Briny Blue - Ran's many moods

 

Three Stages of Briny Blue I  mixed media ©2025LisaLeQuelenec 

WIPs in one post don't give any idea of the time lapse in the making of them but here we are. So many ideas and pieces are flowing at the moment and I feel like I am running to catching up with myself. Both of these started as prints, then added watercolour and into acrylic. Lots of small layers and adjustments, tweeks here and there, backwards and forwardsing. 

Both pieces are available in my Folksy store.  There will be more to come...

Briny Blue I   mixed media   ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

Three Stages of Briny Blue II   mixed media ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

  Briny Blue II  mixed media ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

mixed media ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

Below the Brine - Ran's many moods

Below the Brine I   print and mixed media 20x21cm   ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

The ambiguity of the Ran myth intrigues me still. I am attracted to the relatable human quality of her moods...calm, playful, stern, raging... not many female characters are able to be more than one thing in mythology that I have read about - women are either good or evil, victims or villains, virgins or seducers - Ran could be any or all of these. I wonder if the oral tradition of these myths were still alive if her character would be more black and white or just as ambiguous. My hope would be the ambiguous - like the ocean able to change in a heartbeat - how much more interesting and realistic.

Three calmer and possibly more playful moods in Below the Brine but the net is still there glinting and dazzling, waiting, biding its time or with the potential to change?... 

Below the Brine II in three stages   print and mixed media 20x21cm   ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

Below the Brine III   print and mixed media 20x21cm   ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

Deeply Darkly I & II - Ran's many moods

 

Deeply Darkly   print and mixed media 20x21cm    ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

Further explorations into Ran's many moods. I am enjoying the linear elements in the compositions which I think give an added chaotic energy and tension. What do you think?

These pieces are available at Folksy and Etsy.

Deeply Darkly II   print and mixed media 20x21cm    ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

Ran, nets and print experiements...

I have been having much fun experimenting with different types of netting and getting very inky whilst printing them....

Example no.1 fruit bag netting from the supermarket ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

First up, example no.1 fruit netting from the supermarket - very fine nylon, easy to rip and manipulate although does sometimes spring back unless very stretched out first. In some examples the ink collects at the join and prints spots of ink within the diamond shapes. This type of net gives very uniform shapes.

Example no.3 net from the haberdashery shop used for dance skirt petticoats   ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

Example no.2 is the type of netting that I think would be used to make the big petticoats in some dance costumes - we have a big dance school in the area so I think this is a safe guess. The sparkle glitter bit did break off whilst ripping and manipulating the material but didn't really effect the result in the ink. As you can see it has a much bolder line to the main body and I really like the edges where I have ripped and stretched it. With a bit more experimenting I think more subtle effects could be have by controlling the amount of ink added.

Example No. 3 a thick weave hessian ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

Example no.3 Hessian made even bolder marks and the bonus of this material is where you can pull threads out completely from the weave. I like the effect where it starts to completely fall apart and is literally holding itself together by a thread or two. This one was the 'thirstiest' material and held a lot of ink. More subtle marks were made by not re-inking between prints which is something for me to remember.

Example no.4 Scrim ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

Example no.4 Scrim is another fabric that can be manipulated easily, have thread ripped out from the weave and generally stands up to a lot of abuse. The weave is much tighter and the resulting print can be much more subtle and dense. I think it needs a lot of threads pulling for a net like structure but I like the resulting print.

Whilst running example through the press on top of misprints and practise prints I used copier paper to protect the press blankets. This has given me lots of sheets with reverse prints that I can use as sketch paper for drawing into. I might make a sketchbook from them at a later date.

 

Sketchbook Experiment Stage 1 collagraph and mixed media ©2025

Sketchbook Experiment Stage 2 collagraph and mixed media overprinted with hessian netting ©2025

Sketchbook Experiment Stage 3 collagraph and mixed media overprinted with netting and further added mixed media©2025

Lots more experimenting to do, ideas are starting to form about where these experiments can take me in my Ran project.

Happy Fibonacci Day! - I can't resist a spiral

Jurassic lino print varied open edition  A4ish   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

 

Another spiral - another ammonite - I can't resist! Available at Etsy and Folksy.

From drawing to carving the plate - for new print Jurassic - ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Jurassic   lino print on naturel lokta paper   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

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.

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

Flow monoprint and mixed media

With the Easter holidays over and my son back at school I have been getting busy reopening my Etsy Store. Amongst the new works available are pieces from this pebble project including the three pieces below. 

Flow I   21x30cm mono and mixed media   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

These pieces have proved so difficult to photograph. I have tried so many backgrounds and on so many days with differing light but I think this is the closest I am going to get. In reality the backing paper of the prints are a couple of shades warmer but the pebble shapes are accurate on my screen. These are a mixture of print, collage and drawing on A4 Lokta paper.

Flow II   21x30cm mono and mixed media   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Flow III   21x30cm mono and mixed media   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Tracing sunshine reflected from my mug - a timed drawing   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

From the photographs above you can see where some of the inspiration for the drawing came from. The sun was shining brightly (briefly) through the window and reflecting on a mug of pencils on to the desk top. I traced the reflections onto a scrap of paper then about 30 mins later as the sun had moved slightly and when it reappeared I traced again. I would have kept going but the sky clouded over and the rain came. I will set up another drawing on another sunny day and trace the sun's progress across the sky in it's reflections, It might be an interesting experiment and result in some interesting distortions.

Lokta - media experiments on new to me paper and gathering resources

 

Top right - experiments with different media on handmade Lokta paper
Top left - initial ideas for a range of colours for the project
Bottom - experiments with lino ink and carved stamps
©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Gathering thoughts and experiments to continue with the pebble project.....

Experiments with different media on handmade Lokta paper  ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

I bought some Lokta paper, it is A4 and a beautiful creamy colour, some with speckles. It is  thin, strong and fibrous and one side is slightly smoother than the other. I did the same experiments on both surfaces but the difference in results was negligible. Wetting the paper and tearing gives a lovely 'fluffy' edge (like most thin handmade papers) and it cuts well with knife and scissors - these are characteristics that I want to utilise in the coming works.

My next experiments were using lino printing ink in both bold colours, neutrals and off whites.

lino print experiment on Lokta paper ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

lino print experiment on Lokta paper ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

lino print experiment on Lokta paper ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

The results are subtle, I had to photograph these with a dark paper behind to show the contrast as the camera struggles to pick up the pale tones. I rather like the effect though and will definitely be exploring very pale compositions at some point - maybe more as drawings....

 

Print, collage, acrylic ink and pencil on Lokta paper...about A6ish   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Exploring shape, line and rhythm. There is something very calming about drawing flowing lines. I'm making connections in my mind with Japanese gravel gardens, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham drawings and ripples on still water. I feel like I am edging towards something...maybe I am flowing too?

Sand ripples left by the tide   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Aren't these ripples divine? The tide was fast and strong to leave these behind, they are quite large and deep.

A Falling Tide   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

The shot below was taken through the lens of my sunglasses - I like the dramatic tonal contrast.

Sand ripples through my sunglasses   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

All these sources will no doubt filter into this next body of work, I'm enjoying the process of collating and curating.