Season's greetings

Merry Christmas ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

So here we are, just over a couple of weeks until the big day so I will bid you my season's greetings now. I would like to say thank you to everyone for taking time to visit the blog and commenting and those that are reading along in the background this year. It is lovely to be a part of such a friendly and supportive community.

I hope in whichever way you celebrate the holidays and to those that don't that the next few weeks are a filled with peace, good health, happiness and contentment that extend throughout 2019 - lets make it a good one.

Winter walkies

Winter Walkies    watercolour on paper 40x40cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

The winter walkies I have been experiencing haven't been quite as idyllic as this. Dark, dreary, soaking wet and blowing a gale have been more the order of the day this week but still a girl can dream.... It has made me very thankful for my waterproofs.

Ironically, in a way, water has been the essential element in painting these two pieces with very wet washes, glazing and minimal pigment. I have used a triad of Daniel Smith's sodalite, cobalt blue deep and yellow ochre light again. I love, love, love the granulations they produce and it has been good to work on a slightly larger scale again.


Both paintings are available in my Folksy store Seaside Studios UK.

One Man & His Dog   watercolour on paper 40x40cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

The beach to themselves

The beach to themselves   collagraph monoprint and mixed media 19x14.5cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Two collagraph monoprints with added coloured pencil - experiments with materials. I used a variety of materials on the collagraph plates - mostly different textured papers. For the sand ripples above I used sandpaper and in the piece below I glued loose sand to the plate before varnishing. It has given very different effects. As always it seems with collagraph the art is in the inking - I continue to learn with each and every print. It is such a satisfying process.

Last stroll of the day   collagraph monoprint and mixed media 19x14.5cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec 

Both are available at Seaside Studios UK on Folksy.

The mist rolled in

The Mist Rolled In (detail)   watercolour 12x18cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

The Mist Rolled In  watercolour 12x18cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Subtle tones and barely there colour. A blanket of mist rolls in off the sea masking sight and sound.

(This one wasn't fun to try and photograph, the camera has bleached the colour a little too much.)


Available at Seaside Studios UK Etsy

First to the sea

Looking for Treats (in progress)   17.5x17.5cm watercolour on paper   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

First to the Sea   watercolour on paper 8x13cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Have you ever been to the beach really, really early in the morning before anyone else has arrived with a low tide and pristine virgin sand? You can be alone with your thoughts enjoying the breeze listening to your breath and the sound of your footsteps that dissipates into the big empty stillness as you are slowly warmed by the sun.



The colour chart from a few posts back is certainly coming in useful. Just a touch of colour in the mix and the atmosphere has changed.


These paintings are available at Seaside studios UK on etsy

Looking for Treats   17.5x17.5cm watercolour on paper   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

 

Walking the dog II

The first two paintings for this mini series... once again I am in love with Daniel Smith's Sodalite Genuine and its gorgeous granulation's.

Walking the dog   watercolour on paper 17.5x17.5cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Walking the dog II   watercolour on paper 19.5x19.5cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Both paintings are available at Seasidestudiosuk on Etsy.

It might be time for a little colour. Where did I put my colour chart?

Just walking the dog

Wet sand, reflections and silhouettes fill my mind and sketchbooks at the moment. They are inspiring a new mini project. I watched an interview on Youtube with Fred Cuming one of my all time favourite artists which is where the quote in my sketchbook has come from. He said;

'I might be the only person in miles of open space.

It provides me with endlessly fascinating problems

of conveying something which is about nothing

more than emptiness.'

Fred Cuming

You can see more of his work here.

Sketchbook page   watercolour and pencil   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

He sums up so eloquently what I am trying to achieve. Light, space, solitude and quiet. I often think of my sea and sky paintings as 'the big empties' and this feels an extension of that work. Maybe the addition of a figure exaggerates that notion. Time to explore...

Sketchbook page   pencil on monoprint    ©LisaLeQuelenec

A gloomy day and a good book

It is dark, gloomy and decidedly cooler today. Perfect for curling up with a book. This is my latest aquisition;

The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St Clair 

ISBN 9781473630819 hardback

ISBN 97814730630826 ebook

I have only dipped into it so far - it is that kind of book (you don't have to read it in any particular order). The history/story of 75 colours are discussed individually. There are chapters on the science, politics and language of colour. At the end there is a glossary of other 'interesting colours'. I rather hope that this may mean a second volume may be in the future. I am enjoying her writing style and will keep this book for the gloomy days to come as something to look forward to it will chase the dull greys away.

The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History 

ISBN 9781473659032 has just been released and also sounds like an interesting read.

Anyway that is me set for today, hot coffee, a great book .... maybe a jammy dodger or two ;o) What are you reading at the moment?

Colour charts and colour sketchbook pages

The colour that I used in the previous post was Daniel Smith's Sodalite Genuine. I like using this colour on it's own for tonal studies for it's unpredictable granulation and the way the blue and the black sometimes separate as it's drying. I think of it as a soft faded denim and as comfortable to use as a pair of well loved jeans is to wear. It occured to me that although I have used this colour often and have used it in mixes with other blues I hadn't actually made a colour recipe chart for it with the other colours in my palette.

Colour charts for black watercolours ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Above is the chart painted this week on the left. To the right are some charts made previously  - you can see posts about previous expermients with black watercolours  here.  It was well worth doing the chart as I don't think I would have discovered these beautiful greens that can be mixed otherwise. I particularly like the way Sodalite Genuine mixes with Cobalt Turquoise Light, Green Gold and Indanthrene Blue (all Winsor & Newton)

Pages from my colour recipe and experiment book ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

This another chart to add to my colour sketchbook or recipe book. Below are a few pages from it that I have been refering to lately with all the greys, blues and aquas. It's filled with experiments, clippings, charts, notes and all sorts - even a couple of disposable palettes have been stuck in. To be honest it is an unruly mess with splats and spodges and scribbles but it is well thumbed, dog earred in places and beyond value to me. It's been added to over a number of years and as I am running out of room I will have to re-bind it to add more pages at some point in the future. It could end up as thick as a brick :o)  .

Making shapes

Watercolour sketches   watercolour   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

My little bundle of happiness on four paws has been making some interesting shapes as she explores her world.

*note to self - you can justify puppy watching as research if you have a sketchbook and brush in hand ;o)

Headland - a new etching

Headland   etching 6x6cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

I love the super strong contrasts of light on the ocean that you get after a heavy downpour and the energy and exhilaration as you wait in anticipation for the next bout to come. So inspiring, even though it can make your eyes ache for the relief in the shadows.


This etching is available on Etsy at Seaside Studios UK.

Bubbles

Bubbles   etching 3x6cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

A new miniature etching. It seems the universal appeal of bubbles and children also extends to puppies. Much fun has been had with a squirt of dish soap, some water and a couple of bubble wands. It's a race to see who can pop them first.

Prints from this edition are available at Seaside Studios UK Etsy  and at Seaside Studios UK Folksy

A toothy grin   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Summer fun is fast drawing to a close....my lil prince starts his first day of school next week! The cute little puppy that came home with us is now toothy and sassy....and I am left wondering where did that time go? I couldn't resist showing you this puppy grin. New teeth are on their way.

Beach Treasures in mixed media

Beach Treasures   etching and mixed media    ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Following on from the etchings in last weeks post I couldn't resist playing with a set in coloured pencil. I have scanned them and made the available as cards and reproduction prints on Redbubble .

Beach treasures   etching and coloured pencil   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Beach treasures etchings and process

Sketches and preliminary sketchbook work for the Beach Treasures etching ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

I had begun to plan my most ambitious etching project to date some time ago. As always it started in my sketchbook and was a kind of continuation of the watercolour beach treasures collections to begin with I wasn't sure if the compositions were going to be in watercolour or print. I had even gotten as far as thinking about colour when I decided to go the etching route.

Concept sketch for Beach Treasures etching plates ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Refining the shapes and drawing for each plate took some time as I wanted to get the spacing and balance perfect for each individual plate and for it to work just as well as a triptych. Once that was done I was ready to make the plates and could easily transfer each outline onto the prepared zinc. Carefully I added in the hatching to render the form of the objects. There is a lovely parallel between the hardness of the shells and pebbles and the delicate marks they have and recreating it on a hard metal plate.

Once completed the plates are bathed in acid for the drawing to be eaten away giving a 'tooth' for the ink to settle in and imprint on the paper. After carefully cleaning away the rest of the ground (the substance used as a barrier to keep the acid from eating away at the metal where you don't want a mark) the plate is ready for inking.

The plates all ready for printing - Beach treasures ©2018LisaLeQueleenc

I have proofed the plates individually (made test prints) in both black and blue/black ink and am happy with the results. It really does pay for me to spend time in the preparation before starting the plate making.

The proof prints are both available mounted as you can see here at Seaside Studios UK on Etsy. Prints of individual plates are available on both Etsy and in my Folksy store.

Beach treasures I, II & III   original etchings, first artists proof prints mounted to 30x50cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Beach treasures I, II & III   original etchings, second artists proof prints mounted to 30x50cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Beach Treasures I, II & III   etchings 6.5x13.5cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Seaweeds - new watercolours

Three new seaweeds available at Seaside Studios UK

Seaweeds   watercolour on paper 21x30cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Country Homes & Interiors August Edition 2018

The seaweed painting below that appears on the cover of Country Homes & Interiors magazine's August Edition has already found it's new home in Norway. The article looks gorgeous and I would like to say a big thank you for the opportunity to Features & Art Director Sara Bird, Stylist Selina Lake, Style Assistant Sarah Prall and Photographer David Brittain .

Seaweed   30x21cm approx watercolour on paper   ©2017LisaLeQuelenec

A pause for paws...

Toddler sized chairs are also perfectly sized puppy chairs don'tcha know

I am taking a break to train up my new apprentice. Not quite soft kitty paws Bruce, more thunking big labrador puppy ones. She's very young but seems willing to pick up the ropes... lead... collar... shoes... slippers... rug and what ever else she thinks she can get away with - which is quite a bit as she is really very cute  ;o)  I think she will be keeping me on my toes for a bit. What an adventure!!!

I will still be keeping the Etsy and Folksy shops open and reproductions are available at RedBubble and Fine Art America. For all other enquiries drop me an email at seasidestudios [@] hotmail.com I will get back to you as soon as I can.

FOG!

Sailing through the mist II  watercolour on paper 14x19cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

We had a little early morning fog a couple of weeks ago. Fog is soft and silent. It muffles sound, confusing the listener. Things loom in and out of focus making everything soft and silhouetted. Yet every time I see, hear or read the word fog in my mind I hear Brian Blessed too much watching Peppa Pig - he is the voice of Grampy Rabbit, and I smile. (I have included a link to a wikipedia page for anyone not familiar with his name or the variety of his achievements - what a life!)

Sailing through the mist  watercolour on paper 14x19cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

I will leave you with a quote from the 1980 film Flash Gordon and Brian Blessed's most famous catchphrase;

'GORDON'S ALIVE!!!'

I hope it brightens your day ;o)

Softly silently crept the tide

Softly, Silently   watercolour on paper 12x18cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Ssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...........

Time and Tide - a mini art book

I continue to think about the effects of time and errosion and the part they have played in shaping the coast where I live. How the pebbles that I pick up along the shore were once part of the land and how much the coastline has changed over thousands of years and how it could change in years to come. Old Harry Rocks was once joined to The Needles on the Isle of Wight....Harry has already lost his 'wife' a chalk stack that fell into the sea circa 1896 and at some point Old Harry will probably join her though I shouldn't think that will be in my lifetime especially as UNESCO has teams working to try and protect him. I wonder just how they can stop the tide... or even if they should? What treasures lie waiting for the tide to reveal?

Time & Tide collages 8x14cm ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Time & Tide collage 8x14cm ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

I started to play with ideas on small pieces of card only 8x14cm using collage and drawing. I ended up with quite a collection and wanted a way to order and present them. Whittling it down to just five I have mounted them into a concertina book that I have made. A book as a finished piece is not a format that I have worked in before but it feels 'right' for this mini project. In my mind I am not thinking of it as a book as such but maybe more of a small chapter in a much longer narrative that I will never see completed.

Time & Tide   a mix media and collage concertina book   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Time & Tide   a mix media and collage concertina book   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Time & Tide   a mix media and collage concertina book   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Time & Tide   a mix media and collage concertina book   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

On the final page is a small explanation about the inspiration behind the work which you can read below.


Like many coastal areas Dorset has a wealth of tales of myth and legend, some of which centre around Old Harry Rocks. These are chalk stacks formed by coastal erosion that lie at the gateway to the Jurassic Coast – a World Heritage site. The erosion that formed the chalk stacks also threatens their destruction and teams from UNESCO are working to save them.

One legend states that the rocks are named after a man called Harry Paye (d. 1419) a privateer and smuggler from Poole who intercepted hundreds of French and Spanish ships bringing his spoils back to the busy port of Poole.

Another naturally occurring phenomenon are hag stones which are pebbles with holes also made by erosion. Folklore states that they provide protection from witchcraft, disease and by looking through the hole you can see the fairy folk. Dorset fishermen used to tie them onto their boats for luck. I wonder if Harry Paye and his crew kept a hag stone or two on their ship…

Time & Tide   a mix media and collage concertina book   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec