During the industrial period, a miner could spend ten to twelve hours underground, often with no more light than a tallow candle or a dim oil or safety lamp. The world down there was mostly shadow, faces half-seen, forms emerging briefly before slipping back into darkness.

Another miner that I’m adding to the series. Each of these small portraits feels like it’s building on the last as I continue to explore this theme. A singular figure. A narrowing of focus. A way to explore character and presence.

My head is full of these characters, each with their own differences and personality, yet shaped by the same culture, routines, landscapes, and constraints. Even the way they dress and carry themselves speaks to that shared experience.

Miner No. 4 measures 105 x 148 mm, part of an ongoing limited edition series exploring the faces of industrial mining communities. Hand-carved, hand-pulled.

Hwyl fawr for now.
Dan