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

in the depths of winter…

… I have been painting imagery from summer.

With two heaters going, my trusty hairdryer warming me as well as drying my work, the following pushed themselves onto my canvas recently: hot fields of poppies, acres of gold barley – the pattern and texture of the local fields of my new Norfolk home.

No doubt I’ll get the urge to create winter images of the recent snow scenes in the sunny spring months of 2011?!

'Summer fields with poppies', © Mari French 2010, 60x60cm, acrylic/mixed-media on canvas.

'Summer fields with poppies', © Mari French 2010, 60x60cm, acrylic/mixed-media on canvas.

'Walking near Castle Acre', acrylic/mixed-media on board © Mari French 2010

'Walking near Castle Acre', acrylic/mixed-media on board © Mari French 2010

'Track through poppy field', © Mari French 2010, 50x50cm, acrylic/mixed-media on canvas.

'Track through poppy field', © Mari French 2010, 50x50cm, acrylic/mixed-media on canvas.