North Notes xiii by Marian Leven (b. 1944) places a portion of a map of the southeastern portion of the Isle of Skye near the top of the piece, with a layer of diluted gouache swiped squarely across the top and the remainder of the lower half of the map cut off. An even lighter layer of diluted gouache gives a slight impression of where the remainder of the map would lie, the full depiction outlined in a thin pencil line. Droplets of the gouache have fallen on the bottom right portion of the piece, reflective of this collage-like element. 

Leven's interest in Scottish geography is present directly here with the use of a piece of map at the top of the piece, suggestive of a focus on the importance of this region. The naming of this piece also evokes elements of cartography, as though Leven herself is taking notes on the geography of the area. This piece is part of a series of 'North Notes' where Leven explored how landscapes and geography affect inner vision. 

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.