The Isle of Anglesey is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, made up of its beaches, coastal vistas and mountains. It is therefore perhaps unsurprising that so many of its inhabitants have gone on to become acclaimed artists in their own right, having been inspired to create their works by the natural beauty that is all around them.

We therefore thought we’d take a little time to recognise some of the most famous Anglesey artists, discuss their works and find out if there is anything that connects then. We’ll even provide details on the best places to view their creations whilst you are staying on the island. 

Kyffin Williams

Perhaps the most famous Anglesey artist of all is Sir Kyffin Williams, a landscape artist who hailed from Llanfairpwll and is generally considered to be one of the defining artists of his generation. 

Born in 1918, Williams contracted Polio at a young age whilst studying away from home in Shrewsbury. This led to him developing epilepsy which he described as being his “greatest fortune” as it led to him being rejected from national service during the second world war and led to the army doctor suggesting that he should pursue his interest in art. 

Williams took the advice to heart and went on to study fine art at the London Slade School of Fine Art. From there he went onto art at the Highgate School in London whilst continuing to create his own work which was often inspired by his frequent trips home to Anglesey during holiday periods. 

He returned home to Anglesey full time in the final 30 years of his life where he continued to paint using his technique of applying thick oil paint with a palette knife. Many of his works are now on show at the Oriel Môn Art Gallery in Llangefni which is less than a 30 minute drive away from Silver Bay Holiday Park and just 15 minutes drive from Woodland Falls.  

Janet Bell

A slightly more contemporary Anglesey artist is Janet Bell who now lives in Beaumaris and has been a full time professional artist since 2004. Despite being half Danish, Bell has lived most of her life in Wales and now resides in Beaumaris where she owns a gallery and homeware store in the centre of the Anglesey town. 

Situated in an old bank on Castle Street, the Janet Bell Gallery showcases the artists seascape and landscape paintings many of which have been reproduced in the form of homeware, cards and postcards. 

Despite her homeware having a Scandinavian aesthetic, much of her artwork is inspired by Anglesey. In fact, she has even been inspired by our very own Silver Bay Beach, with the artist recreating the steps which lead to the beach from our Silver Bay Holiday Park. You can buy a canvas print of this work from the Janet Bell Gallery website. 

Beth Horrocks

Another contemporary Anglesey artist is Beth Horrocks who was born and raised on the island. From a very young age, Beth was inspired by the beauty of her surroundings, in particular the coastal vistas for which the island is so famous.

There is very much an aquatic theme to her artwork, with her first job having been working as a Graphic Designer in the watersports sector. She has since gone on to set up her own gallery in Caernarfon which was first opened in 2022. With exquisite views overlooking the Caernarfon harbour, Beth couldn’t ask for better inspiration and spends much of her time now in her studio.

Open to the general public, you can pay a visit to the Oriel Beth Horrocks Gallery and explore the many original canvas prints that are on display. Whilst on site, you can also purchase smaller recreations of Beth’s work in the form of cards, coasters, tea towels, cushions and much more. 

Ian Walton

Perhaps the most famous contemporary Anglesey Artist is Ian Walton who can count Sir Richard Branson & King Charles III amongst his portfolio of prestigious customers. Like most artists hailing from Anglesey, Walton was inspired by the power of nature from a very early age and had taught himself to paint with oils by the time he was 13.

These vistas are often the focus of his artwork, with a purposefully limited palette utilised with a view to capturing light and shade. Walton’s focus on these vistas even influences his pastimes which include mountaineering and sailing. 

Walton now has his own studio and gallery which is located in the centre of Beaumaris just yards away from the Beth Horrock’s Gallery. Here you will be able to explore Walton’s back catalogue of original oil paintings, prints and even discuss original commissions. 

Jenny Armour

A slightly lesser known up and coming Anglesey artist is Jenny Armour. Working from her studio in Tyn-y-Gongl, Armour has an unusual style as she mainly utilises acrylic paints which are lightly applied like on a watercolour painting or even applies paint thickly using a palette knife in a similar style to Sir Kyffin Williams. 

This forces Armour to work quickly giving her the flexibility to work the paint, making changes with her DIY tools rather than brushes and even washing the paint off in some circumstances. The effect of this is that it allows Armour to very impressively create a feeling of movement in her artworks which are often focused on Anglesey favourites such as the sea and sky. 

While there isn’t currently a set location where you can go to view Armour’s creations, she is often to be found at major Anglesey art exhibitions and has previously been on display at the prestigious Oriel Môn in Llangefni.

Header image courtesy of the Janet Bell Gallery