Lisa Le Quelenec Seaside studios paintings, prints and mixed media: July 2019

Friday, 26 July 2019

Turning tide - ghost print and mixed media

I have been working into the ghost prints from last weeks post. In reality the colours are too saturated and subtle for the camera to pick up, it has made it look very grainy and the subtle aquamarine is lost. Whilst trying to adjust the image digitally to a truer representation (not very successfully) I played with cropping the image. I might try some different versions using this format next time.

We are in the midst of a heatwave so I am keeping in the shade and wallowing in these blues.....there may be more to come.

Thursday, 18 July 2019

A little monoprinting... Turning Tide

I wish I could share the smell and sound of sticky ink as I roll a blend of colour. It is a very satisfying part of the process for the senses. The plate is a sheet of perspex (acrylic) the edges filed down and the corners rounded off. With the ink blend rollered on I begin to draw and paint with brushes, making marks and feeling the drag on the darker ink over the colour blend. Using a rubber tipped tool I make further marks lifting off areas of ink which will show as the white of the paper. The moon is a paper mask placed on top. Now it's ready to run through the press.

I place the plate face up on the metal bed of the press, line up a piece of dampened paper on top and cover over with a thick felt blanket. I turn the crank feeling the resistance as the plate and paper pass through the roller of the press then the give as it passes through the other side. Lifting the blanket and carefully peeling back the paper is always a moment of anticipation... you can never be 100% certain what will appear.

This time I am pleased, the blend has covered well and there is a nice variety of marks. So after removing the paper moon mask and without adding or removing any more ink I run the plate through the press again with another piece of dampened paper to get what is called a ghost print.

There is much less ink to transfer onto the new piece of paper and a much more faded image results. I love these ghost prints for drawing on and playing with ideas for new work. They have become a part of my process now.

After cleaning off the plate of the remaining residual ink I am ready to start again. Once more a blended roll of colour the drawing/painting on top with a brush, removing ink, adding paper masks. Placing the print with its paper and blanket in the press and running it through. I almost always take a ghost print before cleaning the plate and starting the process again.

I find it a very meditative process but after a half dozen or so prints I start feel a little tired and my concentration starts to lag. Then I stop - look over the prints that I have made, take some quick photographs, evaluate and them place them within sheets of tissue paper that are then sandwiched between heavy boards and wait for them to dry. This can take a couple of weeks depending on how thick the ink is on the paper. Every few days I will change the tissue over for dry sheets and pop them back to bed between the boards.

The original prints are available at Seaside Studios UK on Folksy and reproduction prints and cards at RedBubble.

Thursday, 11 July 2019

Coastal collages and mixed media - a larger format.

Working on a larger format and suddenly there is more air... space to breathe.... - they become more like my 'big empties'. The process feels longer, like pacing yourself for a days hike rather than a morning walk. Still I flit between abstractions and more recogniseable imagery...I am still searching for my answers.

All of the above are available at Seaside Studios UK on Etsy.

Thursday, 4 July 2019

Palette inspirations - digital sketchbook pages and colour notes

I forget to show images of the things I use as as palette inspiration. I have posted about my colour notebook before here and I thought I would show a little of my notebook, digital sketchbook and scrapbook that I refer to when I work. I make these grids and medleys on down days as a way of getting my self going again. Just like looking at old sketchbooks and photos can be the little spark I need that leads to an inferno of ideas.

Ideas are not in short supply at the moment but unfortunately the small dexterity issue that I am experiencing with my hand means I cannot proceed with the work that I had intended. A lesson in patience for me but there is always something else that can be done. For now I am filling notebooks with thumbnails, catching up on admin and making some more medleys like these.

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