Swooping and circling - gull sketchbook page and monoprint

If you spend any time at the shore you will find yourself watching the gulls swooping, circling, gliding and diving. I feel I may just have some gull in my genes as I circle back to them in my work again and again. I am mulling over how to approach it this time around.

Sketchbook page - gull studies ©LisaLeQuelenec

Old sketchbook pages - looking back and moving forward - looking at shapes and trying ideas. At the end of a project I store all my reference materials, sketchbooks and experiments and notes in a folder. I often return to subjects when something new catches my eye or an idea for combinations or new connections are made. Sometimes just revisiting a folder strikes up new ideas on its own. It is good to have all the visual stimulus in one place waiting to be plundered again. 

 I think some monoprinting may be in order to think in ink.

Gliding   13x13cm monoprint   ©2023LisaLeQuelenec   


This monoprint is available in my Folksy store.

Coastal collection - home accessories, stationery and more

 

This is a project I have been working on for the past few months and I am so excited to share it with you today. Using my shell watercolour paintings I have created a series of designs in a selection of colourways to be reproduced on various home accessories, stationery and more on RedBubble. You can see the whole collection here.

coastal collection - available at RedBubble - ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

coastal collection - available at RedBubble - ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

coastal collection - available at RedBubble - ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

I have used RedBubble for a number of years for stock in my shops, also for sending gifts and have always been impressed with both the quality, speed and service. 

So many hours have gone into putting the collection together and it is really exciting for me to see it all come together. Is there a different colourway that you would like to see? Or maybe a different shell or creature? Do let me know what you think. 

Limpet portraits - acrylic on board

 

Limpet Portraits 1-4   acrylic on canvas board 15x15cm   ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

The four shells lying vertically in the photo above are the subjects of these first four portraits. When you closely observe and compare them you can see so many differences, each having it's own characteristics and subtleties. Hopefully you can see better in this photo below.

Limpet Shells photograph ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

Limpet Portrait 1   acrylic on canvas board 15x15cm   ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

I have been toying with the idea of using text within work for a while. The text in two of these paintings comes from notes I made about limpets from Wikipedia. During my research of these fascinating creatures I stumbled across a paper by Dr Louise Firth, Associate Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Plymouth, titled What Have Limpets Ever Done for US? It is fascinating reading taking in thousands of years of cultural history all over the world as well as their importance within the ecosystem and many other threads besides. If you would like to delve into this fascinating read here is a link.

Limpets are extremely common in Jersey due to the island being surrounded by the perfect rocky habitat. As a child their common sight left me a little blind to collecting them and I rarely picked them up. However during the summer on a visit to La Hougue Bie Museum I learnt a little and saw how they were considered of such importance as to be placed within the Neolithic grave mound. During the Occupation when food was scarce they became an important source of food, supplementing meagre rations - not for the first time were they known as famine food (and not just in this location). The more I read, draw and paint these tough little critters the more respect I feel for them.

Limpet Portrait 2  acrylic on canvas board 15x15cm   ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

Limpet Portrait 3  acrylic on canvas board 15x15cm   ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

Limpet Portraits 4   acrylic on canvas board 15x15cm   ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

All four portraits are available in my Folksy Store.