Silence & snow - the series continues...

 

Silence & Snow  original lino print varied open edition ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Oh the irony....I am having a very silent time with an ear infection. Much nicer to imagine the silence of snow which they appear to be having further north -  drizzly rain for us in the south.

My prints have finally dried and they are available in my Etsy and Folksy stores. 

Silence & Snow  original lino print varied open edition ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Silence & Snow  original lino print varied open edition ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

A new print edition in the making...Silence & Snow

 

I have had an image whirling around in my minds eye, a seed that has started to grow for a while. There is a very early version, more of a sketch at the time from some years back that I have always had on my list to explore further. Recently I have decided to just get on with it - enough with the procrastination.

Starting to carve Silence & Snow....©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Below is the scribbly sketch of the idea.... you can see the folds in the paper that gave me guidelines for the composition using the rule of thirds. I am very much inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, the style and minimalism, and although that doesn't show at all in the sketch I think it will be obvious in the prints.

Thumbnail for Silence & Snow

Before printing the carved block I printed an uncarved block to give a base colour using very thin ink. For the initial prints I don't want to show any of the white paper - I'm sure this will change as I explore further and experiment with different colours and tones. My thinking is to create different versions using colour, extra elements and possibly adding tissue paper chine colle at some point. I would like to evoke the magical gloaming as night falls, hazy, misty and frosty nights, possibly a few prints inspired by the recent Northern Lights displays, then maybe warmer winter sunshine. Can I do all of these with one image? I want to experiment to find out, I haven't done this using this technique before nor on this scale which is somewhat larger that I have done before in print.

printing a base layer ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

This is one of the first prints with the second layer added. I felt like something was missing and out of balance - I wasn't getting the depth that I could see in my mind...

Second layer of Silence & Snow ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Testing a third block addition ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Using a small piece of the soft carve lino I cut a third mini block of tree silhouettes to add to the right of the composition. This gave much more depth and balance, now to experiment.

Variations of Silence & Snow drying ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

This is one of the first prints that I felt happy with. I like the looming distant trees and the frosty haze that is lighting up the sky as it descends. I have printed on my usual bright white paper but it didn't feel right with the warmer blues so I have ripped the edges of the prints up to the image margins and mounted them on a warmer off white paper for the warmer blues and a softer white for the cooler ones. I think if I continue to do this it will give some continuity to all the prints in the series despite some big variations in colour and other additions. It will also add some opportunity to contrast a different texture with the backing paper that will show when it is framed.

Silence & Snow  open varied edition lino print  image 20x29cm approx   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Silence & Snow  open varied edition lino print  image 20x25cm approx   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Cropping changes the composition and feel of the image, I might go back into the square versions and add additional tree silhouettes in between.

Silence & Snow  open varied edition lino print  image 20x20cm approx   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

I have just a few prints that I am happy with so far and will add to both my Folksy and Etsy stores. In addition I will put a version on RedBubble as I think it will work well as a holiday card.

Any way this has very much kept me out of mischief, what do you think?

Shades of Autumn II - Oak drypoint prints

 

Oak variable edition drypoint print 8x7.5cm available individually ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

I made a sister print to last weeks Acorns and have popped a couple of variations into both my Etsy and Folksy stores. I rather like working in this way and having colour variations. 

The one below is in Folksy.

Oak no.5 variable edition drypoint print 8x7.5cm available individually ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

I am still working on some larger drypoints of stormy skies and seas but having been rather enjoying the dry spells of sunny weather between the storms so progress has been slower. We have had lots of reference weather to help things along though....my gosh the rain! Obviously nothing compared to the weather some American friends seem to be enduring at the moment though, I do hope they manage to stay safe.

Shades of Autumn - Acorns drypoint prints

 

Acorns variable edition drypoint print 8x7.5cm available individually ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Acorns that found their way into my pocket whilst out walking my dog. Each printed in a different autumnal shade and one in a soft warm charcoal black. I have two proof prints made whilst the plate was being tested for the edition which I may work into with mixed media at a later date. I have put a couple of the prints in both my Etsy and Folksy stores. 

I enjoyed printing the edition one print after another mixing the ink as I went adding to the colour left by the previous mix. I think I may do more of these with different motifs. It was nice to try something different. 

Acorns variable edition drypoint print 8x7.5cm available individually ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Headland and a Sudden Shower - etching and drypoint prints

 

Headland    etching 6x6cm   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

It certainly is starting to feel autumnal now with noticeably darker mornings and evenings. Occasionally more dramatic skies and rain showers and a mellowness in the air. I have been reprinting and restocking some of my older plates which are now available in my Etsy Store with prints from these edition at Folksy too.

I have been inspired to work on some new larger prints. I am still in the platemaking and testing stage but hope to have something to show soon. Below are the initial sketchbook thumbnails - these are tiny inch square sketches/ideas - I am working out how to translate them into larger images, how far I can push the boundaries of the plate size before the image is lost. 

Sketchbook thumbnails for the Heavy Weather Series ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

A Sudden Shower   10.5x5.5xm  drypoint etching   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Shorelines - mixed media and collages

 

Sometimes it feels like you are working away and not getting anywhere fast and then all of a sudden things click into place and pieces are all finished at once. That is what has happened this week for me, it has been like waiting for the tide. Four small mixed media and collage pieces inspired by the colours and textures of the shoreline. I am feeling drawn to the very edge or meeting point of sea and sand. 

All four are available in my Etsy Store.

On The Shoreline I   mixed media and collage on linen board 10x10cm   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

On The Shoreline I   mixed media and collage on linen board 10x10cm   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

On The Shoreline II   mixed media and collage on linen board 10x10cm   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

On The Shoreline II   mixed media and collage on linen board 10x10cm   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Seaworn I   mixed media and collage on linen board 20x20cm   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Seaworn I   mixed media and collage on linen board 20x20cm   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Seaworn II   mixed media and collage on linen board 20x20cm   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Seaworn I   mixed media and collage on linen board 20x20cm   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Just a card - Indie Week

 

This week is Just a Card's campaign week to celebrate and support artists, craftspeople and all small independent businesses. A wonderful idea, now in it's fifth year, sponsored by The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) and endorsed by many amazing supporters from the arts and business to celebs in the UK and around the world. 

 

Venus comb shell card   pen and wash   ©2021LisaLeQuelenec

 

Whilst I post images of paintings and printmaking, like a lot of artists, I also make small images for handmade cards which are available in my Folksy. Selected paintings and prints are available as cards, prints, stationery and accessories at RedBubble . All the 'just a card' sales help keep us going especially in recent times.

It is never just a card, just a print, just a painting... it always means so much more. Just imagine, every time you hit the checkout somewhere an artist, craftsperson and independant business owner is doing a happy dance. If they are like me there will be a huge smile on their face and a daft butt wiggle too. I don't think you would get that so often with big business would you?  Just a Card  explain it so much more eloquently than I can, follow the link to the website. Support the campaign and support independents everywhere...go on you know you want to 😉

 

 

image by @cheerful.geek  find them on Instagram

 

Watercolour treasures from the beach

 

Scallop shell study   watercolour 21x30cm approximately   ©2021LisaLeQuelenec

 

 

I've been spending a bit of time getting my shop back together over on Etsy. A few new watercolour shell studies have been added and I will add more work in the coming weeks. I will continue to post on Mondays and Thursdays for the forseeable but if you need something more urgently please do contact me to see what can be arranged. If your intended purchase is a gift I can always post it directly to the recipient with a note if you let me know the details.

 

Seahorse, urchin and starfish studies available individually   watercolour 21x30cm approximately   ©2021LisaLeQuelenec

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.

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.

Pine cone - a drypoint

Pine cone   drypoint etching print   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

I have been working on a set of new monoprints of winter birch trees and am impatiently waiting for the ink to dry so I can work into them and experiment with combining other media. My fingers are itching to get going but It will be another few days yet....

In the meantime here is a small drypoint pine cone that I finished last year and have just put for sale in my Etsy store SeasidestudiosUK.

I am so lucky to be so close to the sea and near the New Forest - it really is the best of both worlds.

Along the Jurassic coast path

The Wind Whistled   etching   3.2x10cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

The Jurassic coast footpath covers 95 miles of beautiful scenery, stretching from Exmouth in Devon to Old Harry Rocks in Dorset. It is England’s first natural UNESCO World Heritage Site and if you have the chance to visit it you will soon see why.

This little etching is from a sketch, a first response, made years ago on one of my first visits. I was struck by the patterns of the fence posts disappearing and leading on through sections of the path. It's not the usual impression people leave with, it doesn't have the iconic romanticism of Durdle Door or Lulworth Cove or any of the other beautiful spots along this bit of coastline. I think it made an impression on me for being so ordinary and overlooked. I liked the pattern it made in the landscape.



This etching is available for purchase here.

Ammonite spiral solar etching

Ammonite   solar etching   14.5x20.5cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

This what I had been intending to print when I stumbled across the seahorse plate from the previous post...These prints are from a second solar etching plate that I made on the Printmaking Course at Arts University Bournemouth. (For an explanation of the process visit this post Sea urchin - solar etching.) I had decided to do another ammonite plate to be able to compare and contrast the technique and outcome with a small zinc ammonite plate I had etched in the traditional way. (Variations are shown here.)

After experimenting with the inking up and printing of both types of plate I think the outcomes are hard to distinguish between. Maybe the difference would become apparent when printing large editions with one plate wearing down quicker than another. My research hasn't come up with an answer to that, only that both types of plate are very hard wearing. I have enjoyed both processes and can see the advantage of solar etching for my circumstances in not having to use the acid bath to make plates. Whether I can make it work for me using sunlight and not having to have a light box to expose the drawing onto the plate remains to be seen, more experiments to come over summer methinks.

Ammonite   solar etching   14.5x20.5cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Both of the above prints are available in my Etsy store Seasidestudiosuk.

Seahorse etchings

I am still working through some of the etching plates that I made at college, I seem to have made so many.... I remember proofing this zinc plate there and then quite forgetting that I had it until I found it again whilst looking for something else! The something else was quickly forgotten as I was excited to print a few variations from this plate. Each print is quite different in colour going from blue to blue/grey to grey (left to right). As I print I like to adjust the colour modifying it with a bit of this and a bit of that in much the same way as I cook, seasoning as I go along.

The inspiration came from a trip to the Bournemouth Oceanarium where I spent a good half an hour watching a half dozen or so of these beautiful creatures. It is well worth a visit if you are visiting the town.

Seahorse - three variations- limited variable edition etching   5.5x16cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Each of these prints is available here at my Etsy store Seasidestudiosuk.etsy.com.

Coastal calm in watercolour

Coastal calm   watercolour on paper 22x22cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Sunrise   watercolour on paper 22x22cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Two new watercolours available in my Etsy store. I'm looking forward to the spring /summer sun now. Enough of the rain and cold, bring us some warmth. I hope the sun is shining for you.

Isle of Wight and Old Harry Rocks - etchings

Two etchings in sepia showing views from one end of the bay to the other. The Isle of Wight in the east and Old Harry Rocks to the west were once joined together in the days before the Ice Age. The effect of weather and sea has shaped what we can see today in an endlessly, to me, fascinating way. I love the shapes that are left and how they stand like guardians protecting the sweep of coastline. (In a very literal way with the light house on the Isle of Wight Needles.)

Across the Bay   etching 6x6cm ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Summer's Eve   etching 6x6cm ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Both etchings are available in my Etsy shop here.

Dreaming of summer sun

Summer sun   acrylic on paper 13x13cm   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

After the storms over the weekend a bright winter sun has made an appearance, I am grateful for the light. I find February the hardest month of the year - the last slog before spring and brighter, warmer days. I always dream of summer heat and walking barefoot on the sand. This little painting is the result of my wishful thinking....and a celebration for being nearly halfway through the month.

Three little watercolour feathers

Three Little Feathers   15x21cm approx each   watercolour on paper   ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

More subtle and wintry greys - this time for feathers. My palette does seem to be greyed down at the moment again and I am enjoying it immensely. I love neutrals and especially colourful ones. This are mixes of Payne's grey, neutral tint, cobalt blue, yellow ochre and indigo. There is so much variation that can be achieved. These colours have been all in the skies of late but yesterday was glorious blue - cold and very windy - a good day for collecting treasures.

All three are available individually in my Etsy gallery Seasidestudiosuk

Ammonite etching - three artist proofs

A very happy new year to you. I'm not sure where December went but it did and very fast!

Ammonites  3 etching proofs (centre one with prepainted tissue paper chine colle)   plate size 6x8cm ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

The above are my very modest beginnings to the new year. Three little etchings, the first proofs from a small zinc etching plate. Ammonites fascinate me and felt like a natural progression after working with chambered nautilus' - maybe spirals are becoming a new theme for me. I certainly enjoy the challenge of drawing them. Being a stone's throw away from the Jurassic coast I am certainly in the right area. The starting point for this plate was a half inch sized ammonite found at Lyme Regis, the whole perfect form lay waiting to be picked up, perfectly intact after a mind-blowing 240 - 65 million years ago.

All three are available in my Etsy store.