
Promenade walking
Wide horizons broadening
Truths in plainer sight
Copyright Francis Barker 2020
Brittany has been a great source of inspiration for artists from across the world drawn to the beauty of its natural landscapes and unique quality of light. The women artists who came to draw inspiration from the rich colours and distinctive landscapes of the region have sometimes been overlooked and I highlight some of these pioneering painters here.
Women Artists in Brittany — Bonjour From Brittany
Marie Bracquemond (1 December 1840 – 17 January 1916) was a French Impressionist artist, who was described retrospectively by Henri Focillon in 1928 as one of “les trois grandes dames” of Impressionism alongside Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt. Her frequent omission from books on artists is sometimes attributed to the efforts of her husband, Félix […]
Art Sunday: Marie Bracquemond – Under the Lamp — Random Writings on the Bathroom Wall
*Impressionism radically changed the way we view the world.
This land is gracious
Sculpted by an unknown hand
Well known in our hearts
Copyright Francis Barker 2020
Painting of the beach of the small town of Heacham in West Norfolk, England.
Copyright Francis Barker 2020
This is an original oil painting of Heacham beach in west Norfolk, completed on stretched canvas, unframed. Size 51 x 41 cm.
copyright Francis Barker 2019
The coast of Northumberland in north east England is quite spectacular.
It is completed in oil on stretched canvas, size 41 x 31 cm, unframed.
copyright Francis Barker 2019
Sir Roy Strong is so right about the English landscape. It is intrinsically wound up with English identity; no matter how urbanised we get, all of us who are English, or who may want to be, are attached to the open views of England, the hills, the mountains, the coasts and the fens.
I believe he is right. Scotland and Wales have their own measure of independence. We must discover our own identity and the process has begun, although England and Englishness never went away. She has been patient, waiting for us to open our eyes. The English rebirth has indeed begun in a profound, sustained, inward, but ultimately legitimate way. I hope to play my part in it.
And did those feet…?
At one time, when I was much younger, I didn’t like the flat, south Lincolnshire landscape, even though I was born and raised in it. Yes, it can be drab, especially in the winter, but as visitors are quick to point out, the skies are indeed tremendous.
A Fenland landscape, like any land or seascape, needs a focal point and I have a particular liking for whitewashed farmhouses. Spring is a very good time, as there is a welcome splash of colour with the yellow and white daffodils and narcissi.
In fact, fenland landscapes and especially Lincolnshire landscapes, I regard as a combination of land and seascape. Someone once said that the south Lincolnshire churches sail passed like ships at sea. Quite so.
It may be only August but feel free to contact to discuss a Christmas commission, or for any other occasion for that matter.