Cyn-fyfyriwr yn gwneud cerflun o lawfeddyg uchel ei barch ar y rhaglen deledu Extraordinary Portraits
Daeth Nick Elphick, sy'n gyn-fyfyrwyr o Goleg Menai, â dagrau i lygaid llawfeddyg trawma uchel ei barch pan wnaeth gerflun ohono ar gyfer y rhaglen deledu Extraordinary Portraits.
Nick oedd y cerflunydd cyntaf i gael ei ddewis ar gyfer y rhaglen sy'n cael ei chyflwyno gan y digrifwr a'r cerddor, Bill Bailey.
Yng nghyfres tri, er mwyn ddathlu pen-blwydd y Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol yn 75 oed, cafodd rhai o brif artistiaid y Deyrnas Unedig y dasg o greu portreadau o feddygon, nyrsys, parafeddygon a gweithwyr iechyd eraill.
Tasg Nick oedd creu portread o Dr Martin Griffiths, llawfeddyg o dde Llundain sydd ar gyfartaledd yn trin dau achos o drywanu bob diwrnod a dau achos o saethu bob wythnos. Yn 2021, derbyniodd CBE am ei waith i leihau trais.
Bu i Nick – a sylweddolodd ei fod yn mwynhau cerflunio pan oedd yn dilyn y cwrs Sylfaen mewn Celf yng Ngholeg Menai – ymroi'n llwyr i'w waith am chwe wythnos gan greu cerflun a oedd yn debyg iawn i Martin.
Meddai Nick, “Mi syrthiais i mewn cariad efo Martin. Mae o'n berson arbennig ac mi lwyddais i greu perthynas dda ag o. Mi aeth popeth yn berffaith.”
Mae Nick yn ymddangos yn rheolaidd ar y rhaglen Salvage Hunters, felly mae'n gyfarwydd â'r pwysau o weithio i amserlen gynhyrchu dynn.
Nick was the first sculptor to be selected for the BBC programme, presented by comedian, musician and art lover Bill Bailey.
Series three of the show saw some of the UK’s top artists tasked with creating portraits of doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health care workers, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS.
Llandudno man Nick was paired with south London surgeon Dr Martin Griffiths, who treats on average two stabbings a day and two shootings a week, and was awarded a CBE in 2021 for his work to reduce violence.
Nick - who discovered his talent for sculpting while studying the Art Foundation course at Coleg Menai - immersed himself in his work for six weeks to create an incredible likeness of his subject.
“I fell in love with Martin,” said Nick. “He’s just an amazing person and I really connected with him. But everything just went perfectly - it was like a gift.”
Nick regularly appears on TV show Salvage Hunters, so he already knew the pressures of working to a tight production schedule.
Nick was the first sculptor to be selected for the BBC programme, presented by comedian, musician and art lover Bill Bailey.
Series three of the show saw some of the UK’s top artists tasked with creating portraits of doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health care workers, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS.
Llandudno man Nick was paired with south London surgeon Dr Martin Griffiths, who treats on average two stabbings a day and two shootings a week, and was awarded a CBE in 2021 for his work to reduce violence.
Nick - who discovered his talent for sculpting while studying the Art Foundation course at Coleg Menai - immersed himself in his work for six weeks to create an incredible likeness of his subject.
“I fell in love with Martin,” said Nick. “He’s just an amazing person and I really connected with him. But everything just went perfectly - it was like a gift.”
Nick regularly appears on TV show Salvage Hunters, so he already knew the pressures of working to a tight production schedule.
Serch hynny, ymroddodd i'r dasg o greu nid un ond pedwar portread, yn ogystal â gwneud cerflun mewn ewyn ehangol i gynrychioli'r anhrefn y mae Martin yn aml yn ei wynebu ar y ward trawma.
Yn ôl Nick: “Doeddwn i ddim yn gwybod a fyddai'n gweithio. Ro'n i eisiau cyfleu rhywbeth o'r hyn mae Martin yn ei wynebu wrth weithio sifftiau 12 i 15 awr, a'r anhrefn mae o'n gorfod gweithio ynddo bob dydd.”
Ond mi dalodd y gwaith caled ar ei ganfed pan welodd Nick ymateb emosiynol Martin, ei deulu a'i ffrindiau wrth i'r darn terfynol gael ei ddadorchuddio.
“Roedd bod yno a gweld yr ymateb yn anhygoel,” meddai Nick. “Roeddwn i'n hynod o nerfus. Doeddwn i ddim yn gwybod beth fydden nhw'n ei feddwl o'r cerflun ewyn ehangol a oedd i fod i gyfleu natur swydd Martin pan fydd yn ei chanol hi’n achub bywydau.
Mae yna'n dal ychydig o lefydd ar ôl ar y cwrs Sylfaen mewn Celf a Dylunio yng Ngholeg Menai, Bangor. I gael rhagor o wybodaeth a gwybodaeth am sut i wneud cais, cliciwch yma.
“Y bwriad oedd dathlu'r GIG a'r arwyr fel Nick sy'n rhan ohono.”
Roedd gan Nick berthynas dda â'r cyflwynydd, Bill Bailey hefyd – yn wir, yn aml roedd yn rhaid i'r cynhyrchwyr ddweud wrthyn nhw am roi'r gorau i siarad fel eu bod yn gallu mynd ymlaen â'r ffilmio.
“Roedden ni'n sgwrsio am hydoedd,” meddai. “Roedden ni'n cyd-dynnu'n dda iawn. Mae o'n artist ac yn gerddor, a gan fy mod i'n caru cerddoriaeth roedd gennym ni ddigon i'w drafod ac roedd y cynhyrchwyr yn gorfod dweud wrthym ni am roi'r gorau iddi!”
Yn ôl Nick, cafodd ei ddiddordeb mewn cerflunio ei danio gan drip i Prâg pan oedd yn fyfyriwr yng Ngholeg Menai.
“Roedd y cwrs yn anhygoel ac fe newidiodd fy mywyd,” meddai. "Roedd yn bwysicach i mi na gwneud fy ngradd, oherwydd dydych chi ddim yn dysgu'r sgiliau technegol ar gwrs gradd. Mi wnaethon ni fodiwlau ffotograffiaeth, paentio, cerflunio – felly roedd cyfle i roi cynnig ar bopeth.
However, he took on the task of creating not one but four portraits - as well as making a sculpture from expanding foam to represent the chaos in which Martin often has to work on his trauma ward.
Nick said: “I didn’t know if it was going to work. I wanted to feel something of what Martin goes through, working 12, 15-hour shifts, and I wanted that chaos that he has to work with every day.”
It was all worth all the sweat when Nick saw the emotional reaction of Martin, his family and friends as the finished piece was unveiled.
“Being there and feeling the emotions was amazing,” said Nick. “I was genuinely nervous. I didn’t know what they’d think of the expanding foam sculpture that was meant to convey the chaotic nature of Martin’s job when he’s fixing these shattered lives.
There are still a limited number of places available for this year’s Art and Design Foundation course at Coleg Menai in Bangor. For more information, including how to apply, click here.
“He makes the NHS what it is, and it was about celebrating the NHS and the heroes that work within it.”
Nick also connected with presenter Bill Bailey - so much that producers often had to tell them to stop chatting so they could carry on filming.
“We would just chat for ages,” he said. “I got on really well with him. He’s an artist and a musician and I love music so we had lots to talk about, and the producers kept telling us we needed to get on with it!”
Nick says his passion for sculpture was fuelled during a trip to Prague as part of his studies with Coleg Menai.
“It was an amazing course, it changed my life,” he said. “It was more important to me than doing my degree, because you don’t get taught the technical skills in a degree. We did modules in photography, painting, sculpture, so you got a chance to try everything.
However, he took on the task of creating not one but four portraits - as well as making a sculpture from expanding foam to represent the chaos in which Martin often has to work on his trauma ward.
Nick said: “I didn’t know if it was going to work. I wanted to feel something of what Martin goes through, working 12, 15-hour shifts, and I wanted that chaos that he has to work with every day.”
It was all worth all the sweat when Nick saw the emotional reaction of Martin, his family and friends as the finished piece was unveiled.
“Being there and feeling the emotions was amazing,” said Nick. “I was genuinely nervous. I didn’t know what they’d think of the expanding foam sculpture that was meant to convey the chaotic nature of Martin’s job when he’s fixing these shattered lives.
There are still a limited number of places available for this year’s Art and Design Foundation course at Coleg Menai in Bangor. For more information, including how to apply, click here.
“He makes the NHS what it is, and it was about celebrating the NHS and the heroes that work within it.”
Nick also connected with presenter Bill Bailey - so much that producers often had to tell them to stop chatting so they could carry on filming.
“We would just chat for ages,” he said. “I got on really well with him. He’s an artist and a musician and I love music so we had lots to talk about, and the producers kept telling us we needed to get on with it!”
Nick says his passion for sculpture was fuelled during a trip to Prague as part of his studies with Coleg Menai.
“It was an amazing course, it changed my life,” he said. “It was more important to me than doing my degree, because you don’t get taught the technical skills in a degree. We did modules in photography, painting, sculpture, so you got a chance to try everything.
“I wanted to be an artist but I’d never really looked at sculpting. I was going to be a fine art painter - but I saw these sculptures in Prague and I was blown away by them.”
Nick started sculpting when he returned home from the Prague trip, and found he had a talent for it which was encouraged by his lecturers.
He said: “The lecturers pushed and pushed you. You had to make something every night and show it the next day - it gave me my work ethic.”
One of Nick’s lecturers was Owein Prendergast, who still teaches at Coleg Menai today.
Owein remembers Nick well, saying: “As soon as Nick was given a piece of clay it was clear that he had natural ability as a sculptor, and a fantastic sense of structure and form. From that moment on we encouraged him to work three-dimensionally.
“One memorable occasion was when we took a team of students to the arctic circle to compete in an international ice sculpting competition.
“Nick was given the responsibility of carving a life-sized figure, Branwen, from The Mabinogion. He did a phenomenal job, and was just as capable when carving the ice as when using clay back in the studio."
Nick is on the lookout for opportunities to exhibit his sculptures of Martin. To get in touch with Nick or to see more of his work, visit nickelphicksculpture.co.uk or follow him on Instagram @nickelphicksculpture
Extraordinary portraits is available to watch on BBC iPlayer
Pictures: BBC/Chatterbox
“I wanted to be an artist but I’d never really looked at sculpting. I was going to be a fine art painter - but I saw these sculptures in Prague and I was blown away by them.”
Nick started sculpting when he returned home from the Prague trip, and found he had a talent for it which was encouraged by his lecturers.
He said: “The lecturers pushed and pushed you. You had to make something every night and show it the next day - it gave me my work ethic.”
One of Nick’s lecturers was Owein Prendergast, who still teaches at Coleg Menai today.
Owein remembers Nick well, saying: “As soon as Nick was given a piece of clay it was clear that he had natural ability as a sculptor, and a fantastic sense of structure and form. From that moment on we encouraged him to work three-dimensionally.
“One memorable occasion was when we took a team of students to the arctic circle to compete in an international ice sculpting competition.
“Nick was given the responsibility of carving a life-sized figure, Branwen, from The Mabinogion. He did a phenomenal job, and was just as capable when carving the ice as when using clay back in the studio."
Nick is on the lookout for opportunities to exhibit his sculptures of Martin. To get in touch with Nick or to see more of his work, visit nickelphicksculpture.co.uk or follow him on Instagram @nickelphicksculpture
Extraordinary portraits is available to watch on BBC iPlayer
Pictures: BBC/Chatterbox
“Roeddwn i eisiau bod yn artist, ond wnes i erioed ystyried cerflunio. Ro'n i am fod yn arlunydd cain – ond mi welais i'r cerfluniau 'ma ym Mhrâg a chael fy ysbrydoli.”
Dechreuodd Nick gerflunio pan ddaeth un ôl o Brâg, a chafodd ei annog gan ei ddarlithwyr i feithrin ei ddawn.
Dywedodd: Roedd y darlithwyr yn eich gwthio chi Roedd yn rhaid i chi wneud rhywbeth bob nos a'i ddangos y diwrnod wedyn – mi roddodd hyn etheg waith dda i mi.”
Un o ddarlithwyr Nick oedd Owein Prendergast, sy'n dal i weithio yng Ngholeg Menai heddiw.
Mae Owein yn cofio Nick yn dda: “Unwaith y cafodd Nick ddarn o glai, roedd yn amlwg fod ganddo allu cynhenid fel cerflunydd, a synnwyr gwych o strwythur a ffurf. O hynny ymlaen mi wnaethon ni ei annog i weithio mewn tri dimensiwn.
“Un achlysur cofiadwy oedd pan wnaethon ni fynd â thîm o fyfyrwyr i'r Cylch Arctig i gymryd rhan mewn cystadleuaeth cerfio iâ ryngwladol.
“Nick oedd yn gyfrifol am wneud cerflun maint llawn o Branwen o'r Mabinogi. Gwnaeth waith penigamp, ac roedd o'r un mor fedrus wrth gerfio iâ ag oedd o wrth weithio gyda chlai yn y stiwdio.”
Mae Nick yn chwilio am gyfleoedd i arddangos ei gerfluniau o Martin. I gysylltu â Nick, neu i weld rhagor o'i waith ewch i nickelphicksculpture.co.uk neu dilynwch ef ar Instagram @nickelphicksculpture
Mae'r rhaglen Extraordinary Portraits ar gael i'w gwylio ar iPlayer y BBC
Lluniau: BBC/Chatterbox