Earlier in the year we were down in Bridport, Dorset and went to the wonderful Bridport Arts Center (amazing cafe, highly recommended) and we also happened to catch the exhibition by Frances Hatch which I’d like to share here as her way of working is so inspiring.
Frances Hatch @Bridport Arts
With a long career as a plein-air painter, Frances takes immersive environment to a level I’d not seen before in painting work.
Frances Hatch @Bridport Arts
She creates ‘place palettes’ found from the surroundings she’s studying. This can include the earth, grasses, plastics found in litter, beach debris and natural clay.
Frances Hatch @Bridport Arts
She then uses these found substances and items alongside traditional watercolour mediums to create highly tactile surfaces which speak highly of the place they were made and of the natural world in general.
Frances Hatch @Bridport Arts
I love understanding another artists process, especially when it’s as unique and impactful as this. So I was delighted to spend some time leafing through her sketchbooks which clearly spoke of her dedication to subject and process. Very inspiring.
Frances Hatch @Bridport Arts
