http://www.marc-brown.com en-gb marc-brown.com 2012-2-27T00:00:00Z marc-brown.com http://www.marc-brown.com/page9.htm#113446 The weather seems to have finally eased up a bit for now. It really has been quite extreme on the beach in the mornings. The lowest temperature I recorded was 6 degrees with a covering of snow right up to the tideline. The sea temperature remains at 5 degrees which a friend of mine recorded in yesterdays swim. That wont change much until well into spring. I have had an exciting development with the project last week. I have been in touch with Breakthrough Breast Cancer hoping to raise some money for the charity and had a fantastic response. They are very keen on the idea and wanted some images for their website. I have just set up a donation page where you can find more information and sponsor a swimimage. To view the page just follow the link belowhttpwww.justgiving.comMarcBrownSeaChronicle2012 2012-2-27 16:11:50 http://www.marc-brown.com/page9.htm#111838 Well its been a challenging week in and out of the studio with freezing temperatures and severe weather warnings. In the studio the cold has considerably extended drying times with the temperature hardly reaching into double figures. On the beach it has been the wildest conditions of the year so far with near galeforce winds sweeping in from the continent whipping the sea into a frothy maelstrom. It has given me the opportunity to add some interesting textures and images to the Sea Chronicle project click on the Sea Chronicle tab and follow the link. It certainly gets the adrenaline coursing through the body. 2012-2-5 14:31:23 http://www.marc-brown.com/page9.htm#111478 This morning I put my swimming gear on with a slight hesitancy. Perhaps it was the shock and awe headline I saw on a front page on a newspaper the other day warning us that a real danger of death will be brought to our shores by an icy visitor from deepest Siberia. Or perhaps it was just due to staying up late last night to watch Rosemarys Baby. In any case it did seem especially dark and foreboding as I approached my usual starting point.Most of my swims this year have been relatively calm. Many of the photographs deceive the viewer with calm rippled water and clear skies suggesting a summer dip perhaps rather than a steely ice burn and icecream head. Today the last day of January was a return to more typical conditions that you would expect at this time of year on the East Coast. A biting easterly wind was whipping the sea up into a lively mass of breaking waves and currents. The east wind has a very particular smell metallic and heavy with saltiness it seems almost sticky coating ... 2012-1-31 10:16:55 http://www.marc-brown.com/page9.htm#110535 It was one of the coldest dawns of the year so far today 3 degrees on the thermometer and everything was wrapped in a glittering icy coating. Not deterred I set off for the beach as the light was growing in the east. After all theres not any difference in the temperature in the sea its just the getting in and out which is a bit more noticeable.Today the conditions were almost identical to yesterday bright and cold with plenty of vapour trails hacking across the sky. The photo below seems to capture the icy feel of the sea... 2012-1-17 10:10:14 http://www.marc-brown.com/page9.htm#110095 First of all thank you to all who helped to make 2011 one of the busiest years yet one of the reasons for not sitting at my computer tapping in news and posting new work. Last year saw several notable developments both in my work and personal life. One development was a desire to paint a series of landscapes mostly in a square format. These proved extremely popular and completely took me by surprise. I have continued the series into this year and have been building lots of new research for future paintings. It literally has increased my subject matter by 100. I will be adding some examples from last year to my gallery very soon. I also moved into a larger studioworkshop which has proven to be a huge positive for my work and given me the ability to function much more comfortably and efficiently. It really is a home from home. On a more personal note the sponsored Mount Toubkal trek back in October raised over 1636000 for an electronic walking frame ... 2012-1-10 15:44:14 http://www.marc-brown.com/page9.htm#104856 I have spent the last few days recovering and reflecting on one of the most memorable adventures I have ever had. Looking back I was somewhat naive about what was about to unfold over a few days in Morocco a land of heady excitement and sublime calm. The landscape mirrors this unusual character too with huge flat wideopen planes that suddenly explode into gargantuan rocky hulks slumbering like craggy ancient monsters.The route to the village of Imlil where we began the climb was swift and dusty snaking steadily upwards through the increasingly dramatic and rugged landscape. After a brief greeting and shaking of hands we set off slowly and carefully in the footsteps of our Berber guide Mustapha through the luxurious green canopy of hazelnut trees which would be the only vegetative cover we would experience until our return. My speed good for you Mustapha asked with a warm reassuring smile. It did seem unusually slow but as we would realize further up the leisurely stroll would stand us ... 2011-10-17 21:39:30 http://www.marc-brown.com/page9.htm#103941 A very big congratulations and THANK YOU to Fiona HotstonMoore who sent the winning bid of an extremely generous 163650 for my painting Furrow of which 100 will go towards my sponsored climb of Mount Toubkal for the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home. I would like to thank all of you who sent bids especially Jon Hadgraft who came in a close second place. I feel moved by the generosity and scale of the response and indeed have felt a surge of excitement as the climb draws near.Anyone who wishes to donate can still do so by visiting my JustGiving pagehttpwww.justgiving.comMarcBrown Thank you all. 2011-10-5 11:11:10 http://www.marc-brown.com/page9.htm#103655 Yesterday began like most days with a dawn walk with my dog across the marsh to the beach for a run and a swim. The recent spell of fantastic weather has provided lots of opportunities for getting out with the camera and capturing the delights of an Indian Summer see photo below.The Toubkal trek is fast approaching and I would like to thank all of you who have sent bids on the painting so far. I have been quite amazed at the response and the generosity of the bidders. Anyone who wants to send a lastminute bid are welcome to do so before midnight on Monday. 2011-10-1 12:47:12 http://www.marc-brown.com/page9.htm#103175 I am soon to embark a sponsored climb of Mount Toubkal in Morocco in aid of the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home in Worthing where a very dear friend of mine Stuart Langley now resides after a traumatic cycling accident in 2009 left him severely injured. A small team of us are hoping to raise money needed for a highly specialist electronic walking frame. With this in mind I thought that I would donate a painting on a best offer via email basis.The painting titled Furrow is a recent landscape one of a series that I have completed this summer and that have all sold out of one of my favourite spots. Known to a few locals as The Low the painting depicts a row of houses at Easton Bavents just north of Southwold that are perched on top of the fast eroding cliff. It is painted in mixedmedia and measures 46cm square including the frame.For more details on this fundraiser please visit my JustGiving page here httpwww.justgiving.comMarcBrown So please if you like the painting and would like to send ... 2011-9-24 14:13:44