YORK sea and landscape artist Jean Luce is taking her art to the edge in her new show at Café 68 in Gillygate, York.

“My exhibition is called Edges and is the outcome of my fascination with the edges of sea and land, particularly the cliffs, crags and coastal edges around Yorkshire,” says Jean.

“I’m exploring the interface between the elements; the tension between water and land.”

The East Coast cliffs around Bempton and Flamborough Head especially interest her as she seeks to capture the elemental beauty of the sea cliffs.

“I’ve been focusing on the luminosity, multifarious colours and semi-abstract patterns created by water – in rock pools, streams, seashore and breakers on rocks and cliffs at the margins of the sea,” says Jean.

Her working practice is to walk and sketch outside, absorbing the atmosphere, and working up her observations into paintings in the studio. “I use a variety of media, depending on the subject matter, and like to constantly experiment, not being fixed to a particular style,” says Jean.

Sketching on the edge is not without its hazards, however, she reveals. “I’ve had to battle winds, tides, vertigo and once, in the Outer Hebrides, being dive-bombed by Arctic terns,” she says. “A hat was essential wear.”

Jean invites you to a “more intimate viewing of the exhibition” at tonight’s open evening from 7pm.

“Café 68 is one of the best places to eat in York and is always beautifully complemented by the paintings on the walls, so you can appreciate art and eat good food in an informal, friendly atmosphere,” she says.

Edges will run until the end of February.