North Notes xvii by Marian Leven (b. 1944) shows a diary entry, dated 22nd of June that describes a landscape scene. This entry is then partially obscured with layers of grey and white gouache, partially diluted to let the words show through near the top and then thick at the bottom half to completely obscure the writing. An uneven outline of pencil gives the impression of a page. A Rockwell Kent quote is included in the entry and is the last line able to be read. The quote and the landscape description, muddled by the layers of gouache, give a suggestion of Leven's contemplation during her travels through the Scottish north. 

This piece is part of a series of 'North Notes' where Leven explored how landscapes and geography affect her inner vision. This is reflected through the Rockwell Kent, an artist and philosopher, quote that describes humanity as a result of the natural world, or 'elements', which is something Leven is reflective on in this series and particularly in this note as the diary entry is describing the natural world. 

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.