North Notes ii by Marian Leven (b. 1944) presents a pencil lined rectangle covered in a thick layer of white gouache that has caused the paper to wrinkle at the bottom portion of the rectangle. The gouache even goes beyond the pencil border, which has been retraced over portions of the paint. Some of the paper has peeled off in places, whereas in the top portion of the shape the paint strokes and paper are smoother, with only slight rippling. The crumpling forming a curving border between the smoother portion almost gives the impression of a hillside against a sky, presented entirely in white. 

This piece is part of a series of 'North Notes' where Leven explored how landscapes and geography affect her inner vision. It is possible Leven's interest in geography is present here with the differing textures, as one would study how differing landscapes blend or go against each other as the crumpled portion of paper does with the smooth portion. 

Marian Leven RSA RSW, born 1944

Leven, who lives in Tayport, was born in Auchtermuchty, Fife, and studied at Gray’s School of Art. Her family heritage and her own training in textiles and weaving, as well as her passionate observation of Scottish geography and coastal lines, led her to a practice in painting that explores Scottish geography and climate, social history, and her own relative position in them, through the layering of rich textural and tonal planes. Gaining full recognition in the 1990s, she has been awarded prizes such as the Noble Grossart and Saltire Society Award, featured in collections and exhibitions around Scotland and collaborated with her husband, Will Maclean, in the creation of public art such as Waterlines at the University of Aberdeen or An Suileachan on the Isle of Lewis, while also working as an art teacher and lecturer.