Colour palettes for a new Fabric and Wallpaper Collection.

 

I thought I would share how I start to play with colours and choose palettes for new pattern collections in fabric and wallpaper. I am very drawn at the moment to yellows, ochres and soft lilacs which feels like a big leap from the teals, blues and turquoise I have turned to in painting and printmaking lately.

Palette Inspiration Golden Yellow and Lavender   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

I am very inspired by this postcard that I picked up at the Russell-Cotes Museum of 'Magpie or Still Life with Magpie by Clementina M Hull 1866-1908. It may not come across in this picture but the colours are both subtle and vibrant and the complimentaries sing beautifully against each other. I need the cheerful colour in the middle of Winter amidst all the grey and dark.


Isolating the colours and curating them with shells, objects from my collections and paint swatches that I have painted is an interesting exercise. I like to move physical objects around and lay them on painted swatches as it feels more real than just manipulating on a screen. I want to see how colour behaves in different light and how it will drape around a form like fabric will in real life. It helps me to imagine how it can be used within a real setting. 

Colour Inspiration Sea Sage   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

Palette Inspiration Summertime Blues   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

Colour Inspiration Deep Duck Egg  ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

Isn't the koi door handle and plate above stunningly beautiful? This is from the Russell-Cotes Museum too. The stripes are from corrugated plastic roofing on Boscombe pier - not quite so artisan and romantic but colour inspiring in its own way.

Colour Inspiration Warm Terracotta   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

This gorgeous botanical sample was photographed at an exhibition of May Morris designs last year. It was amazing to see the drawings, watercolours and evolution of her designs along side the finished work. 

You can see from these palettes that I am a bit of a magpie too, always collecting treasures, making connections. Sometimes the flotsam and jetsam takes years to surface and influence work but I think the benefit of time is important, ideas need to evolve and percolate waiting for the right moment.

The new Collection will hopefully be ready to share next week or the week after, I have been working away on them since December and am partway through loading them onto Spoonflower. 

Little Beach Treasures - a new sketchbook

 

Little beach treasures sketchbook pages   watercolour   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

A new sketchbook to record treasures found. It will include shells, pottery sherds, pebbles, driftwood, seaweed and any other interesting bits and pieces that I find and make their way home in my pocket. I think this sketchbook will be quite the visual diary. It is small, about 12x12cm, so nothing too intimidating, the sketches can only be to a certain level of detail. It will be my version of morning pages and will encourage me to keep my watercolour practice going. I have been finding it hard to keep up lately with other projects taking up all my time but hopefully this will be my motivation.

2026 Drawing Projects - February Poppy Seedheads

 

Poppy seedheads from my garden  coloured pencil on buff paper   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

This months drawing of poppy seedheads was deceptively tricky to draw. Although the shapes are simple the subtle colouring is a different story. The tones are warm to neutral with  surprising amount of warm blue/lavender - hopefully I have done them justice. 

New Coastal Monoprints

 

Winter Moon   monoprint 12.5x12.5cm   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

More monoprints from recent printing sessions....

 Moonshine   monoprint 12.5x12.5cm   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

A collection are available in my Folksy store.

2026 Drawing Project - January Holly Leaves

 It has begun... my 2026 drawing project. I am pausing drawing shells for this year and turning to plants, seeds and leaves that I can find either in my garden or in the local area. All the same themes will be a focus; shape, structure, tone, details... there are lots of similarities but they are different enough for new challenges and discoveries. 

Holly Leaf inspiration   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

Holly Leaf inspiration   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

To kick off the year and the inspiration for this years project are these rather lovely decaying holly leaves. They are such a joy to draw that I have covered two pages in my sketchbook - in the second page I have increased the scale to really enjoy both detail and colour. Unfortunately good light for photographing the pages isn't great today and my lamp is shining on the paper surface a bit much on one side - apologies.

Whilst drawing the veins in the leaves I am reminded of coral that I have drawn in years gone by. Also it is interesting to note that in the very decayed leaves secondary veins run parallel to the stem as well as branching off from it. I haven't observed this before. Every day is a school day.

Decaying Holly Leaves   sketchbook page coloured pencil   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

Decaying Holly Leaves   sketchbook page coloured pencil   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

Shell Seekers - new design collection for fabric and wallpaper

 

A new collection of designs in response to a design challenge on Spoonflower - the brief was Delft Tile.

I fell down a rabbit hole researching and wanted to emulate the calming, serene, peaceful and unhurried feelings the antique tiles evoke. Once the main design was created  I couldn't help but make a selection of co-ordinates, in what I hope could be used to make a peaceful sanctuary to retreat to. 

All the designs can bs viewed here in my Spoonflower store. Stationery and home accessories can be found here in my RedBubble shop.

Night Tide - collagraph variations

 

Night Tide    varied edition collagraphs    ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

One plate, an edition of 4 all, varied in the inking of the collagraph plate measuring 12.5x12.5cm.

One memory, a hot and humid evening watching summer storm clouds gathering across the bay. Metallic tasting air, an expectant silence.... then a sultry breeze and a rush back to the car before the storm broke and the rain fell in torrents. It is funny how a storm can stay with you for years, nestled away in your memory ready to be brought out and relived.

It feels quite apt to be posting about them now given the recent bit of weather the UK has been experiencing.

Night Tide - prints available at Folksy ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

The prints are available in my Folksy store.

Night Tide Artist Proof with mixed media ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

I tested the collagraph plate with these two proof prints and made a couple of adjustments before printing this small edition of four in blue black indigo ink. The six images together feel like they tell the story of that summer evening - each one a snap shot in time.

Night Tide Artist Proof with mixed media ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

December's spiral drawing

Spiral shell drawing   pencil and ink on paper   ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

And here it is - the final spiral drawing for 2025, a Venus comb - a favourite to draw though I haven't for some time. Drawing it head on like this it reminded me of some dinosaur toys my son had when he was little....stegosaurus like back spines. 

I'm still pondering the drawing project for 2026. I just can't make up my mind.....

Green Glass - mixed media

 

Green Glass   mixed media 18x12.5cm on canvas board   ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

For now the final piece in my wave watching, I know I will return soon to them soon and maybe I will go a little larger...

This piece is available in my Folksy Store in the Mixed Media Collection.

November's spiral shell drawing

 

WIP spiral shell drawing   pencil and ink   ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

November's drawing is a weighty one. I always think this shell would make a pretty lethal weapon. You can hold it in your hand very comfortably with it's claws between your fingers as it is a rather large specimen. I guess the creature that lives inside could potentially use it's protrusions to warn off predators maybe, it certainly looks fierce.

Can you believe that there is only one more drawing to go? I can't I feel like I have just been getting started but the year is going so fast! I will need to think up next years one-a-month project soon.

Spiral shell drawing   pencil and ink on paper   ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

I am also VERY excited to show you the pattern that I made in the summer from the first six drawings, this is a sample of the fabric in the small scale in mid blue. I am so pleased with how this came out (even if I do say so myself) - and I did a happy dance! The fat quarter that I ordered is on the petal signature cotton but lots of other fabrics are available like velvet, fleece, twill, cotton silk, denim and I am very tempted to order some of the wallpaper as a sample (I will have to think up a project to use it on - I think it would be lovely as a book cover).

To see the available colourways click here and look for the Coastal Collection for the relevant colour.

Beachcombed Beauties medium mid blue   fabric available at Spoonflower   ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

As always it is available as a print, framed, unframed or canvas or stationery at RedBubble 

Portrait XI   framed prints available at LisaLeQuelenec.redbubble.com ©LisaLeQuelenec2025