English: Last week, the Rhondda artist, Elwyn Thomas, sadly passed away. Elwyn, who was born in Tylorstown, was a well-loved artist in the Rhondda, known for his acrylic paintings, which depicted in main street vistas familiar to anyone who has lived or spent time in the Rhondda Fach. Many of his paintings were simply named after the streets and communities he depicted, but the occasional painting strayed from his format and gave you a bit more of a hint about the subject matter. 'Back lane chat', 'Rhondda courting couple', 'Rhondda gossips' are such examples. It's said that he only seriously took up painting in 1987, following his retirement as a teacher. He'd been head of art at Ferndale Grammar School, where he'd passed on his love and passion for art to the hundreds of pupils that passed through the school during his tenure. The outpouring of warm tributes to him from former pupils since his death is a testament to the mark he left in education in this part of the Rhondda. I understand that there are plans at the Giles Gallery in Pontyclun, which is an exclusive outlet for original work by Thomas, to exhibit some previously unseen work, along with some of his more famous pieces, as part of a tribute. So, I would urge anyone with an interest in art to go along and check these paintings out in real life to fully appreciate the skill that Thomas had, as well as his unique eye for capturing and reflecting Rhondda life back at us. It has been said that Thomas simply painted what he saw through his window, but he did it with such warmth and with such skill. Elwyn Thomas has left us with a marvellous chronicle of Rhondda life, and I for one am very grateful to him for that.
Welsh: Yr wythnos diwethaf, bu farw'r artist o'r Rhondda, Elwyn Thomas. Roedd Elwyn, a anwyd yn Tylorstown, yn artist poblogaidd yn y Rhondda, yn adnabyddus am ei baentiadau acrylig, a ddarluniai'n bennaf olygfeydd o strydoedd a oedd yn gyfarwydd i unrhyw un sydd wedi byw neu wedi treulio amser yn y Rhondda Fach. Enwyd llawer o'i ddarluniau'n syml ar ôl y strydoedd a'r cymunedau a ddarluniai, ond roedd ambell baentiad achlysurol yn crwydro oddi wrth ei fformat ac yn rhoi ychydig bach mwy o awgrym i chi ynglŷn â'r testun dan sylw. Mae 'Sgwrs lôn gefn', 'Dau'n canlyn yn y Rhondda', 'Clecs y Rhondda' yn enghreifftiau o'r fath. Dywedir na ddechreuodd baentio o ddifrif hyd nes 1987, wedi iddo ymddeol o'i swydd fel athro. Bu'n bennaeth celf yn Ysgol Ramadeg Glynrhedynog, lle trosglwyddodd ei gariad a'i angerdd tuag at gelfyddyd i gannoedd o'r disgyblion a basiodd drwy'r ysgol yn ystod ei gyfnod fel athro. Mae'r ffrwd o deyrngedau cynnes iddo gan gyn-ddisgyblion ers ei farwolaeth yn dyst i'r argraff a wnaeth ar addysg yn y rhan hon o'r Rhondda. Deallaf fod cynlluniau yn Oriel Giles ym Mhont-y-clun, yr unig fan sy'n arddangos gwaith gwreiddiol gan Thomas, i arddangos rhywfaint o waith nas gwelwyd o'r blaen, ynghyd â rhai o'i weithiau mwy enwog, fel rhan o deyrnged. Felly, hoffwn annog unrhyw un sydd â diddordeb mewn celf i fynd yno i weld y paentiadau hyn drostynt eu hunain i werthfawrogi'n llawn y ddawn a oedd gan Thomas, yn ogystal â'i lygaid unigryw a lwyddai i adlewyrchu bywyd y Rhondda yn ôl atom. Dywedwyd mai'r hyn a wnâi Thomas oedd paentio'r hyn a welai drwy ei ffenest, ond byddai'n gwneud hynny gyda'r fath gynhesrwydd a'r fath ddawn. Mae Elwyn Thomas wedi gadael cronicl gwych o fywyd y Rhondda ar ei ôl, ac rwy'n hynod ddiolchgar iddo am hynny.