosporthennis - an enduring presence”.

The exhibition opens at The Great Atlantic Arwenack Street Gallery in Falmouth on June 27th, moving to The Great Atlantic St Just Gallery on July 26th.

Paintings may be purchased from this web site by calling 01326 318 452 during gallery hours or 07971 206 938 at other times.

The focus of this show is a small area of West Penwith, north of Penzance between Zennor and Morvah. There, there is the hidden and little-known valley which holds the hamlet of Bosporthennis, nestling between Carn Galver on one side, and Treen Common on the other. It encompasses the stretch of moorland from Porthmear Cove, rising gently inland to the ancient settlement of Bodrifty. I began painting when the rich colours of autumn arrived, then through an unusually cold winter and a glorious spring, ending before the summer greening which, although beautiful, does not present the capacity for drama which the other seasons do.

On first walking through the valley, I was struck by how unspoilt it is. There have been human settlements here since ancient times, yet still the land around remains untamed. The people however, remain, determined to eke out a living from their corner of the landscape. It is sparsely populated by colourful characters, hardy souls who understand their surroundings and can coexist with them. Their sturdy Charolais and Galloway cattle blend in with the rabbits and the buzzards. There is a strong feeling of presence, a special identity which often feels friendly and welcoming, but which can turn suddenly into something threatening, and a knowledge that Nature is not to be trifled with. Nothing prepared me for the primitive emotions stirred up by an unexpected blizzard: I felt lost and vulnerable with my two young sons, as if it were us against the storm, yet at the same time there was an incredible sense of awe, and of Nature in the raw as it should be.

Buildings here have sprung from the land, hewn from local stone, with homesteads often accessible only by tractor or 4x4. The criss-crossing of Cornish hedges at odd angles represents man’s struggle to contain a patch of land, to reclaim something from nature so that he might use it for himself.

Every time I have come here, there has been something different to see, from the coppery bracken and the rain of autumn, the hard, frozen ground and even snow of winter, to the first flush of gorse and the purple haze of the bluebells. Nature here is somehow intensified, undiluted, and it is this energy, this vigour, which I have tried to express in my paintings.

The “enduring presence” of the title refers not only to the unchanging essence of the landscape here, but also to the unfaltering determination, and success, of man to maintain the presence of human habitation in the face of such caprice.

Neil Davies June 2009

Paintings may be collected by arrangement or we can arrange delivery from as little as £20 depending on size and distance. Money back if not entirely satisfied (provided we are informed within 3 days of your work being collected/delivered). Cheques and all major credit cards accepted. ‘OWN Art’ interest free loans available. Colours may vary between the original paintings and the printed reproductions. All paintings are framed.

Click on an image to enlarge

Autumn comes to Treen 48 x 65 inches oil on board £3,950 SOLD	Sunken track to Bosporthennis 48 x 65 inches oil on board £3,950 SOLD	Over the hedge to Lower Porthmear 48 x 48 inches oil on board £2,950 SOLD
Looking back to Towednack 36 x 48 inches oil on board £2,495 SOLD	Eerie silence before the blizzard 48 x 48 inches oil on board £2,950 SOLD	Buzzards over Bosporthennis 31 x 40 inches oil on board £1,995 SOLD
A brooding presence 36 x 36 inches oil on board £1,995 SOLD	Beware of the bull 31 x 42.5 inches oil on board £2,250 SOLD	Hillside farm 48 x 48 inches oil on board £2,950
Heart of the valley 31 x 40 inches oil on board £1,995 SOLD	Looking up to Brook Cottage 48 x 48 inches oil on board £2,950 SOLD	A sudden gust of wind 23 x 30 inches oil on board £1,250 SOLD
Autumn walk up the valley 23 x 30 inches oil on board £1,250 SOLD	Cold and frosty morning 23 x 25 inches oil on board £1,195 SOLD	Drifting towards Autumn 23 x 30 inches oil on board £1,250 SOLD
And then there was snow 18 x 23 inches oil on board £995 SOLD	Follow the leader 23 x 18 inches oil on board £995 SOLD	Huddling together against the blizzard 20 x 28 inches oil on board £1,195 SOLD
Lonely farmhouse, Bosporthennis 23 x 30 inches oil on board £1,250 SOLD	Puddles along the track 18 x 23 inches oil on board £995 SOLD	Sunburst, Porthmear Cove 24 x 26 inches oil on board £1,095 SOLD
Winter comes 23 x 30 inches oil on board £1,250 SOLD	Light across the sea 12 x 17.5 inches oil on board £750 SOLD	A change in the weather 10 x 12 inches oil on board £550 SOLD
Blending in with the landscape 8 x 10 inches oil on board £450 SOLD	Breaking surf, Priest Cove 7.5 x 11.5 inches oil on board £495 SOLD	First hint of spring 8 x 10 inches oil on board £450 SOLD
Galloway grazing 10 x 12 inches oil on board £550 SOLD	Hannibal's Carn 10 x 12 inches oil on board £550 SOLD	Last days of summer 10 x 12 inches oil on board £550
On the horizon 10 x 12 inches oil on board £550 SOLD	Spring light 8 x 10 inches oil on board £475 SOLD	The small white cloud 12 x 12.5 inches oil on board £595 SOLD
Sunken track to Bosporthennis 23 x 33” drawing £595	Lonely farmhouse, Bosporthennis 23 x 30” oil on board £1,250 SOLD	Drifting towards Autumn 23 x 33” drawing £595
A brooding presence 26 x 28” drawing £550 SOLD	Autumn walk up the valley 23 x 33” drawing £595 SOLD