sea lavender completed…

Those of you who read my recent post seeing lavender may be interested to see the resulting painting, just completed, inspired by that day’s sketching on north Norfolk saltmarshes…

Sea lavender © Mari French 2011

Sea lavender © Mari French 2011

Like a lot of my work, this is acrylic on textured, deep-sided canvas, 61 x 61 cm.

It’s rare that I work up a painting direct from a sketch, as I find this a bit constricting, but this work is obviously heavily influenced by my original impression, although I didn’t have it sat in front of me while I painted in order to keep an element of freedom in its execution.

sketchbook browsing…

Brancaster creek - sketch © Mari French 2011

Brancaster creek - sketch © Mari French 2011

Trawling through my sketchbooks today, for inspiration and to print out and paste into my current workbook for reference.

Some of these are recent… some older, but it was interesting making their acquaintance again.

Thought I’d share…

Rain approaching - watercolour sketch © Mari French 2011

Rain approaching - watercolour sketch © Mari French 2011

haybales catching the sun - watercolour sketch © Mari French 2011

haybales catching the sun - watercolour sketch © Mari French 2011

Poplars and poppies - sketch © Mari French 2009

Poplars and poppies - sketch © Mari French 2009

Reedbeds, Blakeney - sketch © Mari French 2011

Reedbeds, Blakeney - sketch © Mari French 2011

Other artists may experience something similar, but I only have to look at these to be whisked back in time… I can remember what I was thinking about, sensations, weather… it tends to be true for most of my finished paintings too.

Barleyfield - sketch © Mari French 2010

Barleyfield - sketch © Mari French 2010

Harvest - sketch © Mari French 2011

Harvest - sketch © Mari French 2011

October shoreline - sketch © Mari French

October shoreline - sketch © Mari French

seeing lavender…

After following a small path through woodland and undergrowth, then open saltmarsh and wide skies this was the inspirational view I stumbled on back in late summer on a glorious day near Thornham saltmarsh, Norfolk… a huge swathe of pale purple sea lavender flowers.

sea lavender, Norfolk © Mari French 2011

sea lavender, Norfolk © Mari French 2011

Below is the little sketch I did on the spot… can’t wait to re-interpret this as a large painting sometime!

Sea Lavender, Norfolk (sketch) © Mari French 2011

Sea Lavender, Norfolk (sketch) © Mari French 2011