1941
Emrys was born in Bangor, Gwynedd but spent his childhood in Nefyn, a coastal village on the Llŷn peninsula.
Ganed Emrys ym Mangor, Gwynedd ond treuliodd ei blentyndod yn Nefyn, pentref arfordirol ar Benrhyn Llŷn.
1946
His father died of meningitis leaving his mother with three children under five years of age. He spent a great deal time during his early years in the home of his paternal grandparents.
Bu farw ei dad o lid yr umennydd gan adael ei fam gyda tri o blant dan bump oed.Treuliodd lawer o’i amser yn ystod y blynyddoedd cynnar yng nghartref ei nain a’i daid.
1952-1958
He attended Pwllheli Grammar School where he obtained Art Welsh and History at A level. Elis Gwyn Jones was his art teacher and his inspirational teaching influenced Emrys to follow art as a career. He became a mentor and friend.
Ysgol Ramadeg Pwllheli. Ei athro celf oedd Elis Gwyn Jones. Dylanwadodd ei athroliaith ysbrydoledig ar Emrys i ddilyn ei yrfa. Daeth yn fentor ac yn ffrind.
1957
He visited the John Moores exhibition in Liverpool. This was his first experience of seeing a major exhibition and it cemented his determination to go to Art college.
Ymweld ag arddangosfa John Moores yn Lerpwl. Dyma ei brofiad cyntaf o weld arddangosfa fawr ac fe gadarnhaodd ei benderfyniad i fynd i goleg celfyddyd.
1958-1962
Leicester College of Art and Design
Coleg Celf a Darlunio Caerlyr
1958-60
Intermediate Diploma in Art and Design
Diploma Canolradd mewn Celf a Darlunio
1960-1962
National Diploma in Design in Fine Art Painting
Diploma Cenedlaethol mewn Paintio Celfyddyd Gain
1962
Awarded Student of the Year prize. This funded a trip to Italy, his first visit abroad. He went to Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan and visited all the major cultural attractions.
When at Leicester he experienced the last of the old National Diploma in Design and witnessed at first hand the effect of the Coldstream Report on Art and Design colleges. It heralded the introduction of DipAD courses and was a turbulent and exciting time for art education. Emrys was fortunate in attending Leicester at a time when Foundation Courses were just starting.
Gwobr Myfyriwr y Flwyddyn. Gwnaeth hyn ariannu taith i’r Eidal, ei ymweliad cyntaf dramor. Aeth i Rufain, Fflorens, Fenis a Milan i weled yr holl brif atyniadau diwilliannol.
Pan yng Ngharlyr profodd yr olaf o’r hen Ddiploma Cenedlaethol mewn Dylunio a gwelodd effaith Adroddiad Coldstream ar golegau Celf a Dylunio. Cyhoeddodd y dechrau i sefydlu cyrsiau Dip AD ac roedd yn gyfnod cythryblus a chyffrous i addysg celf. Yr oedd Emrys yn ffodus ifynychu Caerlyr ar adeg pan oedd Cyrsiau Sylfaen newydd ddechrau.
1960
Tom Hudson who was a foremost exponent of the Bauhaus concept of teaching art and design came to lead the Foundation Course. Although a student on the NDD Course Emrys mixed with the Foundation staff socially and was inspired by their ideas and dynamism.
Daeth Tom Hudson a oedd yn un o brif ddehonglwyr cyrsiau Bauhaus o ddysgu celf a dylunio i arwain y Cwrs Sylfaen. Er yn fyftriwr ar y cwrs NDD cymysgodd Emrys staff y Cwrs Sylfaen yn gymdeithasol ac fe’i hysbrydiolwyd gan eu syniadau a’u dynameg.
1962-63
Art Teachers Diploma at Leicester College of Art and Design
Diploma Athrawon Celf yng ngholed Celf a Dylunio, Caerlyr.
1963-1964
Hilltop Secondary School West Bromwich.
This experience of teaching at this level convinced him that his ambition to develop as an artist would be best served working at an art college and he resigned before securing the post at Great Yarmouth teaching on the Foundation Course.
Ysgol Uwchradd Hilltop West Bromwich
Y profiad o addysgu ar y lefel hon a’i perswadiodd fod ei uchelgais i ddatblygu fel arlunydd yn well os yn gweithio mewn colegcelf.Ymddiswyddodd cyn sicrhau’r swydd yn Great Yarmouth.
1964-1987
Great Yarmouth College of Art and Design.
He was appointed to teach colour and drawing but given a free hand and the opportunity by Norman Davies, his head of department to influence the direction of the Foundation Course. It grew in size and reputation and was well regarded by feeder schools and by Degree courses receiving students.
Coleg Celf a Dylunio Great Yarmouth
Penodwyd ef i ddysgu lliw a lluniadu a rhoddwyd llaw rydd a chyfle iddo gan Norman Davies, ei bennaeth, i ddylanwadu cyfeiriad y Cwrs Sylfaen. Tyfodd y cwrs o ran maint ac enw da ac roedd yn uchel ei barch gan ysgolion pennawd a chan gyrsiau Gradd a oedd yn derbyn myfyrwyr.
1965
Appointed Head of Foundation and Diagnostic Studies.
Penodwyd yn Bennaeth Astudiaethau Sylfaen a Diagnostig
1969
He married Susan who was a fashion student at the college and had two children. Elin, born in 1971 and Tom in 1974.
Marriage gave his life stability and structure and with his wife’s encouragement and support he established a routine that allowed time and space for his artistic practice. Her skill at patchwork complemented and developed his interest in historical quilts, working occasionally on joint projects.
Priododd Susan a oedd yn fyfyriwr ffasiwn yn y coleg a bu iddynt ddau o blant. Ganed Elin yn 1971 a Tom yn 1974.
Rhoddodd hyn sefydlogrwydd a strwythur i'w fywyd a chydag anogaeth a chefnogaeth Sue fe sefydlodd drefn a oedd yn caniatáu amser a gofod ar gyfer ei ymarfer artistig. Roedd ei dawn mewn clytwaith yn ategu a datblygu ei ddiddordeb mewn clwtwaith hanesyddol a gweithiant yn achlysurol ar brosiectau ar y cyd.
1987
He was appointed Head of Diagnostic Studies when Yarmouth College of art and Design was merged with Norwich School of Art to form Norfolk Institute of Art and Design. This introduced him to the practice and structures of Degree Courses and brought him into contact with a wide range of artists and designers of national and international reputation.
Fe'i penodwyd yn Bennaeth Astudiaethau Diagnostig pan ymunwyd Coleg Celf a Dylunio Yarmouth ag Ysgol Gelf Norwich i ffurfio Sefydliad Celf a Dylunio Norfolk. Rhoddodd hyn iddo’r cyfle iddo arfer a strwythurau Cyrsiau Gradd a daeth ag ef i gysylltiad ag artistiaid ac arlunwyr o fri cenedlaethol a rhyngwladol.
1995
Invited to contribute work for a book celebrating the poetry of R S. Thomas.
Gwahoddiad i gyfrannu gwaith ar gyfer llyfr yn dathlu barddoniaeth R S Thomas.
1996
Emrys took early retirement to concentrate fully on his work.
Soon after retiring he met John Kiki a renowned local artist who had exhibited widely in Britain, Europe and America. They became friends and through him was introduced to the wider artistic community in East Anglia. John championed Emrys’ work and encouraged him to exhibit more widely.
Ymddeolodd yn gynnar i ganolbwyntio'n llawn ar ei waith peintio.
Yn fuan ar ôl ymddeol cyfarfu â John Kiki, artist lleol enwog a oedd wedi arddangos ei waith yn eang ym Mhrydai)ni America ac Ewrop. Daethant yn ffrindiau a thrwyddo fe'u cyflwynwyd i'r gymuned artistig ehangach yn East Anglia. Bu John yn hyrwyddo gwaith Emrys ac yn ei annog i arddangos mwy eang.
1997
He was approached by the Welsh Joint Education Authority to become a moderator for their Foundation Courses in Art and Design. It offered him the opportunity to visit all the Welsh art colleges and meet a number of Welsh artists teaching on the courses. It also allowed him to discuss art and design with students who had Welsh as their preferred language.
About this time he met and was photographed by Bernard Mitchell, a renowned Welsh photographer who was very familiar with the art scene in Wales.He had photographed and documented Welsh artists, poets and writers for his archive and was impressed by Emrys’ work having seen it at the Glyn-y-Weddw gallery in Llanbedrog.
Gwahoddwyd gan Gyd Awdurdod Addysg Cymru iddo ddod yn gymedrolwr ar gyfer eu Cyrsiau Sylfaen mewn Celf a Dylunio. Cynigiodd y cyfle iddo ymweld â holl golegau gelf Cymru a chwrdd â nifer o artistiaid Cymreig sy'n addysgu ar y cyrsiau. Roedd hefyd yn caniatáu iddo drafod celf a dylunio gyda myfyrwyr oedd â'r Gymraeg fel eu dewis iaith.
Tua'r amser hwn cyfarfu a thynnwyd ei lun gan Bernard Mitchell, ffotograffydd Cymreig o ffri a oedd yn gyfarwydd iawn â'r byd celf yng Nghymru. Roedd wedi tynnu lluniau a dogfennu artistiaid Cymraeg beirdd a llenorion ar gyfer ei archif. Gwnaeth gwaith Emrys argraff arno ar ôl ei weld yn y Oriel Glyn-y-Weddw yn Llanbedrog.
1999
Bernard Mitchell helped Emrys secure an exhibition at The National Library of Wales. Two works were purchased to be part of their collection. He was also invited by Bernard to write a tribute to Elis Gwyn Jones.
This was published by Welsh Arts Archive and as a result he was approached to make a film posing the question, would he go back to Wales?. This was shown in 2007. on BBC2 Wales as part of a series about the Llyn Peninsula called The Dragon’s Tail.
Gyda cymorth Bernard Mitchell sicrhaodd Emrys arddangosfa yn Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru. Prynhwyd Dau o’r gweithiau i fod yn rhan o'u casgliad.
Gwahoddwyd ef hefyd i ysgrifenu teyrnged i Elis Gwyn Jones. 7Cyhoeddwyd hwn gan Archif Celfyddedau Cymru ac o ganlyniad gofynnwyd iddo wneud ffilm yn gofyn y cwestiwn a fyddai yn dychwelyd i Gymru?. Dangoswyd yn 2007 ar BBC 2 Cymru fel rhan o gyfres am Ben Llyn o’r enw Cynffon y Ddraig.
2001
He became a member of The Royal Cambrian Academy encouraged by Kyffin Williams and Peter Prendergast. He was appointed lead moderator for Foundation Courses by WJEC and contributed to the development of WJEC own Foundation qualification.
Daeth yn aelod o'r Academi Frenhinol Gymreig wedi ei gefnogi gan Kyffin Williams a Peter Prendergast.
2008
He became part of a group of artists with studios in Great Yarmouth. They started meeting and exhibiting together. The others are Katerzena Coleman, Bridget Herriz, John Kiki and Bruer Tidman. They are known as Yarmouth 5.
Daeth yn rhan o grwp o artistiaid gyda stiwdios yn Great Yarmouth. Dechreuasant gyfarfod ac arddangos gyda’i gilydd. Y lleill yw Katerzena Coleman. Bridget Heriz, John Kiki a Bruer Tidman. Maent yn cael eu hadnabod fel Yarmout 5.
2015
His wife Susan died. This fundamentally changed his life. After much deliberation he decided to stay in Great Yarmouth and continue to live in the family home which contains his studio. He continues to show with the Yarmouth 5 and has solo shows at Mandell's every two years.
Bu farw ei wraig Susan a newidiodd hyn ei fywyd yn sylfaenol. Wedi llawer o drafod penderfynnodd aros yn Great Yarmouth a pharhau i fyw yng nghartref y teulu sy’n cynnwys ei stiwdio. Mae’n parhau i ddangos gyda’r Yarmouth 5 ac mae yn cynnal sioeau unigol yn oriel Mandells pob dwy flynnedd.
