Recent Plein air watercolour sketches of …
the reedbeds and whelk sheds at Brancaster Staithe
autumn field further inland
and the glorious beech woods near Massingham and West Acre
… all around North west Norfolk
Whelk sheds, Brancaster Staithe. Mari French
Reed beds and tidal mud. Mari French
Autumn field. Mari French.
Beech woods near West Acre. Mari French
Beech woods and stubble, Massingham Heath. Mari French
detail © Mari French 2012
…a few sketches from a recent exploration along local country lanes, during the harvest season, led to some promising experimental imagery…
track through ripening barley, watercolour/ink pencils.
© Mari French 2012
above… I thought purple skies in a couple of instances would get across the heat of the summer day better than the usual blue.
Rain clouds over ripening crops
© Mari French 2012
at last … I discovered that this particular blue/purple crop (below) I’d noticed recently, was the herb Borage (nice edible flowers), and not flax or linseed, which seemed more prevalent last year.
stubble and borage crop, watercolour/oil pastel
© Mari French 2012
…and subsequent experimental images, created as soon as I got back, inspired by the field imagery, using ink-stained tissue paper, sponge rollers etc, deliberately avoiding using usual media like pencil, brushes… I want to take these further sometime soon.
experimental 1
© Mari French 2012
experimental 2 © Mari French 2012
experimental 1
© Mari French 2012
experimental 3 © Mari French 2012
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 