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.

Monoprint and mixed media skimming the breeze

Skimming the breeze   monoprint and mixed media 21x15

Another monoprint experiment to which I added a little coloured pencil. I cut a paper mask to make the gull shape - it has given me a lot of ideas to think about. I like the contrast in printmaking methods between the painterly looseness of monoprint and the more precise etchings and drypoints. I am filling notebooks at a rate of knots with ideas to further explore. If only there were more hours in the day...

Coastal calm in watercolour

Coastal calm   watercolour on paper 22x22cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Sunrise   watercolour on paper 22x22cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Two new watercolours available in my Etsy store. I'm looking forward to the spring /summer sun now. Enough of the rain and cold, bring us some warmth. I hope the sun is shining for you.

Experiments with Daniel Smith's Lunar Black watercolour

Lunar black mixes in my colour notebook   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Lunar black sketchbook page ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

 

Sketch I - lunar black ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Sketch II  - lunar black ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

I treated myself to a new (to me) watercolour tube of paint on my last order ; Daniel Smith's Lunar Black. What a beauty! I am rather partial to colourful black watercolour as you know and have written about some experiments on the dark side before here and here. Whilst not what I would call a colourful black it does have the most beautiful granulating quality. These images show the first few sketches and tests that I have done using it. I'm still very much at the 'getting to know you' stage of the pigment, experiments so far show how difficult I found it to control the granulating properties but it is definitely a colour that I can see great potential in.......very, very, exciting. I think it will show it's true potential in large scale work and onsite sketching will be another place I use it as I make tonal studies. Time to play I think....

Sketch III lunar black mixes ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec