My oil painting of the soft first light in Bannau Brycheiniog / the Brecon Beacons National Park. The moment just before the sun has risen above the horizon, leaving the land dark and silent.
I visited in September last year and (thanks to my friends' enthusiasm) embarked on the Horseshoe hike to climb Pen Y Fan before sunrise. We got lost in the dark around the abandoned Neaudd Reservoir pumping station and nearly turned back. But we found our way and were rewarded for our perseverance with spectacular views.
This scene is painted from a photo I took just before the challenging climb up to the Graig Fan Ddu ridge. The soft barely-there light on the hills contrasting with the quickly brightening sky was so subtly beautiful.
