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.

Working into river monoprints

Remember the monoprints from the beginning of the month? Well following a suggestion from Vivien  (thank you :o) )I've been working back into them with soft pastel. Initially I was thinking of using watercolour with them as the prints were made with oil based paint and so would work as a resist. Pastel has given some really interesting results. I particularly like the way the pastel marks are broken up by the texture of the oil. I've got lots more prints to work with so will try the initial plan using watercolour next. (after getting all the exhibition work together I'm really enjoying having some time out to play with materials, these experiments are suggesting fresh new ways forward.)

 

Above are the original monoprints, the process I used to make them is  here

Spring on the river

Spring on the River
acrylic on canvas 25x25cm
©Lisa Le Quelenec

I'm having a few problems getting online at the moment as my laptop is being temperamental in starting up and unfortunately big pooter is too. They have both been conspiring against me. I have been getting lots of work done though. Hopefully I'll be able to get the problem fixed soon and can get back to posting more regularly. I've really missed popping over to everyone elses blogs to see what they've been up to. I've not finished catching up yet but if you've a minute to spare have a look here to have a peek at Jeanette Jobson's latest painting. I love the way she's captured the silky smoothness of the flowing water.

In Spring on the River I've added darker areas to indicate the movement of the water. I've also played up the red/brown in the reeds (thanks Roger) which was much more subtle before. I'm really enjoying these river paintings as the nature and colour of the water is so different to painting seascapes, it's quite a different challenge.

The colour of river water?

This painting is turning out to be a bigger challenge than I anticipated. How to describe the colour of the water? It's blue with the reflection from the sky, green from the foliage and there is a definite warmth from the river bed. What do you think? Am I getting there? I'm in two minds as to whether I need some darker ripples in the foreground to add perspective.

Down by the riverside

I've squeezed a bit of time in to paint today before I go to Christchurch to help hang the Hayloft exhibition. This is the beginning of the next painting in my river series. All the beautiful fresh greens of the new growth are inspiring. Tomorrow I will have time to work on the water, I can't wait!

The painting is 10x10 inch and I'm using azure blue, cadmium yellow light, raw and burnt sienna and deep violet. There's a dash of burnt umber in the watermark of the reeds.