Le Mer (The Sea) – 2004 – SOLD

Newly arrived at the Art Studio is this joyful and vibrant Charles Blackman watercolour and ink, “Le Mer” painted in 2004. The quirkiness that we see in many of Blackman’s works on paper is shown here with his free-spirited line work, playful non-conformist perspective, luscious colour and delightfully fun elements such as the striking umbrella portrayed in Australian life-saver colours, and the adorable lime green sea horse bobbing in the bright blue ocean.

A consistent feature throughout Blackman’s very productive career was his love of drawing, which was, for most of his life, a daily preoccupation and a seemingly effortless skill that he perfected over his lifetime of practice.

In his later years when his health limited his mobility and ability to create large scale oil paintings, Blackman retained his artistic spirit and productivity by continuing to make charming works on paper using ink and watercolour. His love for drawing never left him and he enjoyed regular drawing sessions with friends, family and other artists, producing delightful watercolour sketches and pen and ink drawings on a multitude of subjects, and often on quirky and playful themes like “Le Mer”.

Blackman’s connection with the French language stemmed from 1970 when he moved to Paris, after being awarded an atelier studio at the Cité Internationale des Arts, an artist-in-residence complex still operational today which accommodates artists of all specialities and nationalities.

Blackman lived in Paris for a year, falling in love with the city and adopting the practice of wearing an artist’s beret, which very much reflected his artistic temperament. Blackman continued to return to Paris often because of the constant source of inspiration and cultural immersion the city provided him.  We see his love of France in his choice of title for this work “Le Mer” which is French for “The Sea”.

This painting carries a wonderful provenance, having been in the private collection of one of Blackman’s carers to whom Blackman gifted this painting as a gesture of appreciation and friendship. “Le Mer” has remained a treasured possession for over 20 years and is now being released for sale.

“Le Mer” represents for an art lover or follower of Blackman’s work a wonderful opportunity to acquire an affordable and large original painting by one of Australia’s best loved and most prestigious artists.