“The sense of power and the great surge of energy that this earth provides is all I want my paintings to share”

Published

2 days ago

November 11, 2024

For as long as he can remember, Neyland-born Bob Reeves has shared a close and all-embracing relationship with the natural world around him.

As a child, he’d hunt tadpoles, gather cockles, dive for tallies made from broken pieces of china and follow the flight of the seabirds that nested around the Cleddau. The images he observed were then captured by his little hands using watercolours which his mother had bought him from the local shop.

“Painting or drawing the things that I saw was something that I’ve always had to do,” he tells The Pembrokeshire Herald.

“I didn’t know whether I was any good at art, and to be perfectly honest, I still don’t. But I’ve always had to reach out for a pencil, a pen, paints or some charcoal to try and capture all those things I’ve felt.”

And this is what possibly makes Reeves one of Pembroekshire’s most powerful and enigmatic artists. He doesn’t simply paint an image, but uses it to convey the overwhelming emotion that the image originally prompted.

“People are always telling me how wonderful it must be to shut myself away in my studio and paint. ‘What a lovely, relaxing hobby it must be,’ they say. But my God, it’s intense, and it’s that intensity that invariably makes me feel bad tempered.

“I’m conscious of the earth as a living thing and it’s this sense of power, this great surge of energy which I then want to transfer onto my paintings.”

Anyone who has viewed Reeves’ work will know just how intensely he captures the all-embracing natural energy that the earth contains.

“I suppose it’s probably an advantage that I never went to art college and haven’t had a single art lesson since I was a 14-year-old pupil at Pembroke Grammar School.

“I’m a free spirit and this means that I break a lot of rules when I work.”

‘Atlantic Symphony, Freshwater West’: Bob Reeves

Bob’s first broken rule came as a three-year-old toddler growing up at the family home in Kensington Road, Neyland.

“I decided to draw a teddy bear on my bedroom wall using a red crayon, and when my mother saw it, she didn’t know whether to give me a row or praise me. But it must have looked pretty good because the next thing she did was go out to the shop and buy me a little tin of watercolours.”

As a schoolboy, Bob used watercolours to paint all his technical biology drawings and he was renowned by his teachers and fellow students alike for the caricature drawings and portraits he drew of them using a pen. And it goes without saying that his sense of humour often ignited his teachers’ ire.

After leaving school, he spent a short time working for the Civil Service before joining the police force as a constable. But then, on October 21, 1966, Bob was involved in one of the most catastrophic tragedies ever to hit Wales. The Aberfan disaster.

“I was there within eight hours of it happening, and I stayed there for the following eight days,” he said.

“The things I saw and the grief that I could feel all around me, has played hell with me ever since.

“I was 22 at the time, I was a young father, and I have to say that this wasn’t a happy time in my life. Yes, I’ve always had the ability to paint and to draw, but this shut it all down. Aberfan stretched my emotions to something which I didn’t think it was possible to feel.”

Listening to Bob speak about Aberfan, it soon becomes clear that the trauma he encountered remains with him to this day.

“It wasn’t until I left the police force and started working at the oil refinery [in Milford Haven], that I started painting again,” he continues. “And I suppose that this was when my work began to evolve more into what it has become today. Whatever that raw emotion may be whenever I see a landscape or some other natural thing that makes me feel its power, then this is the raw emotion that I want to get across in my work.”

His paintings display an acute empathy of colour and an intense sense of movement and they have been sold to buyers in the United States of America, Peru, Canada, Australia and throughout the UK including one which is currently displayed in Whitehall, London.

“I’ve yet to go and see it,” he says. “Yes, it’s nice that a part of Pembrokeshire has been taken to Whitehall, but I’m not particularly bothered about going to see it. That’s not what I’m about.

“I’m here to feel the power around me and try to convey it through my paints.”

This month a collection of Bob Reeves’ work can be viewed at a Christmas exhibition that takes place at the Waterfront Gallery, Milford Haven. The exhibition opens on November 23 and will continue until Christmas.

News

Milford Haven School celebrates U14 Pembrokeshire Hockey Championship victory

Published

12 hours ago

November 12, 2024

Tom Sinclair

MILFORD HAVEN SCHOOL’S Under-14 girls’ hockey team has been crowned Pembrokeshire Champions, delivering an outstanding performance and securing their title after a series of intense matches.

The team, consisting of 14 talented players, demonstrated impressive skill, resilience, and teamwork throughout the competition. Under the guidance of Miss Griffiths, they evolved their strategy and showcased their capabilities with each game.

A Day of Victories

The team’s first game against YBP was a close battle, with Milford Haven securing a narrow 1-0 win.

Goal Scorer: Lola P
Players’ Player: Annabelle G
Coaches’ Player: Lilly J

In their second match, they faced Haverfordwest High and dominated with a strong midfield play and clinical finishes, achieving a 6-0 victory.

Goals Scored: Olivia D (3), Ruby D, Lola P, Ameila C
Players’ Player: Olivia D
Coaches’ Player: Ruby D

After a brief interval, Milford Haven went on to face YHT, focusing on using the field’s width, which led them to a 4-0 win.

Goals Scored: Lola P (2), Annabelle G, Olivia D
Players’ Player: Annabelle G
Coaches’ Players: Lola P and Macy B

In their final game of the day, the team played YGB, finishing with a decisive 7-0 win and showing relentless energy.

Goals Scored: Ellie M (2), Olivia D (2), Annabelle G, Lilly J, Ruby D
Players’ Player: Annabelle G
Coaches’ Players: Lacey N and Ellie M

Miss Griffiths expressed her pride in the team’s achievements and her excitement for their future development: “It’s been fantastic to watch the team grow today, and I can’t wait to see how they progress.”

Thanks were also extended to Evans Coaches for sponsoring the team’s kit and ensuring safe travel throughout the competition.

Community

Bishop Joins Street Pastors on Pembroke Outreach

Published

13 hours ago

November 12, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKE’S Street Pastors received a visit from Bishop Dorrien over the weekend as he joined their outreach efforts to witness their work within the local community.

The Street Pastors, active in both Pembroke and Haverfordwest, provide pastoral and practical support to people using the town’s pubs and clubs. Their assistance ranges from offering water to the dehydrated, tissues to those in distress, and even flat shoes to help patrons make a safe journey home. Most importantly, they offer a compassionate ear, comfort, and prayers to those in need.

Supported by a dedicated prayer team, the Street Pastors take breaks to pray and gather strength, reflecting on their encounters with the community. Bishop Dorrien praised their work, describing it as a witness to Christ’s command to love our neighbours.

The Bishop noted the warm reception the team received during their rounds and the affection the community holds for their ministry. He blessed their ongoing service, acknowledging its positive impact on the lives of many.

News

Visitor levy and accommodation register proposals to boost tourism

Published

19 hours ago

November 12, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Welsh Government has announced plans to introduce new legislation to support the tourism industry and local communities across Wales. Two proposed Bills aim to give local authorities the power to introduce a visitor levy and create a national register for visitor accommodation.

The announcement, made by Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford and Economy Secretary Rebecca Evans, outlines a Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill set to be introduced to the Senedd on 25 November, pending approval.

Under the new proposal, local councils would have the authority to introduce a small levy for overnight stays in visitor accommodations, generating additional funds to support sustainable tourism initiatives. Each local authority would decide on the levy based on local needs, potentially easing the burden on resources in popular tourist areas.

Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said that the levy would be “a small charge,” intended to help councils manage the impacts of tourism and invest in community infrastructure. “This will support the long-term sustainability of our tourism industry,” he added, emphasising that the approach is in line with the Welsh Government’s commitment to collaborative tax development.

Consultations led by the Welsh Revenue Authority highlighted the importance of a registration system to support the proposed levy. Feedback from stakeholders led to the decision to include a national register of all visitor accommodation providers in Wales as part of the Bill, aimed at ensuring quality standards across the sector.

In addition to the visitor levy, the Welsh Government previously consulted on a licensing scheme for visitor accommodation to create a fair playing field for providers and ensure visitors receive high-standard services. The proposed registration scheme within the Bill marks a first step toward this broader licensing framework.

The second phase of the initiative will involve a separate Bill aimed at establishing a statutory licensing scheme for visitor accommodations. This would allow providers to demonstrate compliance with certain conditions, enhancing transparency and standards. Welsh Government representatives confirmed they would continue discussions with tourism stakeholders, accommodation providers, and local authorities as the proposals progress.

If approved, the Bills will mark a significant shift in how Wales manages its tourism sector, balancing visitor demand with community needs and sustainable practices.