the heavy rain is back but it can have benefits for the artist…
I find it much more interesting to sketch looming storm clouds whilst sitting in a car looking out over summer farmland and empty country lanes, than sunshine and blue skies…
Storm clouds near Shernbourne, Norfolk
© Mari French 2011
Exploring quiet country lanes between Anmer, Shelbourne and Ingoldisthorpe on monday, I came across these fields of ripening barley and a field of purple/blue flowers (crop?) which I couldn’t identify.
Blue field under stormy sky, Ingoldisthorpe, Norfolk
© Mari French 2012
I used oil pastel here for quick blocking in of features before flowing wet in wet watercolour over the top (first time I’ve tried this technique outdoors and it gives useful, speedy and lively results as the pastel acts as a resist to the paint. I like the broken colour and flecks of paint that result.
Barley field under storm clouds near Anmer, July ’12
© Mari French 2012
I was listening to ‘The Quiet Room’ from the album ‘Piano Stories’ by Debbie Wiseman – a piece of music which goes well with the subject and place for me.
I’ve built up a library of atmospheric music via I-Tunes from noting pieces heard on Classic FM/BBC Radio 3 and the like.
Mari French RI : contemporary artworks 
ooooh I think bluestuff is linseed/flax – what gorgeous sketches Mari …
Thanks Elaine I really got a kick out of them – made such a change from fiddling about with the whole thing in watercolour. I like to use wet-in-wet for my sketches but it can be a bit messy when the whole area is wet!
The plants may have been linseed/flax but they looked more ‘thistly’, I have seen linseed fields about last summer in Norfolk.
Hurray, today i can get onto WordPress to comment…so often I can’t. These are beautiful, inspiriing sketches Mari. Thanks for sharing. I might try a bit of oil bar myself!
Thanks Ruth… it was oil pastels I used, though I can’t see why oil bars couldn’t be used although they do take a lot longer drying, they would still be resistant to the watercolour.