Tunnicliffe spent 35 years at Malltraeth on Anglesey meticulously recording the wildlife of the whole island. Sir Peter Scott thought him the greatest wildlife artist of the 20th century and if you study his sketchbooks and astonishingly detailed measured drawings, you may be inclined to agree.
In 2008,
Oriel Kyffin Williams opened to great, acclaim a new gallery to a great Welsh artist – and one of Anglesey’s favourite sons.
For many years Sir Kyffin could be seen out in all weathers, in his trademark rakish flat cap and long coat, painting his beloved Anglesey. “Most landscape painters react to their own country more strongly than to any other, and I am happy to remain in Wales and paint my own particular part of it,” he said. “In Anglesey the white farms and cottages welcome me, while across the Straits I can see those wonderful mountains.”
With typical generosity he donated 400 original works to Oriel Ynys Môn – everything from sketches to drawings and major oil paintings. Sadly he died two years before the gallery that bears his name opened in 2008.