Today is special here.
St. David (our Patron Saint) was born here in Pembrokeshire, over 1500 years ago, not far from my studio, and later founded his monastery just along this same stretch of coast.
It’s something I often find myself quietly reflecting on when I’m out walking or painting. The roots of this day are not abstract or distant here. They are woven into the land itself.
The cliffs, the light, the changing skies… these are the same elements that shaped the place he lived and taught in.
Saint David’s most well-known teaching was beautifully simple: Be joyful, keep the faith, and “Gwnewch y pethau bychain” - Do the little things. I’ve always loved that.
In many ways, painting is built entirely on doing the little things.
The small mark that suggests movement in the sea. The subtle shift in colour that brings light into a sky.
The quiet decision to show up at the easel even when inspiration feels far away.
No single brushstroke creates a painting.
But each small one matters.
And over time, those small, consistent acts of attention, care and presence build something that can hold meaning, emotion and connection.
Perhaps it’s the same with life. Saint David’s words were not about grand gestures, but about living with intention in the everyday. About patience. About steady devotion to what matters.
It’s a message that feels just as relevant now as it did then.
Living and working here, in the place where his story began, is something I never take for granted. The landscape continues to teach the same quiet lessons… about rhythm, resilience, and the power of small, meaningful actions.
So today felt like a lovely moment to pause and honour that. Whether in creativity, in life, or simply in how we meet each day… may we remember to "do the little things".
