Ll�n Peninsula - an artists' inspiration

The tourism agency Ll�n Tourism Cyf was set up in the wake of the epidemic to raise the profile of the Ll�n Peninsula.

Last summer, the firm launched an art competition which recieved more than 300 entries - 130 of which have been chosen to hang at Plas Glyn-y-Weddw in Llanbedrog.

The contest has now secured sponsorship which could make it an annual event.

For the Spirit of Llyn competition, artists were restricted to focusing on landscapes of the peninsula.

We needed to find a way of improving people's awareness of the Ll�n Peninsula Gwyn Jones, Ll�n Tourism Cyf

The winner, announced this week, is Caernarfon-based artist William Selwyn who scooped the �2,000 top prize for his watercolour landscape of the summit of Tre Ceiri.

Gwyn Jones, who thought up the competition, said it had aided the profile and economy of the area.

"We needed to find a way of improving people's awareness of the region, and encourage artists to visit the area so they could find inspiration for their work," he said.

"With Sir Kyffin Williams leading the panel of judges the competition had status from the outset.

"This has been boosted by his comments that this is one of the best exhibitions he has seen," he added.

The exhibition is held at Plas Glyn-y-Weddw

Sir Kyffin Williams welcomed the exhibition of landscape art, which he said was currently unfashionable with the art world.

"People enjoy landscape paintings but hate modern art," he said.

"But it's the other sort that gets the prizes at major competitions and we are told to belt up.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the work of William Selwyn, who is brilliant at painting water colours, and is a very underestimated artist," he added.

The competition will take place again next year after securing sponsorship from the Welsh Development Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales.