Friday 30 March 2012

Contrails and sunset mixed media experiments



Fist stage - collage experiment
©2012 Lisa Le Quelenec



Taking six of the mini compositions that I showed yesterday I thought I would develop them further into collage. Using watercolour paper that had been pre-painted with I ripped strips to give a fluffy soft edge. The layers of the paper exposed more dimensions and a 3D relief to the edges. In contrast the circles were cut with scissors for a harder edge. They were glued down with acrylic medium and a coat of the medium was brushed over the whole surface to seal it. My intention at this stage was to glaze acrylics over the top and I wanted to reduce the 'thirstyness' and absorbency of the paper.




Second stage - additions of colour pencil and acrylic ink
© Lisa Le Quelenec



For reasons of speed I rejected the idea of glazing acrylic and instead reached for colour pencils and acrylic ink. As I started working back into the collages my mind was darting down tangents thinking not only of contrails but also of the thermals that birds use to glide along on and the breezes that give relief to the hot summer days. Although difficult to see in this photograph I have also carved/embossed into the watercolour paper. As it was a heavy weight paper this was very easy to do. Some of the linear marks representing the thermals are picked out in acrylic ink.

I love working in this experimental manner as it's so different to the way I normally paint it gives me the freedom to try new things and play for a while. These little mixed media pieces (they only measure 10x10cm) could be a new series of paintings or prints, I might never use them for anything else or they could be a whole series of work waiting to happen. I can't help but wonder because of the textures they might make good collograph plates, if only I had a press.......





mixed media experiment
©2012 Lisa Le Quelenec



I think  Bruce  summed it up perfectly in his comment on yesterdays post;

It is the placement of such thoughts in sketchbooks... which guarantees that they are seeds... not lost... but reserved for planting and germination on another another fertile day!

that day maybe tomorrow or in years time, who knows.... it will be a good starting point for new work when the time comes.


8 comments:

Anonymous said...
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vivien said...

I agree - these are lovely. Handpainted paper torn is so brilliant in collage - now the problem is how to enlarge them without losing their quality.

Jeanette Jobson said...

The collage concept is great and an inspired idea. The abstract look and colours are wonderful. Lino prints or etching could be an interesting side road on this idea too.

Anonymous said...

Lisa I hope you go further with these, they are wonderful.

RH Carpenter said...

All of these are worthy of hanging on any wall - lovely colors and compositions (you really have to click to make them larger to see all the little things you can't see in the small view). I really like these and hope you continue with more.

Lisa Le Quelenec said...

Hi Vivien, I thought enlarging might be tricky too. I've tried collograph, or at least my version, to take it forward on near enough the same scale to generate some more ideas. It's all good fun.

Hello Jeanette and thank you. A post that you wrote some time back about hand pressing collographs and inspired my next experiment. Etching would be great but too involved for me at the moment. Lino is definately worth a thought though...

Hi Maggie, thanks.

Hi Rhonda, thank you very much! The experiment is developing although I'm running out of time for it as exhibition work is calling.... another couple of days (and nights) though.

JANE MINTER said...

this collection looks super together lisa ...lots of inspiration for you to develop .

Lisa Le Quelenec said...

Hi Jane, thank you. The difficulty is trying to decide where to go next...