New repeat pattern - Coastal collection trellis design

 

I have a new pattern to share, an addition to my Coastal Collection on Spoonflower. This trellis design features motifs used in the collection and is available in the same colourways to co-ordinate with all the previous designs.

Coastal collection trellis design available at Spoonflower ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Each of the neutrals and blues side by side for comparison. I am in the process of revising the designs to add an additional white background to all the co-ordinates in the collection if blue and crisp white is more your style.

Coastal collection trellis design available at Spoonflower ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Coastal collection trellis design available at Spoonflower ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Above are some of the co-ordinating designs available.

Coastal collection trellis design available at Spoonflower ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Recently Spoonflower have added metallic silver and gold to their wallpaper range. I am not normally a shiny kind of girl but I have fallen in love the way the blue on taupe colours have printed on silver. My absolute favourite though is how the navy version looks on silver and gold - so rich and dramatic, it completely changes the feel. I haven't really thought about how coastal themes could be used to such effect but I rather like it.

Each of the colours, along with the co-ordinating patterns and plains can be found in their own collection here on the collections page in my store.

Coastal collection trellis design available at Spoonflower ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Alternatively the design can also be found in my RedBubble store in the Coastal Collection there. The motifs are also available as framed prints in each colour variation with framing options.

Coastal collection prints available at RedBubble ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

I find it so thrilling that the technology and platforms exist that enable creatives to design and produce such a range of ideas and products. I never dreamed that I would be able to do this at the beginning of my career. Exciting times!

Little treasures from the shore

Auger shells ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Look at these little beauties found in Scotland. I have never found these before though I believe they can be found here in the South. I may have jigged a little happy dance when I spotted the first one 😊 The colours are many and are really subtle when you look closely. I picked up these three for the variation in their colouring, the photo doesn't do them justice.

The treasures in the photo below are from a more recent trip to Kimmeridge, I think they make a nice potential palette.

Pebble, limpet, seaweed and plastic ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

A spring sale on Folksy of little treasures - sea shells on the seashore

 

Spring sale until the end of April at Folksy  ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Spring is slow in coming and I am dreaming of warmer, sunny, summer days so I thought I would have a little sale over in my Folksy store. These little treasures have been collected over the years from beaches visited or observed in aquariums and as museum specimens. They look lovely as collections or on their own - maybe as a gallery wall with your own collected treasures.

I am offering them with 40% off the usual retail price until the end of April - P&P depends on how far they have to travel to your part of the world. In the past many have crossed oceans to find new homes sometimes on the coast and some further inland. It is always fun for me to see where they will wash up next.

Spring sale until the end of April at Folksy  ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Spring sale until the end of April at Folksy  ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Spring sale until the end of April at Folksy  ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

 

Spring sale until the end of April at Folksy  ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Spring sale until the end of April at Folksy  ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Spring sale until the end of April at Folksy  ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Rockpool lino series continued & my 600th post

 

Rockpool   lino print on paper   ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

I thought I would share a little more of this rockpool series. I have been printing slightly larger compositions on A4 paper and adding in some more different motifs. I love the delicacy of the seaweed, I think they are a good contrast to the more solid shapes of the pebbles and limpets. Other shells are starting to appear in this little ecosystem. I might be slightly in love with little yellow winkles ;o) they are appearing in all of these larger compositions.

I might try out some spicy hot colours next - yellows, rusty oranges and coral. I dabbled with this combination in the A5 ones but might try upscaling that palette again. I struggle with the hotter end of the spectrum so it will be a challenge. Notice how I said coral and not red - red may be a step to far! Red makes me feel out of control and a bit shouty. Do you have a colour that you avoid in your work? 

Can you believe this is my   600th   post!!! I certainly can't. What a bloggerversary! I feel like I have made so many friends online - we might not get to meet in real life but I feel no less richer for that. Thank you for reading along and to the people who take the time, I appreciate all your comments. To all those who don't I appreciate you too! Thank you.

Carving and inking the plates for the Rockpool Series  ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

Rockpool   lino print on paper   ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

All four A4ish prints in the Rockpool series as well as the smaller prints are all available in my Folksy store.  Best wishes.

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. 

Beach Treasures in mixed media

Beach Treasures   etching and mixed media    ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Following on from the etchings in last weeks post I couldn't resist playing with a set in coloured pencil. I have scanned them and made the available as cards and reproduction prints on Redbubble .

Beach treasures   etching and coloured pencil   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Beach treasures etchings and process

Sketches and preliminary sketchbook work for the Beach Treasures etching ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

I had begun to plan my most ambitious etching project to date some time ago. As always it started in my sketchbook and was a kind of continuation of the watercolour beach treasures collections to begin with I wasn't sure if the compositions were going to be in watercolour or print. I had even gotten as far as thinking about colour when I decided to go the etching route.

Concept sketch for Beach Treasures etching plates ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Refining the shapes and drawing for each plate took some time as I wanted to get the spacing and balance perfect for each individual plate and for it to work just as well as a triptych. Once that was done I was ready to make the plates and could easily transfer each outline onto the prepared zinc. Carefully I added in the hatching to render the form of the objects. There is a lovely parallel between the hardness of the shells and pebbles and the delicate marks they have and recreating it on a hard metal plate.

Once completed the plates are bathed in acid for the drawing to be eaten away giving a 'tooth' for the ink to settle in and imprint on the paper. After carefully cleaning away the rest of the ground (the substance used as a barrier to keep the acid from eating away at the metal where you don't want a mark) the plate is ready for inking.

The plates all ready for printing - Beach treasures ©2018LisaLeQueleenc

I have proofed the plates individually (made test prints) in both black and blue/black ink and am happy with the results. It really does pay for me to spend time in the preparation before starting the plate making.

The proof prints are both available mounted as you can see here at Seaside Studios UK on Etsy. Prints of individual plates are available on both Etsy and in my Folksy store.

Beach treasures I, II & III   original etchings, first artists proof prints mounted to 30x50cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Beach treasures I, II & III   original etchings, second artists proof prints mounted to 30x50cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Beach Treasures I, II & III   etchings 6.5x13.5cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Seaweeds - new watercolours

Three new seaweeds available at Seaside Studios UK

Seaweeds   watercolour on paper 21x30cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Country Homes & Interiors August Edition 2018

The seaweed painting below that appears on the cover of Country Homes & Interiors magazine's August Edition has already found it's new home in Norway. The article looks gorgeous and I would like to say a big thank you for the opportunity to Features & Art Director Sara Bird, Stylist Selina Lake, Style Assistant Sarah Prall and Photographer David Brittain .

Seaweed   30x21cm approx watercolour on paper   ©2017LisaLeQuelenec

Three seaweed studies in watercolour

Three Seaweeds    each 30x21cm approx watercolour on paper   ©2017LisaLeQuelenec

The latest additions to my 'Little Treasures' series to add to the shells, feathers and other nature finds.

I love the colours, shapes and variety of seaweeds. These are painted from sketches that I did in Jersey and are seaweeds found in the rockpools there. Next time I must remember to collect some samples in jars for studying. I have collected them in the past and pressed them in sketchbook pages but they dry out and become brittle so quickly and it does make a change to paint from living samples. I really wanted to catch the sense of how they flow in the water in these studies.

These three seaweed studies are available at Seaside Studios UK on Etsy

Beach treasure; Collections III

Beach collections III   watercolour on paper 20x24cm approx   ©2017LisaLeQuelenec

I had hoped to have no. IV ready as well but it is quite pale and hasn't been easy to scan so will need a bit more work. I have been rather enjoying these and the concentration on tiny details.

No.III is also available at RedBubble. 

Beach treasure; Collections I & II

Beach collections II   watercolour on paper 20x24cm approx   ©2017LisaLeQuelenec

I was playing with some of my beach finds looking at the colours, textures and shapes. I thought rather than painting them in isolation as I usually do I would put them into an arrangement for a group portait. These are the first two -  there will be more. It's interesting to build a relationship in the colours, textures shapes and the linear rhythms. I enjoyed including the sea china, glass and pebbles which are given context with the shells and feathers, otherwise they just read as abstract shapes and colours.

As I write this I am thinking that this may be another avenue to explore on another day it would be interesting for me to return to abstraction after so long...... So many possibilities and so little time especially now that school is out and there is a little one to have adventures with. More trips to the beach! Yippeee!

Beach treasures collection I   watercolour on paper 20x24cm approx   ©2017LisaLeQuelenec

Both of these images are available as reproduction prints, stationery and greetings cards on Redbubble/lisalequelenec.

Sketchbook pages...

Inbetween printing and working on a commission I have been working away in my sketchbooks squirreling away ideas and inspiration for later projects. Sometimes pages are just recordings of little things that have caught my attention - like the daffodils flowering during the first week of January! I'm pretty sure that hasn't happened before but we have had a very mild winter so far. A walk on the beach at Southbourne was very fruitful for ideas. The light was very dramatic as heavy showers started to roll in and the energetic tides were throwing up all sorts of treasures like these mermaid purses (a much more romantic name than fish egg case) some were smooth as silk others furry like animal skin in colours ranging from black to pale olive. Anyway here are a couple of pages...

Mermaid Purses sketchbook page ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Daffodils for New Year!  sketchbook page ©2016Lisa Le Quelenec

Sketches from the Isle of Wight

I've just got back from a few days away on the lovely Isle of Wight. I have gathered new material in the form of sketches, added to my collection of seaglass, seaweed and pebbles, walked on different beaches, taken in new views and eaten some fabulous pistachio ice-cream...(it really was worth writing about ;o) ). It was a lovely break.

Seaweed sketchbook page with seaweed and identification chart illustrated by Carol Roberts  ©2015LisaLeQuelenec

Butterfly sketch watersoluble ink and coloured pencil ©2015Lisa Le Quelenec

I even went on a couple of touristy trips. One of them was to a beautiful place called Butterfly World which inspired a couple of sketches and some thoughts for a new set of work - a break from my usual. The ideas are percolating and like steam from a hot coffee don't have a solid form just yet, they need a little time.

Butterfly sketch and pebble watersoluble ink and coloured pencil ©2015Lisa Le Quelenec

Now, lucky girl that I am I need to get ready for a trip to the lovely Shell Bay on Studland which I believe many, many, many years ago was connected to the Isle of Wight and time and tide have erroded the chalk to create Poole Harbour/Bay. The holiday hasn't ended just yet.