News — Painting Technique

If you follow Broth, it won't surprise you that one of my favourite things to do is visit artists at their studio. Call me a nosy parker but stepping into an artists workspace is for me like entering Ali Baba's cave- you never know what riches you're going to find. Fiona MacRae's studio in rural Argyll is one such place that never disappoints. Tucked away up a meandering track in mossy woodland, Fiona's studio is a treasure trove of spectacles.Having beachcombed her entire life, Fiona MacRae's studio is a shrine to both natural and man-made forms scavanged from the shoreline. There are whalebones, coloured sea glass, mermaid purses, driftwood and calcified sea creatures, but also a confetti of plastic odds and ends, corroded rubber and knarled bits of oxidised metal. Wherever you look, there's something to marvel at.

Over the years, it has become abundantly clear that beachcombing is an important part of MacRae's practice. It works its way- albeit surreptitiously- into her paintings by means of colour, texture and form, and is used directly in her assemblage artwork. For this reason, I was curious to learn more about her love of beachcombing, how it informs her art-making and where it all started.

Read on to discover more about Fiona MacRae and her delightful art.

In our latest artist interview, we sit down with Scottish figurative painter Andrew Sinclair, who has gained recognition for his masterful use of oil paint and classical techniques. Painting in the manner of chiaroscuro, - a technique that originated during the Renaissance period that creates volume through contrasting light from dark - Andrew applies traditional methods to depicting subjects he sees in the present-day.

Since gaining her degree in Illustration from Brighton University, Rue Asher has gone on to receive national recognition for exhibiting at the Royal Watercolour Society and The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, and being shortlisted in 2015 for The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition. As a recent addition to Broth Art stable, we wanted to learn more about Rue's artistic practice and the inspiration behind her work.