Marianne Bamkin

Working with the artist name Marianne King, I celebrate the beauty that can be found in old, forgotten and unloved features in the landscape; a dirty boat for sale; the glory of wind-turbines standing in magnificence while sheep graze under them; a ruined building. On the other hand I try to recreate the detail of butterflies, for example, as woven sculpture, using texture and colour to give them life. I am impelled to record what I see and feel, usually working directly from observation. This philosophy of working from nature is inspired by the Impressionists and Pre-Raphaelites.

I have strong environmentalist beliefs which seep into my work. I use a variety of media: oil, watercolour, acrylic, yarns and fabrics recycling and reusing loved objects. My style changes depending on my mood or the subject of the artwork. I am currently working on three different themes. The power of wind turbines, their stateliness and environmental benefits with land around them still being green and productive. Edible Flowers, being beautiful, functional and tasty. Finally, domestic objects that have caught my attention during lock-down, lurking in corners of my house.

My love of colour and shape and creativity has been strongly influenced by my training at Cardiff College of Art which used the Bauhaus theory of Basic Design. I enjoy experimentation and pushing my skills to learn new techniques and media and advance my range as an artist. Over the past four decades I have used Art as a channel