Interview by Sarah Kelleher, images by Gwynn Jones
A transplant from Cornwall, by way of London, artist and printmaker Callie Jones has embraced the Welsh environment with open arms. “When I came to North Wales, I was immediately struck by the contrast of dark and light shapes within the landscape, created by the distinctive geology and the weather. I love the graphic contours of the mountains, which often fall dramatically right down to the coastline.”
As a child, Callie filled sketchbooks with her drawings and, encouraged by her creative mother (herself an expert seamstress), went on to study at Falmouth School of Art and Kingston University, where she discovered her love of printmaking. Influenced by the linocut artists of the 1920s to 40s (such as Eric Ravilious and Edward Rawden) and the nostalgic colours and graphic composition of vintage travel and railway posters from the same era, Callie hopes her work “reminds people of a time when life was less complicated and the simple things such as a beautiful view were important.”
Fortunately there’s no shortage of magnificent views in Clynnog Fawr, near Caernarfon, where Callie now lives with her family in a 17th-century farmhouse with views across the Menai Strait and the Snowdon mountain range. “I have learnt to never go anywhere without my sketchbook, camera or at least a pen and the back of an envelope to scribble on. I often have to pull the car over whilst driving to do a quick drawing or take a reference photo before the light changes.”
Her move to Wales has led to fresh artistic opportunities, including a recent collaboration with the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways that saw her reimagine the nostalgic posters of the 1920s to 50s in her own style, “showing these incredible machines and the steam they produce moving through the landscape.” She has also embraced the vibrant Welsh creative community, noting that here, “as well as a strong tradition for fine art, there is a wealth of makers and craftspeople using traditional methods to create their work.”
Ultimately though, the move to Wales has been a welcome sea-change, with Callie swapping London for space and peace. “My life has gone full circle as we are able to bring our girls up in this beautiful landscape surrounded by nature and wildlife, in the same gentle way that I grew up in Cornwall.”
This story first appeared in our Wales magazine.
