TESTIMONIALS | Bow Street Art

Hafod

by Gladys Drew

January 26, 2022

I first saw Gary Hiscott's work on Matt Tommey's CTT member's forum. I fell in love with the painting he posted there, which was a landscape at nighttime complete with rounded trees with haloes and resting black-faced sheep and a full moon. This is the simplified description. His work is filled with rich abstract detail, color, and texture. I inquired after him and asked about his work. I was looking for a small painting by him.

I asked him for his website URL and wrote to him, “Your work puts joy in my heart and is amazing. I really enjoy looking at the one painting you posted but would like to see more.”

He was so gracious and told me a story about a recent experience he had. Then he pointed me to his website. Here I found the second painting I love, another one with rounded trees with haloes, sheep and a bright, bright sun in the sky.

It is called “Hafod” and is of the Welsh countryside.

We worked out the logistics of getting a painting to me. I live across the Atlantic Ocean in Winnipeg, Manitoba; a long ways off. It arrived quickly and safely and was well-packaged. My hands shook as I opened the package, I was so excited. Imagine my surprise when not only the painting appeared, but a bonus gift painting-sketch, and a blank greeting card! I was so touched; I caught my breath and started to weep gently.

What touched me most especially was that Gary is a Christian and had obviously been listening to the Holy Spirit as they were scenes of my two favorite seasons of the year- spring and fall. I never told him that, but God did and it ministered to me. I had gotten married late in life, two years ago, in 2019, to a pastor. I had left just about everything behind to come live with him in Canada. Much as I like it here, I missed the mountains of my former home in Denver, Colorado in the United States. Gary’s painterly imagery penetrated deeply into my heart and somehow, supernaturally, soothed my homesickness.

Hafod arrived ready-to-hang, though unframed. It put it up right away in our bedroom. The soft natural lighting from the window illuminated the painting beautifully! It is so lovely! Thank you, Gary. It was wonderful to do business with you. I will treasure this painting, Hafod, always! God is so good!

If Dylan Thomas needed an illustrator he would be well served by Gary….his affectionate , joyous pictures exude warmth even in the grip of a wintry blast…be it in the village, at the waters edge or up on the mountain tops. I love them.
Christina .... Newtown, Wales

'Hiraeth' (the longing for home) is a glorious painting and one of the first of Gary's that I bought. It has that beauty, joyousness and spiritual symbolism that excites me. I'm cheered by its vibrant colours, and the flecks of gold which for me are always icon gold. The salmon are heading 'home' with joy and abandon. It's a painting with so much meaning. I love it.
Andrew - Birmingham

The Wonderful World of Gary Hiscott
I was once asked to find something more colourful (artwork) for children to work within a year 1 class, so online I wandered and found, 'Welsh Farm' by Gary Hiscott. The children loved the painting too and created their own pastel coloured rectangular sheep which I ended up displaying in the school corridor. It was beautiful! Two years later we repainted our living room and Rich suggested getting a piece of original artwork and the name Gary Hiscott re-emerged in my mind straight away. So online I went and immersed myself in the gallery of Gary Hiscott. I felt uplifted by his work, by his vibrant use of colour and by the freedom expressed through the brush strokes. 'Self Sufficiency' spoke to me and to cut a long story short we ended up travelling to Newtown through a snowy blizzard from Cwmbran, South Wales, was warmly greeted by Sian and Gary with the loveliest Welsh Cakes and ended up with two paintings, the second of which was called, 'Hanging On.' It hangs above the fireplace and speaks of hardship as the houses seem to slide down a cliff face towards the water, but it suggests a gentle resilience to me too - a resilience that can be found by having a connection with God, through prayer and relationships with people - in my case with children, as I work with the little darlings four days a week! Gary has 'zoomed' with some of them from his spaceship at home. Our nursery and reception children study two of Gary Hiscott's paintings as part of our Welsh Artists Scheme of work - 'Welsh Farm' and 'Fruit Trees.' They love creating their own sheep using a range of materials and making fruit trees using clay and beads. Since the purchase of the first two paintings, I was rather weak and ended up, over a long period of time acquiring five more paintings. William Morris once said, do not have anything in your home that you do not believe to be beautiful or useful. These paintings are beautiful, they make us smile, they make us feel happy. They are special and spiritual and personal in a way that is difficult to capture with words. I feel blessed to have met Gary and Sian and to still have a connection with them through these wonderful pieces of artwork, which I look at each day during still times.

Emma - Cwmbran - South Wales.