Location, Location, Location: Kyffin at the Welsh Sale

When the relentless pull of the auction calendar finally relents, there is nothing I love more than lace-up boots and the open trails of Wales. Sometimes I journey alone, and sometimes with lifelong friends who share the enjoyment of freedom that the mountains and coastal paths gift us. Getting out into these landscapes is a great stress reliever, a spirit lifter, and for me, it releases the creative side of my brain. 

Clearly, it did for Sir Kyffin Williams as well. The mountains, rivers, valleys, farms, and ancient places, together with the wonderful beaches, were his muse. To truly understand the pieces featured in this July’s Welsh sale auction, one must simply walk the path of his inspiration, stage by stage.

Our journey begins on the western edge of Holy Island at Porth Dafarch. Setting off from this sheltered sandy cove, the incredible Anglesey Coastal Path carries you right over these rugged headlands. Walking this first stage reveals a wild, windswept heathland blanketed in purple heather and brilliant yellow gorse, where the dramatic cliffs of ancient Precambrian rock plunge into the sea. High above, rare choughs wheel through the sea breeze, while grey seals bob in the swirling waters below. 

Standing on these clifftops, you instantly feel Kyffin's inspiration. This raw geography demanded his signature thick, energetic impasto style. Here, heavy blocks of dark rock clash violently against moving white foam under a volatile Atlantic sky that shifts from brilliant clarity to rain-soaked slate greys in an instant.

As the trail turns inland and climbs toward the high peaks of the mainland, the coastal air gives way to the mountain majesty of Moel Hebog. This stage of the walk takes you past weather-beaten stone farmsteads and old mountain streams, ascending steep, unforgiving ridges of loose scree and exposed rock. Reaching the summit rewards you with an epic panorama where peregrine falcons hunt across craggy faces and wild feral goats navigate the high ridges. 

Kyffin thrived in the melancholic isolation of these hills. Often draped in heavy cloud cover, this massive peak allowed him to deploy his signature sombre palette of slate greys and deep ochres, capturing the atmospheric tension of the North Wales wilderness.

Continuing deeper into the uplands, the walk transitions into the slate country of the Moelwyns, where the trail brings us to Moelwyn Bach. This stage offers a starkly beautiful look at a landscape profoundly shaped by human hands. The path winds past cavernous, abandoned slate quarries, ruined stone cottages, and forgotten tramways before opening up onto wild, fractured volcanic stone. Red kites circle over the slate tips while hardy mountain sheep graze on the quiet slopes. 

The geometric terraces and blocky cliffs were a perfect match for Kyffin’s bold palette knife technique. He used dark greys and deep blues to sculpt the brooding, monochromatic weight of this industrial heartland directly onto the canvas.

From the slate tips, the route drops naturally into the awe-inspiring Ogwen Valley, a towering glacial trench carved deeply into the heart of the Carneddau and Glyderau ranges. Walking this stage feels like stepping back into an ancient world, navigating a spectacular tangle of massive boulders, cascading streams, and the dark waters of Llyn Ogwen. High on the inaccessible ledges, rare alpine plants cling to life while ravens perform aerial acrobatics against the sheer rock faces. It was here, amidst this architectural geometry, that I collected a particular painting from a lady in London. 

A true Londoner with little else of Welsh interest, she shared that she had been evacuated to Llandudno during World War II, attending the same school as my parents. Her fond memories of Wales were the sole reason she purchased the piece. Kyffin shared that spiritual connection to Ogwen, using his palette knife to block out the monumental weight of the dark rock against white mountain torrents.

The path then guides us to the small Eryri village of Waunfawr, a locality Kyffin returned to paint on many occasions. This stage of the walk explores the traditional dwellings and hill farms that seem to grow organically out of the rugged landscape. For walkers, the area offers spectacular trails like the Moel Eilio circular or the rugged hike up Mynydd Mawr, overlooking the stunning Nantlle Valley. 

Alternatively, following the Snowdonia Slate Trail out of the village takes you beneath towering slate tips and past abandoned workings—an evocative landscape that brings back fond personal memories of my own A-Level art photography project. 

Kyffin saw these stone cottages and dry-stone walls as a timeless vignette of a disappearing rural Wales, using his palette knife to capture the moody, cloud-draped atmosphere.

Finally, our long trek comes full circle, returning to the peaceful shores of Anglesey to finish at Penrhos Beach at dusk. After the raw tension and physical mass of the high peaks, this final stage brings a profound sense of tranquillity. Tracking the edge of the island, the coastal path crosses wide sandy beaches, climbs low rocky headlands, and winds through quiet pine woodlands. 

Walking this shore as the sun goes down reveals the more meditative side of Kyffin's landscape. Rather than thick impasto, these scenes reflect vast horizons and the quiet movement of water. Watching the sun sink as a single, glowing red disk casting its reflection across a gentle sea, you see the coast exactly as he did—a quiet, monochromatic sanctuary where the changing light washes over his ancestral home.

The Welsh Sale takes place at our Cardiff saleroom. View the full catalogue online here.

Related reading: Kyffin's Island Muse · Kyffin's Spiritual Home