Lines in the water - linoprint

 

Lines in the Water I   linoprint 10x15cm  ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

So the last few days I have begun printing the lino plate from my previous post. I tried out a couple of colour ways and also over printing on to a pre-printed background. 

Lines in the Water I   linoprint 10x15cm  ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Lines in the Water I   variations linoprints 10x15cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

It was whilst I was inking up the plate in the top image colourway that I thought....hold on I have been here before....March 2018 (handy that I have been blogging for so long as it meant I could go back to check when)....a predecessor methinks..... How did I not make that connection? I am coming to realise that my working practise is circular or maybe that should be tidal? Themes wax and wane like the moon's pull on the ocean. I don't feel like I am reworking old ground though...rather eroding away at ideas until I reach (maybe one day if I am lucky) the essence of the thing. Back to mulling over ideas as to where this is going...time for a walk.

Elemental I, II & III   each image 11x18cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Lines in the water - doodles and linoprinting

 

Telephone doodles   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

I've had reason to be waiting on hold with telephone music to keep me company lately. Totally mind numbing. However with my mind numbed and without thinking my hand set to work doodling, it had quite a bit of time fortunately/unfortunately. Once said call had ended and my brain slowly worked its way out of the fog I looked at what my hand had done. I'm not sure if it is something or nothing but thought I would spend a little bit of time exploring the drawings, redrawing, pondering - I like the flow and movement of the lines and the variations of weight and depth. 

The lines are making me think of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham's drawings and some Victor Pasmore paintings. What do you think?

Linoprinting has always been a challenge and was something I actively avoided in my college days (many, many years ago). However these line doodles feel like they might work best in this medium so I am having myself an experiment. Now lino has come along since I last had a go and there are much easier materials to carve these days. No more the tough as nails brown, heavy stuff that I used to lay over a hot water bottle in the vain attempt to help soften it, no now there is this marvellous blue Japanese vinyl. With a reasonably sharp tool it cuts like butter, which is a good job as my hands would definitely not be up to carving the old style lino.

So after refining one of my Phone doodles I traced the drawing onto the vinyl and carved away. Time was not on my side so instead of getting out the printing ink and because I was far to impatient to wait for another day I tried out an ink stamp pad to try making a quick proof print from.

Playing with lino ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

There is quite a bit of 'noise' - bits of lino that I haven't quite carved enough away and have printed where they shouldn't. I'm not sure whether to leave some or not as I think it will help the image not look quite so graphic and maybe a bit more like water. Also in my impatient proofing I did crumple the paper which left a couple of creases oops! I will ponder some more before getting the printing ink out another day and playing with different combinations of inking. It feels rather exciting to be trying something completely different again and I am wondering how this will feed into my other work it normally does at some stage without me realising it at the time.

Scintillating seas - acrylic on linen board

 

Scintillating Seas   acrylic on linen board 20x20cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Always a challenge to paint and one I return to again and again over the years.  This is definitely the kind of sparkle that I value the most, who needs diamonds?

 This little gen is available in my Folksy Store.

- see what I did there ;o)  Wishing you a creative and successful week.

Lines in the Tide I & II - drypoint prints

 

Getting inky...  ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Two new drypoint prints available in my Folksy store today, .................  These are a continuation of my heavy weather series that I began some years back. The lines seem calmer and more serene in a lot of ways. I seem to gravitate back to working in line and exploring how a mood can be expressed in just a few simple strokes, be that pencil, paint or drypoint needle.

The above photo is the plate inked up and partially wiped ready to go through the press. I am very forgetful of taking photos of the process but am trying to remember. Below are two of the prints from the editions.  Both are available in my Folksy store.

Lines in the Tide    drypoint 8x15cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Lines in the Tide II    drypoint 8x15cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec