Lisa Le Quelenec Seaside studios paintings, prints and mixed media

Sunday 3 November 2024

Broken but still Beautiful - October

Very broken but ohhhh so beautiful. For October's drawing I chose a fragment. Sometimes when I find these they are very fine and delicate at the edges of the outer surface but reveal a more sturdy columella. The whole of this small one was a little more robust and so made it home in my pocket without further damage.

This is posting a little late - I am behind after a fun filled half term with birthday celebrations. I'm not sure how my son can be 11 already but here we are.

Thursday 24 October 2024

A new print edition in the making...Silence & Snow

I have had an image whirling around in my minds eye, a seed that has started to grow for a while. There is a very early version, more of a sketch at the time from some years back that I have always had on my list to explore further. Recently I have decided to just get on with it - enough with the procrastination.

Below is the scribbly sketch of the idea.... you can see the folds in the paper that gave me guidelines for the composition using the rule of thirds. I am very much inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, the style and minimalism, and although that doesn't show at all in the sketch I think it will be obvious in the prints.

Thumbnail for Silence & Snow

Before printing the carved block I printed an uncarved block to give a base colour using very thin ink. For the initial prints I don't want to show any of the white paper - I'm sure this will change as I explore further and experiment with different colours and tones. My thinking is to create different versions using colour, extra elements and possibly adding tissue paper chine colle at some point. I would like to evoke the magical gloaming as night falls, hazy, misty and frosty nights, possibly a few prints inspired by the recent Northern Lights displays, then maybe warmer winter sunshine. Can I do all of these with one image? I want to experiment to find out, I haven't done this using this technique before nor on this scale which is somewhat larger that I have done before in print.

This is one of the first prints with the second layer added. I felt like something was missing and out of balance - I wasn't getting the depth that I could see in my mind...

Using a small piece of the soft carve lino I cut a third mini block of tree silhouettes to add to the right of the composition. This gave much more depth and balance, now to experiment.

This is one of the first prints that I felt happy with. I like the looming distant trees and the frosty haze that is lighting up the sky as it descends. I have printed on my usual bright white paper but it didn't feel right with the warmer blues so I have ripped the edges of the prints up to the image margins and mounted them on a warmer off white paper for the warmer blues and a softer white for the cooler ones. I think if I continue to do this it will give some continuity to all the prints in the series despite some big variations in colour and other additions. It will also add some opportunity to contrast a different texture with the backing paper that will show when it is framed.

Cropping changes the composition and feel of the image, I might go back into the square versions and add additional tree silhouettes in between.

I have just a few prints that I am happy with so far and will add to both my Folksy and Etsy stores. In addition I will put a version on RedBubble as I think it will work well as a holiday card.

Any way this has very much kept me out of mischief, what do you think?

Thursday 10 October 2024

Shades of Autumn II - Oak drypoint prints

I made a sister print to last weeks Acorns and have popped a couple of variations into both my Etsy and Folksy stores. I rather like working in this way and having colour variations.

The one below is in Folksy.

I am still working on some larger drypoints of stormy skies and seas but having been rather enjoying the dry spells of sunny weather between the storms so progress has been slower. We have had lots of reference weather to help things along though....my gosh the rain! Obviously nothing compared to the weather some American friends seem to be enduring at the moment though, I do hope they manage to stay safe.

Thursday 3 October 2024

Shades of Autumn - Acorns drypoint prints

Acorns that found their way into my pocket whilst out walking my dog. Each printed in a different autumnal shade and one in a soft warm charcoal black. I have two proof prints made whilst the plate was being tested for the edition which I may work into with mixed media at a later date. I have put a couple of the prints in both my Etsy and Folksy stores.

I enjoyed printing the edition one print after another mixing the ink as I went adding to the colour left by the previous mix. I think I may do more of these with different motifs. It was nice to try something different.

Thursday 26 September 2024

Sundial shell pattern collections

Always a sucker for a spiral, I love these sundial shells. I love the bottom face as much as the more pronounced swirl on the top. The beautiful spiralling circles in this particular one called to me.

This one little shell has inspired a whole collection of repeat patterns available as fabric, wallpaper and home accessories at Spoonflower and as clothing, accessories and home accessories in my RedBubble Store.

Of course no collection is complete without being available in a selection of colours. Whilst teal is my favourite there is also duck egg, chartreuse, and claret with forest green and navy being the latest versions of the designs. Co-ordinating pinstripes, plains and seigaiha wave/scale patterns are also within the collections.

As I work more with pattern making I am discovering that I often reach for far richer and bolder colours that I would never use in my painting or printing. I am wondering if, as I continue, this may change. It is interesting to stand back and watch the creative paths converge and diverge, one often feeding the ideas of another.

Which colour is your favourite?

Thursday 19 September 2024

Headland and a Sudden Shower - etching and drypoint prints

It certainly is starting to feel autumnal now with noticeably darker mornings and evenings. Occasionally more dramatic skies and rain showers and a mellowness in the air. I have been reprinting and restocking some of my older plates which are now available in my Etsy Store with prints from these edition at Folksy too.

I have been inspired to work on some new larger prints. I am still in the platemaking and testing stage but hope to have something to show soon. Below are the initial sketchbook thumbnails - these are tiny inch square sketches/ideas - I am working out how to translate them into larger images, how far I can push the boundaries of the plate size before the image is lost.

Thursday 12 September 2024

Broken but still beautiful - August & September drawings

A little bit different to previous drawings again. August's model suggested line quality should be the focus and I thought 'who am I to argue?'...except argue I did as I wanted to add shadows to the form half way through and added hatching which would have been more sympathetic if I was using ink. I know, I know, I should have listened....it's a lesson I haven't learnt thus far....hey ho. Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn.

I think my listening skills improved this month as beautiful Dame September adorned with a patina of barnacles and sumptuous textures modelled some intriguing shapes and forms. I have a feeling that I will return to this specimen in the future as I enjoyed the interlocking shapes of the barnacles so much.

Fingers crossed the glitch in the comments is fixed. I'm not sure how or why but fingers crossed.

Tuesday 27 August 2024

Coastal Collection in Seaglass and Sage

Before I get on with todays post I would like to profusely apologise.

I have just realised that all the answers that I have posted to comments on this blog haven't published and it looks like this has been going on for some time. It is always so lovely to read through peoples thoughts and insights to my work and I appreciate each and every one and I always do answer. I have been doing so the last couple of months as I have always done but it seems that they aren't being published since July. It seems very strange that I can't post a comment on my own blog and I have been through all the settings - nothing has changed. I'm not sure what to try next, if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. I seem to be able to comment on other blogs so I don't think it is my account...maybe a problem with this blog. It is all very strange. I do apologise - it feels rather like I have been ignoring friends and passing them in the street with my nose in the air - how rude! I do hope that I can get it sorted soon and you can accept my apologies.

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For today's post I would like to share a new design and a new colour for my Coastal Collections at Spoonflower. Colours inspired by delicate sea green seaglass and my favourite green waves for the colouring paired with my favourite ammonite.

I have reworked and added my other designs in these colours they can all be found in a new collection here

Of course I had to add this new design in all the blues for the other colourways, how could I not?

Wednesday 14 August 2024

Abstracted Wave I - IV & Wave Water Sand Spray I & II mixed media on canvas boards

So I have been a little bit busy....

A new mini series of pieces using acrylic and collaged textures, mostly from fabric and textured papers. My love of line expressed through the loose threads and frayed edges which I think works well with the movement in the water that I am trying to suggest.

The rough edges feel important to me to the pieces and so I have left a margin of the white canvas board showing which frame the image. It has been suggested to me that it acts like a kind of frame and given their size they would suit standing propped on a shelf as well as framed. What do you think?