Seasons Greetings & Happy Holidays

Seasons Greetings   mixed media ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

December started and I'm not sure how it's managed to speed past the halfway mark already but here we are! I'm signing off now for this year and will be back in January. A very big thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me throughout the year I wish everyone who celebrates a very happy holidays and toast the New Year to come - I hope it is happy, healthy and successful for all. I look forward to seeing you in 2017.

A contrast in textures Bee on a teasel photograph ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

In the dunes photograph ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

The Black House photograph ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

A right jumble photograph ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

-7 degrees last night! It was a bit of a shock to the system on the school run this morning. Thankfully the sun is shining though it is still cold and frost still covers the garden. I am sitting in the warm drinking hot coffee and thinking of the warmer summer days and thought I would share these photos. Hopefully they will warm you too if you are feeling the chill.

This first one is for you Rhonda I hope the migraines settle for you soon.

Sketching and storms

Postacard sized sketches and explorations  mixed media on paper  ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Well the storms did arrive here - very heavy rain and high winds in the south caused quite a bit of flooding. A good time to batten down the hatches and continue with some sketchbook work whilst waiting for it to pass. It wasn't yet noon and I turned my lamp on to work. I hadn't noticed that I was gradually getting closer and closer to my work until my face was about six inches from the sketchbook! Now the air has cleared, the sun is shining and I am starting to feel the chill of Winter coming in the air.

Gathering storms and gathering ideas

Storm Gathering sketchbook studies in acrylic   A4 sketchbook   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

I would call them winter bugs but it isn't winter yet...but being under the weather has plagued my house recently. If not one of us it was another. There seems to be a respite at the moment (I am touching wood) however it has left me feeling rather depleted of energy and ideas. So back to the sketchbooks I go playing with paint and pencil and just seeing where it will lead. As the days are shortening it feels right to be hunkering down and having a little time out.

I am working my way through my reading list too; 'Go set a Watchman' by Harper Lee, A collection of Neruda's Odes and Printmaking in the Sun by Dan Welden are amongst my pile. (The irony isn't lost on me - I would love to be printmaking in the sun - probably next year ;o) ?) I'm sure there will be much to inspire there.

Mussel shell colour inspiration ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Jurassic coast

Jurassic coast  mixed media and etching 10x3.5cm   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

A tiny tiddler of an etching plate - an experiment on a scrap no bigger than two fingers. The plate just has the outline of land shapes and a horizon. A sketch - an idea - a nugget to mine in the future maybe. Who knows? Commissions are keeping me very busy so Murphy's law says that my brain will throw lots of ideas out whilst I don't have the time to develop them and when I do have the time they will disappear in a wisp of smoke. I am burying these gems in a sketchbook for later prospecting.

Flowing to the sea II - collagraph and mixed media

Flowing to the sea II   29x29cm collagraph and mixed media   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

A change of palette and a change of mood. I can't fail to be inspired by the autumn colours that are starting to appear. I love the golden light of autumn as it burnishes the landscape.

Flowing to the sea..

Flowing to the sea   29x29cm collagraph and mixed media   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

This is one of my favourite views of Autumn, looking from the back of Hengistbury head to wards Christchurch across the reedbeds. I love all the contrasting textures of the land and the sound of the wind in the reedbeds. It always feels so peaceful to me.

collagraph plate  ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

I made a collograph plate on a mountboard base using different textured papers and painting glue on in the highlighted areas. Some areas I cut into the mountboard and peeled back the layers to reveal the texture of the inside of the board. It was then sealed with shellack.

Inking up the plate was a joy. Rubbing different colours into the pits of texture and giving a wipe of different colour to the high points to give variagated colour and really show off the textures to full advantage - never quite sure what the final result will be.

After running the plate through the press with dampened paper and leaving the print to dry I decided to work back into the image with coloured pencils, pastels and acrylic paint. The embossment made by the plate on the paper when it passed through the press was beautiful to work on. Small scumbles of pure colour to visually mix in give a rich surface quality - there is quite a bit of pure yellow and orange contained within the reed areas but they are such small dashes they don't jar the eye and would be missed if absent.

I have two more prints that I would like to work back into in this way. The next one I would like to use a more traditional Autumn palette of ochres and siennas for a different mood. It's an enjoyable way of working with many possibilities to explore.

I have made this image available as a reproduction print on Fine Art America and here at  Red Bubble.

New reproduction prints now available

Images available on Fine Art America  ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

This last few weeks has seen me updating images on to my Red Bubble store and also making images available to buy through Fine Art America. The images are available in a number of different formats both framed and unframed, on canvas, as cards and also on other products. It is very easy to order from either site and both companies have money back guarantees.

It has been interesting to me to see the work in a portfolio view like this (almost like an online exhibition) to see the themes and connections between the pieces. It also has given me ideas for new work so another few pages have been filled up in my notebook with ideas and thumbnails. It is a lengthy and time consuming process (especially when you get sidetracked with yet another idea) and has kept me away from painting and printing. Over the next few weeks I will be adding more images as time allows. For now back to work...

Evening walkies

Evening Walkies   40x40cm acrylic on canvas board   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Dogs and walkers sketchbook page   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Sketchbooks are very precious to me. Pages like this one come in very useful as references for paintings sometimes months or years later. Looking through the pages remind me of the location, thoughts and feelings, the light and colours and many more details that wouldn't be apparent to anyone else looking at quick and sometimes clumsy pencil sketches.


Evening Walkies is available here;

Summer's whisper

Summer's Whisper   acrylic on canvas 50x50cm   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Summer's Whisper - tonal value check ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Inspired by a walk I had during the summer on a long hazy warm beach with just a gentle breeze for company. Very tranquil and relaxing...

It has been some time since I have painted on a larger scale and it was nice to stretch my wings a little. I have included a black and white photo of the finished piece to show the tonal range. I often take photos and convert them to black and white as I paint a piece so that I can check the tonal values as a painting progresses.



This new deep edged box canvas is available on Etsy at Seaside Studios UK.

Sea green - chambered nautilus

Sea Green   12.5x14cm   mixed media on paper   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec 

Sea glass greens - always favourite colours to me. These spirals seem to be on my mind a lot these days.

Colour inspiration below; the pebble is the most beautiful soft, chalky mint green/grey. It has been sitting on my desk for months and I have been feasting my eyes on it.

Sea glass, pebble & china shard all gathered from the shore in Jersey  ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

More treasures from the ocean...

Ocean treasures   3 21x30cm approx. each   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

I enjoyed doing the previous posts paintings so much that I carried on with some more....just on a little bit bigger scale. It felt nice to stretch.

Little sea treasures

Sea treasures   3 15x21cm (approx.) watercolour on paper   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

A few more little treasures just added to the Etsy shop Seaside Studios UK. - warmer colours for a change....

Starfish   15x21cm watercolour on paper   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

I love painting the details on starfish and playing with the colour and tone.

Simmering summer heat

Shimmering Heat   20x20cm acrylic on canvas board   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

We have been having a mini heatwave here in the UK. It's been gorgeous and I've been making the most of it from sun up till sundown. I hope your summer is as much fun.

A memory of yesterday's storm in my sketchbook...

Storm building - sketch from memory   11x11cm watercolour   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Yesterday I was a real treat! Whilst I sat on the sand in brilliant sunshine I watched a storm building over Studland, break and then move quickly out to sea. I think it must have made quite a downpour as the dark of the sky became as dark as the land and you couldn't see where one ended and the other began at one point. Tiny little flecks of white sails stood in contrast, lit up from the sun that was bright on my side of the bay, chasing the storm. The strong light reflecting the white sand at the bottom of the water made areas of the sea a gorgeous milky turquoise - a beautiful contrast to the brooding purplish/indigo of the sky.

All told it couldn't have lasted more then ten minutes or so and was such a thrill to watch, even my little prince watched enthralled. As soon as I could I had to try to record the memory in my sketchbook.

Soft Summer's Light and colour inspiration

Soft Summer's Light   acrylic on board 20x20cm   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

A while back whilst reading blog post by Sherrie York I chuckled to myself. She was in the middle of one of her exquisite linocuts and had realised that she had mixed the exact colour of ink to match the shirt that she was wearing. This is certainly something that has happened to me more than a few times.

The post reminded me of a time many moons ago at college when a tutor asked me why I had picked a certain colour combination for a repeat pattern design. It was quite a combination - dusky pink, chestnut brown, and bright vibrant turquoise and orange! I replied that I didn't have a clue, there was no reason I just happened to mix them. It was only when I got back home to my student digs and went to the kitchen that I saw the combination in all its retro lino, ceramic tiles and Formica glory staring back at me! I guess the décor was so familiar that I had stopped seeing it. My environment subconsciously influencing my palette is something that I have noticed happening a lot over the years.

This painting is another example - I only realised when I had finished it. I had consciously been looking at these particular shells for inspiration and referring to these pages in my colour notebook.

Colour notes ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Shells ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Then I realised that I had also been deciding between these  Farrow & Ball  colours for a decorating project....

Farrow & Ball Dix Blue no.82, Green Blue no.84 and Tersea's Green no.236

...it has been a difficult decision as I love them all.... there may be more than one DIY project in the pipeline. ....ssshhhhhhh don't tell His Nibbs... ;o)


You can read Sherrie York's post here.

Summer evenings

Summer Evening I    14x20cm acrylic on board   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Summer Evening II    19.5x11cm acrylic on board   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Sketchbook page and beach treasures colour inspiration   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

A rushed thumbnail sketch and treasures from my stash inspired these two paintings. Memories and observations of countless evenings at the beach all added together, interwoven and layered play their part.


Both paintings are available at my Etsy store Seaside Studios UK.

Mangata monoprints - exploring the theme

Pause and Reflect   13x12cm  monoprint   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Three monoprint explorations on the mangata theme. They are experiments in technique as much as concept. There is something very meditative and calming about trying to capture this idea which I hope comes across in the images. After using paynes grey oil paint in the previous posts drypoint I treated myself to a new etching ink by Charbonnel in the same colour. This is what I have used in Mangata I & II below. It's a little bluer in colour but perfect for this subject I think.

Mangata I   21x15cm monoprint   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Mangata II   21x15cm monoprint   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

On the dunes - drypoint etching print

On the Dunes   drypoint etching 10x18.5cm   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

A new drypoint etching print available in my Etsy shop Seasidestudiosuk.   - a larger sister piece to the etching The Wind Whistled from a few posts back. I used a paynes grey watermixable oil paint for this one - I love the subtle tones of the greys. My palette seems to be greying down quite a lot these days...

Jetty - a new etching

Jetty   artist proof etching  7x15.5cm   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Browsing the internet one day I made a discovery, a word that I felt I had been searching for for a long time. I don't think there is a true alternative in English - if you know of one please let me know. It's the Swedish word MANGATA which according to the The Guardian translates as 'the road-like reflection of the moon on water'. What a wonderful word! One single word to describe a theme/motif that has run through my work on and off for a long time. I was very excited by the discovery that I had stumbled across by accident and it has sparked some new ideas. They need some time to develop but I think this etching might be the beginning.

Sketchbook page ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Etching proof with mixed media ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

A quick trip

A quick trip down to Perranporth last week for a birthday celebration (not mine) and I stole the opportunity for a lone walk on the beach whilst the boys went swimming. My pockets were getting heavy after an hour or so...

Beach treasures   photograph ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

The sky was overcast and it was a bit blowy, though surprisingly warm so there weren't that many people out except for the dog walkers and a few dedicated surfers.

Perranporth beach ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Perranporth Beach ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

With one eye on the tide, which was on it's way in, I explored the rock pools looking at all the textures and colours.

Rock pool ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

It had been ten years since I had been back to Cornwall. (I used to go three sometimes four times a year) I definitely won't be leaving it so long again. It's such an inspiring stretch of coast. I'm sure the colours and textures will be appearing in new work very soon.

On the rocks ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

And just because..... a few more textures and tones.....

Textures and tones of Perranporth   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

Ideas and experiments

Snippets a montage of ideas and notes   mixed media   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Where to start? I have so many ideas half baked, scraps of paper with little experiments, workings out, notes in sketchbooks....all jostling for attention. I've decided to take a little break from blogging for a few weeks whilst I get my 'house' in order. It's also time for a good literal studio Spring clean as well as the mental one. Believe it or not this is a tidied desk - I can't show you the horror that lies in the other direction!

Studio desk   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Along the Jurassic coast path

The Wind Whistled   etching   3.2x10cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

The Jurassic coast footpath covers 95 miles of beautiful scenery, stretching from Exmouth in Devon to Old Harry Rocks in Dorset. It is England’s first natural UNESCO World Heritage Site and if you have the chance to visit it you will soon see why.

This little etching is from a sketch, a first response, made years ago on one of my first visits. I was struck by the patterns of the fence posts disappearing and leading on through sections of the path. It's not the usual impression people leave with, it doesn't have the iconic romanticism of Durdle Door or Lulworth Cove or any of the other beautiful spots along this bit of coastline. I think it made an impression on me for being so ordinary and overlooked. I liked the pattern it made in the landscape.



This etching is available for purchase here.

Ammonite spiral solar etching

Ammonite   solar etching   14.5x20.5cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

This what I had been intending to print when I stumbled across the seahorse plate from the previous post...These prints are from a second solar etching plate that I made on the Printmaking Course at Arts University Bournemouth. (For an explanation of the process visit this post Sea urchin - solar etching.) I had decided to do another ammonite plate to be able to compare and contrast the technique and outcome with a small zinc ammonite plate I had etched in the traditional way. (Variations are shown here.)

After experimenting with the inking up and printing of both types of plate I think the outcomes are hard to distinguish between. Maybe the difference would become apparent when printing large editions with one plate wearing down quicker than another. My research hasn't come up with an answer to that, only that both types of plate are very hard wearing. I have enjoyed both processes and can see the advantage of solar etching for my circumstances in not having to use the acid bath to make plates. Whether I can make it work for me using sunlight and not having to have a light box to expose the drawing onto the plate remains to be seen, more experiments to come over summer methinks.

Ammonite   solar etching   14.5x20.5cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Both of the above prints are available in my Etsy store Seasidestudiosuk.

Seahorse etchings

I am still working through some of the etching plates that I made at college, I seem to have made so many.... I remember proofing this zinc plate there and then quite forgetting that I had it until I found it again whilst looking for something else! The something else was quickly forgotten as I was excited to print a few variations from this plate. Each print is quite different in colour going from blue to blue/grey to grey (left to right). As I print I like to adjust the colour modifying it with a bit of this and a bit of that in much the same way as I cook, seasoning as I go along.

The inspiration came from a trip to the Bournemouth Oceanarium where I spent a good half an hour watching a half dozen or so of these beautiful creatures. It is well worth a visit if you are visiting the town.

Seahorse - three variations- limited variable edition etching   5.5x16cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Each of these prints is available here at my Etsy store Seasidestudiosuk.etsy.com.