Lisa Le Quelenec Seaside studios paintings, prints and mixed media

Thursday, 20 March 2025

Ran's Daughters - Bara, Unnor & Dufa

The tempo is quickening....the breeze grows in strength....something is brewing.

A stronger current, colder, deeper waters, a more insistent tug to the depths.

Wednesday, 12 March 2025

March spiral drawing - common winkle

The common winkle is a lovely little thing that come in a variety of colours and shades. Yellows are my favourite and I can't resist picking them up. I do always check to make sure that no one is home before they head to my pocket. They look like little jewels in the rockpools and washed up on the shore. As you can see the child in me still sorts them into colours.

I think I may have collected rather a lot over the years....

Wednesday, 5 March 2025

Ran's Daughters - Himinglæva, Kólga & Hrönn

So far these ladies have been a little playful but I think we are about to see a sea change....

Wednesday, 26 February 2025

Ran's Daughters - Blóðughadda first steps and experiments

Daughter no.1 Blóðughadda ;

I began with mixing my inks using quite a bit of extender to aid transparency. To apply the ink to the lino block I used a palette knife varying the thickness of ink and intuitively laying down the colour. Whilst the initial image is starting as a lino print my intention is to layer different materials and techniques to result in a mixed media series. The print process will achieve a variation in textures that will enhance further layers.

You can see from the first six prints the variations in colour and tone. There is also good variations in texture between very fine flat ink and thicker raised areas and bare paper, this will make interesting surfaces to work with other materials.

I printed a few more variations, my intention is to make some art books (a page for each daughter) and it feels right that there will be nine - maybe with Ran linking each page, or possibly to present each of the daughters mounted as one image. I am sure I will disappear down a few rabbit holes along the way. It feels good to be working on a big long term project.

I have started using one print and drew into it with coloured pencils, pencils and ink. I am still feeling my way a bit. A minutes sunshine drew some lovely shadows across the page.

Thursday, 20 February 2025

The beginning of the nine daughters of Ran

Ran had nine daughters whose names were;

Blóðughadda - (bloody hair - maybe the threadlike appearance of water from the crest of a wave)

Bylgia - (billowing)

Dröfn or Bára (comber/foaming wave)

Dúfa - (wave)

Hefring or Hefrenög - (lifting)

Himinglæva - (transparent on top)

Hrönn - (wave)

Kólga - (cool wave)

Uðr or Unnor - (wave and also a name for Odin and the name of a river)

Information taken from Wikipedia Page Nine Daughters of Aegir and Ran

First steps in a new project... feeling my way... ideas forming....one line for each measure on the scale from calm to chaos.... the last to represent Ran.... a progression of colour and tone from pale to dark/deep...loose connections....drifting ideas...

Thursday, 13 February 2025

Spirals for January and February

My drawing challenge for 2025....spirals! I did do the drawing below in January but failed to blog about it as I was so caught up with Ran and ginkgo patterns! I am using a mid-toned sketchbook that I have had for a long time but keep forgetting that I have. I think it will be nice to keep all of these drawings together.

A new to me shell, found at Christmas though not by me. This is a common wentletrap - I think - found in Jersey. It has been on my bucket list to find one of these for years. You can see how small it is next to the drawing maybe about 2.5cm... A tricky subject with it's prominent verticals climbing up the spiral. Fun to try to draw though.

February's spiral was even trickier...I attempted this one a few times as I kept losing my place in the spiral markings as well as the spiral form.

Thursday, 6 February 2025

New Collection - Ginkgo Leaves fabric & wallpaper - drypoint prints too

If you have been reading along on this blog for a while you may remember looking through a sketchbook that I started somewhere near the beginning that was just for ginkgo drawings and experiments. I was/am obsessed with the trees, I find them fascinating; the history, medical properties, their ability to survive what ever has been thrown at them as a species. I have a mental map of ginkgo's in my area and add to it when I spot them in places out of town that I visit.

Whilst having a tidy of the work room last year I stumbled upon the book, I haven't given it much thought for nearly a decade but as I flipped through I started seeing potential for surface pattern making.

So here it is a new collection Ginkgo Leaves, the product of a few months work. All designs are available at Spoonflower in a beautiful range of fabrics and wallpaper finishes. For accessories, stationery and home goods the designs are available at RedBubble. I have made the collection available in four colourways with co-ordinating solid colours, pinstripes and patchworks. Do you have a favourite? It is a toss up between the golden yellow and aqua for me.

***Please forgive me as each image I have used here includes the details of mine and Spoonflowers name but as the images get pinned and shared it is useful to me to have the name in it so people can find the products.

Some designs are larger scale than others and they can all be mixed and matched within their colour groups. As an example Falling Ginkgo Leaves below is available in the different tones within the yellow group and on a variety of fabrics from cotton and linen to velvet and chiffon and many others.

There are seven different options in wallpaper, I love the silver metallic finish which gives a soft and subtle sheen.

As if that wasn't enough to stop my satisfy my yearning to see these trees in leaf I also have two new drypoint prints (available in my Etsy and Folksy stores;

Wednesday, 29 January 2025

Mixed media - A Flick of the Tail & On the Brink

pre-painting sketch...

Stage 1 - tissue paper, calico and a little acrylic medium...just making loose shapes and the gist of the composition.

Stage 2 - pale areas of colour in acrylic.

Stage 3 - building up tones and colours.

Stage 4 - adding more tone, refining edges, flinging and spattering paint. This was the ugly stage where I lived with the painting for a few days. I tried to sneak up on it and take it by surprise but would retreat muttering to myself. I think I had gotten too dark too soon and wanted to bring back some light, I couldn't decide if I needed to make it feel less solid and more gentle/fluid or keep the harsh solidity of stormy water.

I decided to warm things a little and remove some of the contrast. A little more spattering and texture in the paint - I wanted to capture a split second of time - a 'did I just see that?' moment... a playful teasing.

In contrast this piece shows a slightly more feisty side...the literal net is out (fruit netting from a bag of plums adhered to the board with acrylic medium) and ready to capture what it may. This is no playful splash but the brink of something that could become more sinister. I wanted to show the pressure of water about to pound down and a net waiting to engulf and drag off in the back wash.

The shapes, colours and textures from this little section of a mussel shell interior that has been sat on my desk quietly waited for me to notice it's connection to the painting. It too had been rolled around and most likely pounded by the sea.

A little softening of the contrasts and areas of the wave and the painting is now complete.

Working on these two pieces simultaneously allowed them to influence and speak to each other. By sharing base materials, format and palette I hope to portray their connection even though each is an extreme of disposition or emotion. I think this series is going to be a challenge, interesting but a challenge.

Both of these paintings are available in my Etsy store.

Thursday, 23 January 2025

Ran's net - a new project for 2025

I am slowly easing my way back into work trying to find my thread from before the holidays. I had been picking up from a project half started a long time ago back in the days of home school during the lockdowns... A project inspired by a Norse mythology book shared with my son.

One character captured my imagination, a Goddess named Ran (a personification of the ocean) who possessed a net which gathered sailors drowned at sea. She is both the cause and the consequence. I can't find many mentions of her in the texts that I have read and it is that most likely that elusiveness which has intrigued me....

I have so many notes and post-its and scribbles and thumbnails that I think it is time to start collating my thoughts together.

I have been going back through my notes and experiments - firstly a very textured detail from a collagraph plate using tile adhesive and aluminium foil tape. This was just a small part that I kept as I loved the texture and colours so much. It's not much more than a snippet but I couldn't part with it.

Second, a section of a ghost print ( a second printing of a plate without adding extra ink) that I worked into with collage, watercolour and coloured pencil. I regularly make a ghost print as fodder for experimenting with new ideas. I like the idea of work continuing, evolving and a continuous thread connecting pieces and projects - many tides, one ocean.

Another connection for these details is the strong 'V' composition that I seem to regularly circle back to.

Broken but oh so beautiful fragments of piddock shells, inspiring textures and compositions.

Wednesday, 15 January 2025

Broken but Still Beautiful - Drawing project 2024 an overview

All together, 2024's drawing project, broken, seaworn, and stunningly beautiful models. The centre bottom drawing I changed to greyscale for the ensemble, I think I prefer the softer greys to it's original blues.

For 2025's drawing project I think I am going to go with the theme of spirals so I am sure (well I know there will be) there will be some shells in there amongst the subjects - maybe some will be whole this time. As this month is racing along I think I will need to make a start very soon. I can't quite believe how quickly time has passed since my last post!

I haven't been resting on my laurels quite the whole time, lots of plans have been made and a new project started. Life has just been getting a little bit in the way but onwards and upwards and all that. Anyway, a very happy new year to you all I wish you a happy, healthy and creative 2025.