A circular sketchbook - mixed media storms, waves & gulls

 

I started a new pocket sketchbook at the beginning of the year. I have prepped the pages with tissue some marked with ink by drying prints others with watercolour marks. Each page will have a composition made within a circle. I am hoping that I will learn things about composition from a change in format. I am allowing myself to spill outside of the circle as the mood takes me. I will probably stick to grey, indigo and white to take away the decision fatigue of choosing palettes. I like the consistency in these small sketchbooks when reviewing sketches over a longer period of time. 

I used to work within circles quite often in watercolour so it feels, at least to begin with, like I am revisiting old ground with new eyes. Of course the sea, as always is present and so too are the gulls that circle and swoop within my work. At least that is how it is starting although that isn't necessarily how the sketchbook will finish. It does rather fell like the start of a voyage in a way...

Circle sketchbook page   watercolour and mixed media   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

Circle sketchbook page   watercolour and mixed media   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

Circle sketchbook page   watercolour and mixed media   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

Little Beach Treasures - a new sketchbook

 

Little beach treasures sketchbook pages   watercolour   ©2026LisaLeQuelenec

A new sketchbook to record treasures found. It will include shells, pottery sherds, pebbles, driftwood, seaweed and any other interesting bits and pieces that I find and make their way home in my pocket. I think this sketchbook will be quite the visual diary. It is small, about 12x12cm, so nothing too intimidating, the sketches can only be to a certain level of detail. It will be my version of morning pages and will encourage me to keep my watercolour practice going. I have been finding it hard to keep up lately with other projects taking up all my time but hopefully this will be my motivation.

Ran's net - a new project for 2025

 

I am slowly easing my way back into work trying to find my thread from before the holidays. I had been picking up from a project half started a long time ago back in the days of home school during the lockdowns... A project inspired by a Norse mythology book shared with my son.

One character captured my imagination, a Goddess named Ran (a personification of the ocean) who possessed a net which gathered sailors drowned at sea. She is both the cause and the consequence. I can't find many mentions of her in the texts that I have read and it is that most likely that elusiveness  which has intrigued me....

I have so many notes and post-its and scribbles and thumbnails that I think it is time to start collating my thoughts together.

Sketchbook Snippet - Ran's Net  watercolour and watersoluble pencils ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Sketchbook Snippet - Ran's Net  watercolour and watersoluble pencils ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Sketchbook Snippet - Ran's Net  watercolour and watersoluble pencils ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

I have been going back through my notes and experiments - firstly a very textured detail from a collagraph plate using tile adhesive and aluminium foil tape. This was just a small part that I kept as I loved the texture and colours so much. It's not much more than a snippet but I couldn't part with it.

Collagraph printing plate section   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Second, a section of a ghost print ( a second printing of a plate without adding extra ink) that I worked into with collage, watercolour and coloured pencil. I regularly make a ghost print as fodder for experimenting with new ideas. I like the idea of work continuing, evolving and a continuous thread connecting pieces and projects - many tides, one ocean.

Another connection for these details is the strong 'V' composition that I seem to regularly circle back to.

Detail from a print worked into with mixed media ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Piddock shell fragments ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Broken but oh so beautiful fragments of piddock shells, inspiring textures and compositions.

Colour inspiration from beach finds ©2025LisaLeQuelenec

Pounding waves - sketchbook page

 

Sketchbook page - watercolour, pencils and acrylic pen ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

After some exacting, delicate and detail work it is always nice to break out into a sketchbook for some pounding surf. You can see in this photo how the paper was starting to get destroyed as the surface balled up. I will be having a mini blogging break for the next couple of weeks to catch up on real life things but will be back soon. Have a great week!

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

Inspiration from unusual places...

Rag rug watercolour thumbnail sketch  ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

 

Rag rug ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

It started on a sunny day, I noticed the denim rag rug and the way the light had faded areas - the patterns made by light and shade, the tones, the colours and textures... a little noticing.

Sketchbook studies - rag rug    watercolour   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

I grabbed my sketchbook and sketched out some thumbnails.....which led to some collages.....

Collage WIP    ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

Rag rug studies   collage with shells   ©2024LisaLeQuelenec

That were strangely addictive to make.....  to be continued......

RedBubble sale this week

 

I have cheekily used the same images for the blog as I have used for Instagram......

Click here for the link to my RedBubble store or via my linktree in the menu bar above.

©2023LisaLeQuelenec

Folksy Summer Exhibition

 

Well the best laid plans and all that.....I got to my 600th blog post and then went AWOL! Ooops! My apologies - where did July go again? Well I have been immensely busy but more on that next post. ...

My post today is to let you know about a wonderful online exhibition that I have been selected (over 700 entrants!) to be in at Folksy. So proud to have my watercolour, 'One Man and His Dog' selected as there is some stunning work by some very talented artists and crafts people. The exhibition is on for the whole of August.

Click on the exhibition image in my sidebar to have a look and do let me know what you think. There is a real range of styles, subjects and mediums as I scrolled through I was opening the links of shops that I wanted to explore further. I have been bookmarking all over as I know I will need to return when gift season gets started although I might just be starting early this year as I spotted some things that would be just perfect.

One Man and His Dog   watercolour 37x37cm   ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

Limpets and seaglass - watercolour

 

Limpet and seaglass  WIP watercolour 23x23cm approx  ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

Limpet and seaglass  WIP watercolour 23x23cm approx  ©2023LisaLeQuelenec

I'm not sure whether to continue painting at this point so added real shells and glass in various combinations to see where it might lead and try to nudge a decision.... I think part of the issue I have is that I am so unused to seeing my work on NOT paper as I usually use HOT PRESS and it has thrown me a bit... decisions...decisions....

Limpet and seaglass with real limpet shells and seaglass WIP watercolour 23x23cm approx  ©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.

End of summer studio sale on Folksy

 

Something new for me.... a little end of summer studio sale.

I had a few paintings returned from an exhibition and as the mountboard colour has been discontinued I can no longer replicate the framing. So I thought I should pop them in the shop unframed at a discounted rate. 

Sale watercolours mounted to fit 40x50cm available individually in my Folksy store ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Looking around the studio and through my plan chest I have found a few more paintings and prints which I have made available at discounted rates. Some are older pieces that just haven't found a home yet, some were artist proof prints where I tested colours before editioning. 

Scallop watercolour mounted to fit frame size 40x50cm ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Urchins watercolour mounted to fit frame size 40x50cm ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Starfish watercolour mounted to fit frame size 40x50cm ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Three feathers watercolour mounted to fit frame size 40x50cm ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

I have set up a separate section in my Folksy store where they can all be viewed together for the next couple of weeks here.

Do you see anything you like?

A trip home....and refilling the inspiration well

I have just come back from a trip home (I call it home even though I haven't actually lived there for nearly thirty years..) to Jersey. It had been far too long. My last stay had been pre-covid.  It was lovely to catch up with my folks and walk along the beaches which are so different to the ones in Dorset. For a start there is a much, much wider tidal ranges so interesting treasures are waiting to be found that are left by the tide. Also my eyes were opened to just how much litter is unfortunately left on the beach in Bournemouth during the summer, which is a sad observation to make. Jersey beaches are immaculately clean at any time of day or evening.

Anyway I thought I would bore you with some holiday snaps ;o)

Along the beach   photos ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

So many colours, shapes and textures.. I think a lifetimes work could be made just within these nine photos.

Whilst on the way to visit the Maritime Museum I was fascinated by the reflection patterns in the marina. The museum is absolutely wonderful and I would definitely recommend a visit.

We fitted in two castles and La Hougue Bie Museum too. The passage grave at La Hougue Bie is thought to be one of the ten oldest buildings in the world! It was lovely and cool to walk doubled over and crablike through the tunnel on what was a very hot day.

Sketchbook pages of water reflections in the marina ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Marina reflections photograph ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Unfortunately we came across this compass jellyfish left by the tide on one of our beach walks. Such a beautiful pattern of markings, I think I will be revisiting this page in the not too distant future.

Compass jellyfish and sketchbook pages   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

As you can see someone else enjoyed her first visit too, especially the paddling and extra treats from Nanny and Grumpy.

So lots of new inspiration and ideas are now whizzing through head and waiting to emerge from my brushes.

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...

Softly, softly - seascapes in watercolour

 

Softly, softly   watercolour 14x24cm   ©2021LisaLeQuelenec

Summer seems so far away now....the pandemic and the various lock downs have skewed my sense of time so much..autumn felt springlike. I think even the seasons have been mixed up themselves as I see plants popping up through the soil that shouldn't be here for a few months yet and leaves only just coming off the trees that should have happened weeks ago. I'm no longer sure when things happened.. was it this year or was it the year before? Am I the only one to feel like this? It's chilly here so I think I will keep thinking of summer..

Both paintings available in my Folksy Store.

Quiet evening   watercolour 22x22cm   ©2021LisaLeQuelenec