Across the Fields, Corfe - acrylic on board

 

Across the Fields   acrylic on board 18x18cm   ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

I love the way Corfe Castle looms into view as you drive towards the village. As you veer around the bend there it is, you know its close but forget how close. I like this view from across the fields too. It's well over a thousand years old and a much loved icon of Dorset.

Available in my Folksy Store

Over the Fields   acrylic on board 18x18cm   ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

Sale on Folksy

 

Paintings and mixed media available in my Folksy Sale ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Watercolour ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Watercolour ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Mixed media collage ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Mixed media collage ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Mixed media collage ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Available here in my Folksy store.

Collections of pebbles and hag stones in monoprint

 

Collection I   collagraph monoprint   29x19cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

I have been experimenting and exploring again this time the shapes and textures in pebbles gathered locally. They are a geological history of this part of the coast whose history fascinates me. I often wonder at how different it must have looked with the Isle of Wight's Needles still joined to Old Harry Rocks and where was it exactly that the sea breached and eroded to form the two iconic landmarks that gives us the beach we enjoy today. Was it where Poole harbour is? Being the second largest natural harbour in the world could make it a possibility...or did that come later as the water found the lowest point to pool in and wash away the softer land? These are things that I ponder as I walk along the beach picking up pebbles and looking through the hag stones that have been pushed around by the tide. How much of this history has this pebble seen? Or this one?

Collection II   collagraph monoprint   29x19cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

My experiments have taken the form of collagraph making individual plates of each stone, choosing textures to describe each pebble individually and then intuitively placing them to print in different combinations. It has the element of chance and surprise for me that echoes the way that I gather the pebbles they have been inspired by. The process is long as each pebble plate is inked separately again echoing the process that formed the rock.

Hagstones ©LisaLeQuelenec

Colours are taken directly from the source material but are also reflected back at me on my walks as the lack of rain and very hot, dry weather are parching the land. I haven't known the river to be so low, even at high tide it doesn't look the same. We have warnings along the coast to be mindful that the heat may produce cliff falls - the process continues to shape the land just as it did to shape the pebbles in my hand.

Needles - Isle of Wight   23x20cm   ghost print and mixed media   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Tradition says that the fairy folk can be seen through a hag stone but I have only spied a 'polar bear' ;o)  Have you seen the Wight bear?

All of the above prints are available in my Folksy Store.

Mussels from Knoll Bay sketchbook page and acrylic painting

Mussels from Knoll Bay   watercolour A6 sketchbook   ©2022 Lisa Le Quelenec

An old sketchbook page from 2016.... I was really drawn to the shapes left by the barnacles on the top shell and the unusual strip markings on the lower. I have gathered shells like these from Shell Bay to Barton-on-sea and they are quite different as you move along the coast but I had never seen a striped one like this before. The shell above shows scars in it's surface from barnacles.

skip to 2022 and a new mini painting.... available in my Folksy Store.

Mussel shell with Barnacles   acrylic on linen board 10x10cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

These shells were collected between 2016 -2018 in Spring ....

These shells were collected between 2020 in Spring ....

Both sets were collected at the same beach. The difference is quite marked in their colouring with this years being much paler and also shimmery. I can't think of any reason except maybe different pollution levels being a possibility to cause this. Does anyone know? Or have any ideas? I am going to make a note to go to the same beach next Spring and see if there is any difference again. It is puzzling me...

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.

Opaline seas - acrylic on canvas board

 

Opaline Seas   acrylic on linen board 20x20cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Sea greens follow me, from these milk glass shades tumbled by the waves for who knows how long to the deep emeralds and teals of a bright sunshiny day. I think I love each variation in the spectrum as much as the next. Spring sometimes brings the mists that blow in with chilly cold fingers softening the colours and sounds of the sea only to be burnt away by the sun as she rises and grows in strength over the morning.

This painting is available in my Folksy store.

Shining seas - Old Harry Rocks acrylic on linen board

 

Shining Seas - Old Harry Rocks   20x20cm acrlic on linen board   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

 

 

Something a little different from the prints I have been making of late....a return to acrylic. The inspiration for this painting came from an evening walk a long while back when the world felt much different. I have been thinking about how life felt back then...it feels like a lifetime ago. Covid-19 didn't exist and Russia was staying within its own borders. I do hope the people of Ukraine can feel safe in their homes once more in the not too distant future and the trauma of recent days comes to an end.

Shining Seas - Old Harry Rocks details     20x20cm acrlic on linen board   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Sailing where the sea met the sky - watercolour

Sailing where the sea met the sky   watercolour   ©2020 LisaLeQuelenec

 

We have been treated to some beautiful sunsets this Autumn, absolute stunners full of firey reds and oranges with rich cerise and purples. Breath taking as they are, my favourite kind to paint are these more mellow late summer ones. 

This painting is available in my Etsy store.

Blue on blue - Moonlit sea watercolour

 
 

Blue on Blue    watercolour 28x28cm   ©2021LisaLeQuelenec

 

A full moon from back in the summer twinkling on the sea in answer to the twinkling lights of the town in the distance. I am missing warm mellow evenings it feels distinctly chillier now.

Available in my Etsy store.

After having a huge studio sort and refurbish, I feel like I have now properly moved in. It took a bit longer than I had anticipated and weirdly even longer for the space to feel like it was mine. It was too pristine and intimidating with all the new work surfaces and furniture - I didn't feel like I could make a mess. I had to give myself a talking to and just crack on. Now I have so many new drawers to store things I am still hunting around to find what I am looking for but it does feel so much more organised. What a lovely 'problem' to have.

 

Lockdown sky studies

 

 

Sky studies  10x10cm watercolour on paper   ©2020/21LisaLeQuelenec

 

 

During lockdown I spent a lot of time looking up. There were some fantastic coloured skies, the air seemed crisper and cleaner. Maybe due to a drop in pollution? I am fortunate to live within a short distance of the beach so could easily visit during the allowed exercise time/distance. It is only really now that I am starting to get used to seeing planes in the sky again and they are still alot more infrequent than before.

 

I started a series of 10x10cm watercolours inbetween the homeschooling, dog walking and in spare moments. I am starting to put these paintings into my Folksy store each measures 10x10cm and represents a quiet moment to forget about the stress of these troublesome times.

 

 

Sky studies  10x10cm watercolour on paper   ©2020/21LisaLeQuelenec

 

Sky studies  10x10cm watercolour on paper   ©2020/21LisaLeQuelenec

Start of the storm collagraph and mixed media

Ironically after days of storms I am posting this new piece whilst the sun is shining - a brief respite before the rains return. Whilst the sky is clear it is bitterly cold. My thoughts have been with the folk in the north of the country who have been flooded out of their homes and are awaiting the next round. I hope everyone stays safe, warm and dry.

With so much wild weather there has been a lot of sketching to try and capture the moments of contrasting cloud patterns and light. I have turned to collagraph experiments adding pencil on top of some of the deeper embossed textures once the ink has dried.

The start of the storm   collagraph monoprint and mixed media 19x14.5cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

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

The coast is clear! Etching of Old Harry Rocks

The Coast is Clear!   A/P I etching 14.5x11.5cm   ©2017LisaLeQuelenec

Quite some years ago His Nibbs and I went for a walk along the beach at Shell Bay down the way in Studland. We have been many times before and since but there was something about this particular day that sticks out. The sun was out but it was a little hazy, it was neither hot nor cold and there was just a gentle breeze. The water looked glass-like - but with strong contrasts in tone on the surface ripples. Colour was bleached out everything reduced to tones of blue grey. What I remember the most was the stillness and quiet. The quiet sounded loud but gentle if you know what I mean.

Old Harry Rocks photograph ©2017LisaLeQuelenec

I took this photograph and along with the memory of that day it has been the inspiration for many drawings, paintings and now an etching. So far I have made two proof prints and have used paper masks to add some sail boat shapes. I think I could make variations of work on this one memory for many years to come.

Light Across the Bay   acrylic on paper 25x25cm   ©2011 LisaLeQuelenec

Above an older painting from 2011, long since sold but one of my favourites.

Old Harry Rocks  snippets and ideas in mixed media   ©2017LisaLeQuelenec

I wonder do you have a memory or lasting impression of a time and place that you revisit in your work again and again?

The Coast is Clear!   A/P II etching 14.5x11.5cm   ©2017LisaLeQuelenec

Across the Bay - a coastal etching

Across the Bay   etching 6x6cm   ©2017LisaLeQuelenec

I thought I would take a break from a canvas that I am working on to print a few more etchings from some plates that I had made a while back. I inked up the plate and began to wipe thinking of the current theme of a strong shaft of light that breaks up the line of the horizon. I think with a little more work the theme will extend well into printmaking. Being able to work across media and develop an idea or technique is something I am eager to explore. This is another varied edition, each print different in the inking.


This print is available on Etsy at Seaside Studios UK.

A contrast in textures Bee on a teasel photograph ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

In the dunes photograph ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

The Black House photograph ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

A right jumble photograph ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

-7 degrees last night! It was a bit of a shock to the system on the school run this morning. Thankfully the sun is shining though it is still cold and frost still covers the garden. I am sitting in the warm drinking hot coffee and thinking of the warmer summer days and thought I would share these photos. Hopefully they will warm you too if you are feeling the chill.

This first one is for you Rhonda I hope the migraines settle for you soon.

Flowing to the sea II - collagraph and mixed media

Flowing to the sea II   29x29cm collagraph and mixed media   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

A change of palette and a change of mood. I can't fail to be inspired by the autumn colours that are starting to appear. I love the golden light of autumn as it burnishes the landscape.

Flowing to the sea..

Flowing to the sea   29x29cm collagraph and mixed media   ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

This is one of my favourite views of Autumn, looking from the back of Hengistbury head to wards Christchurch across the reedbeds. I love all the contrasting textures of the land and the sound of the wind in the reedbeds. It always feels so peaceful to me.

collagraph plate  ©2016LisaLeQuelenec

I made a collograph plate on a mountboard base using different textured papers and painting glue on in the highlighted areas. Some areas I cut into the mountboard and peeled back the layers to reveal the texture of the inside of the board. It was then sealed with shellack.

Inking up the plate was a joy. Rubbing different colours into the pits of texture and giving a wipe of different colour to the high points to give variagated colour and really show off the textures to full advantage - never quite sure what the final result will be.

After running the plate through the press with dampened paper and leaving the print to dry I decided to work back into the image with coloured pencils, pastels and acrylic paint. The embossment made by the plate on the paper when it passed through the press was beautiful to work on. Small scumbles of pure colour to visually mix in give a rich surface quality - there is quite a bit of pure yellow and orange contained within the reed areas but they are such small dashes they don't jar the eye and would be missed if absent.

I have two more prints that I would like to work back into in this way. The next one I would like to use a more traditional Autumn palette of ochres and siennas for a different mood. It's an enjoyable way of working with many possibilities to explore.

I have made this image available as a reproduction print on Fine Art America and here at  Red Bubble.