sea fever

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Tidal flats

Tidal flats, acrylic on board. Mari French 2014.

 … the sea has been in my blood it seems this week. An exhilarating visit to Brancaster and Titchwell beaches on the North Norfolk coast last weekend, where I also explored a creek new to me, resulted in several busy painting sessions back in my studio.

Tidal flats 2

Tidal flats 2, acrylic on board. Mari French 2014

The recent tidal surges and storms were evident in the scattered remains of some of the dunes across the tidal flats, but on the whole the stunning beaches were back to normal. The looming cloud formations betrayed the approaching change in the weather but added to the dramatic scenery.

Brancaster beach, Mari French 2014.

Brancaster beach, Mari French 2014.


Brancaster beach, Mari French 2014.

Brancaster beach, Mari French 2014.


Creek, Titchwell. Mari French 2014.

Creek, Titchwell. Mari French 2014.

 

 

visual language …

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as mentioned in my previous post Making a Mark, I’ve been concentrating on developing my own visual language with a series of small mixed media pieces on paper. I’m quite pleased with these three and I’m going to keep at it, because hopefully it will bring a new dimension to my paintings. 

abstract 1. Mari French 2014

abstract 1. Mari French 2014

 

I’ve been using a fairly limited acrylic paint palette of Burnt Umber, Titanium White and Prussian Blue, which I’m finding very fresh and satisfying just now. I haven’t used Burnt Umber much before, finding it a little red, usually preferring Raw Umber. The scribbled marks are mainly NeoColour watercolour pastels… I prefer their soft smudginess to oil pastels, and get around their solubility with a fixing spray of Matt acrylic medium. There’s also some lovely sludgy burgundy Inktense stick in there too and ink stained tissue.

abstract 2. Mari French 2014

abstract 2. Mari French 2014

 

Although intentionally abstract, I did have in mind the salt marshes, creeks and staithes of the north Norfolk coast, where I often walk and sketch.

abstract 3. Mari French 2014

abstract 3. Mari French 2014

 

making a mark …

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Taking a break from the canvases this week and trying to develop my mark making skills. I decided to take the pressure off and experiment on smallish pieces of watercolour paper (approx A4in size), using a base texture of pasted tissue, with acrylics and inks, and using a few of the marks I’d been playing with, with the aim of achieving freedom with a degree of constraint (if that makes sense!).

Although experimental, hopefully the resulting works may yield a couple worth framing.

Below are a couple of the works in progress plus a few sheets of marks. The feathers are a bit too obvious for my work but look beautiful printed like this.

 

Untitled. Mixed media on watercolour paper. Mari French 2014.

Untitled. Mixed media on watercolour paper. Mari French 2014.


Untitled. Mixed media on watercolour paper. Mari French 2014.

Untitled. Mixed media on watercolour paper. Mari French 2014.

Mark making exercise. Mari French 2014

Mark making exercise. Mari French 2014