Watercolour for Laura

 

Laura's watercolour  10x10cm paper   ©lisalequelenec

Well, that was a fun challenge Laura 😉 I think this is as small as I an go to make a big feeling of space. At least I think it worked.... My eyes are not what they once were. I tried to make it look like they were old style camera negatives except in colour..... I'm not clever enough to do negative tones and colour, (I think it would have been all oranges and burnt sienna. )  so maybe more like the old transparency slides... I think it might be a little bit migraine inducing to work this small for long so I might revert back to my gargantuan (.. cough.... in comparison) scale next. 

Thank you for the great challenge, it was good fun.

You can see Laura's blog  here.  Full of beautiful, delicate coastal watercolours.

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

Shore - variations in colour - drypoint

Shore   drypoint 8.8x15cm   ©2021 LisaLeQuelenec

 

A varied edition of 15 'Shore' each print will be an experiment in printing different combinations of mulitple colours which is something I haven't really tried before. This is part of my challenge to widen my palette this year.

These prints are available at Folksy.

 

Shore   drypoint variations 8.8x15cm   ©2021 LisaLeQuelenec

Lockdown sky studies

 

 

Sky studies  10x10cm watercolour on paper   ©2020/21LisaLeQuelenec

 

 

During lockdown I spent a lot of time looking up. There were some fantastic coloured skies, the air seemed crisper and cleaner. Maybe due to a drop in pollution? I am fortunate to live within a short distance of the beach so could easily visit during the allowed exercise time/distance. It is only really now that I am starting to get used to seeing planes in the sky again and they are still alot more infrequent than before.

 

I started a series of 10x10cm watercolours inbetween the homeschooling, dog walking and in spare moments. I am starting to put these paintings into my Folksy store each measures 10x10cm and represents a quiet moment to forget about the stress of these troublesome times.

 

 

Sky studies  10x10cm watercolour on paper   ©2020/21LisaLeQuelenec

 

Sky studies  10x10cm watercolour on paper   ©2020/21LisaLeQuelenec

Bubbles for 2020

 

 

Bubbles -  lockdown sketchbook pages ©2020LisaLeQuelenec

 

 

Helloooooooooo.....yoooouuuhooooo 🙋   are you there? It's been a while. I'm looking around and so much has changed on Blogger I feel like I need a map. I hope everyone has been/is safe and well during all of this craziness. Hugs to anyone who needs one.

I'm not sure how to start today so I am just going to jump in. 2020 started with a new roof and a little building work here at seaside studios - I am so grateful to the chaps who got everything finished with days to spare before the first lockdown. Before I knew it homeschool started and took up all my time. (A big shoutout to wonderful teachers everywhere who do such an amazing job each and every day! As well as all the other people who have worked tirelessly throughout these terribly hard times.) I was just starting to feel like there was light at the end of the tunnel and yet it seems a third wave is under way here in the UK sadly. I didn't do a whole lot of painting or printing for chunks of last year but things are underway again at a better pace. So here I am..

 

Printing bubbles in ink - experiment page in sketchbook ©2020LisaLeQuelenec

 

What I did manage to do consistantly was fill sketchbooks with lots of thumbnails and ideas so there is lots to work through and explore. One theme that I did explore was bubbles...so much talk about living in 'bubbles' to stop infection, school bubbles, family bubbles etc thoughts about 'currents', 'waves' of infection, 'I don't want to burst your bubble'...all words that until last year I had only really thought about in a positive light had now become quite dark and menacing. Bubbles, however, remain protecting, strong/fragile, positive something beautiful to treasure. 

I remember watching a documentary quite a few years ago by oceanographer Helen Czerski called 'Pop! The science of bubbles '. I made lots of notes at the time and I dug out that book and rewatched the film. It's very good, I recommend it, you can find it on Youtube. Whilst about ocean bubbles and behaviour it gave me much food for thought.

 

 

Drypoint and drawing bubbles experiment page in sketchbook ©2020LisaLeQuelenec

It also gave me a very good reason to experiment and play, it's a messy and joyous job making inky bubbles and lots and lots of fun which felt much needed. If you need a lift try blowing bubbles, especially if you have an overexcited dog and child in the vicinity.

Pen thumbnails sketchbook studies ©2020LisaLeQuelenec

Gradually all these little snippets and thoughts have evolved into a couple of prints in drypoint and monoprint. I felt like I needed to make very time specific work to record this period. So much awfulness and on the flipside some positives too from it in the way communities have come together, collaboration between scientists to get vaccines developed, sharing of data, knowledge and resources. I hope the duality of the title speaks of this.  

As I print the full edition of 10 prints of 'Bubbles for 2020' I will put them on sale in my Folksy shop. The price of the print  £30GBP  (excluding postage) I will donate to the British Red Cross Global Coronavirus Appeal. I hope to add to this positivity.

All prints will be available here.

Bubbles for 2020  drypoint print    ©2020LisaLe Quelenec

Just as an aside....I apologise for any spelling errors. I can't find the spellcheck in this new format. If someone could give me the heads up as to where it is I would be very grateful.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy week.

Clearing the path and happy holidays

Storm's arrival   sketchbook page and watercolour  12x12cm   ©2019LisaLeQuelenec

As I type the rain has started again - another storm is due. This will be my last post for the year as we are now racing toward the holidays. I have been reflecting on this year and have come to the conclusion that much of it has been spent straddling the line between realism and abstraction. I feel like I am at a border with a foot on each side like I need to make a decision on which direction to take. ( It occurs to me that part of this is a reflection of the influence of our political situation this year in the UK... It has certainly been a strange one.)

I know that in the coming year I would like to explore mark making in more depth and that colour might be making more of a comeback after so much grey and indigo (although that might just be a mini rebellion at the weather the last few weeks.) I think it will be a year of new ground and learning; I hope from time to time you will drop in and let me know what you think. So whilst some might think it a little odd to end the year on a stormy note I am seeing it as a positive - a clearing of the path to new and exciting things.

I wish you all a happy holidays however you celebrate the passing of a year, may 2020 be full of exciting opportunity, good health and happiness for you and yours. All my best wishes. Cheers!

So I tried.......but I failed.....

Back at the beginning of November printmaker Sherrie York posted here about how she was going to return to a challenge of drawing 100 thumbnails in the month. What a challenge I thought to myself. I had read the post mid month and thought to myself I would give it a go myself with the aim of making it to 50. I have been a little undisciplined of late with my drawing practise and thought the challenge would give me the kick up the proverbial that I needed....

However 50 was a little ambitious I think at this time of year for me and I only managed 30 even though the maximum time I had spent on them was two minutes! How shameful - that's only an hours worth of drawing that I managed after all ;o)  I will do better this month (I hope) it's a nice challenge to get the juices flowing and a couple of these little scribbles might be the start of something in the future who knows...

Sherrie has posted a wonderful video of her Hundred which you can see here . I have to say they are amazing and show just what a skilled draughtswoman she is. Pop over and have a look. Now where is that sketchbook....

30 thumbnails for November   pencil on paper each one 5x5cm approx   ©2019LisaLeQuelenec

Start of the storm collagraph and mixed media

Ironically after days of storms I am posting this new piece whilst the sun is shining - a brief respite before the rains return. Whilst the sky is clear it is bitterly cold. My thoughts have been with the folk in the north of the country who have been flooded out of their homes and are awaiting the next round. I hope everyone stays safe, warm and dry.

With so much wild weather there has been a lot of sketching to try and capture the moments of contrasting cloud patterns and light. I have turned to collagraph experiments adding pencil on top of some of the deeper embossed textures once the ink has dried.

The start of the storm   collagraph monoprint and mixed media 19x14.5cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Heavy Weather III - drypoint

The rain it keeps on coming...

Heavy Weather III   8x7.5cm drypoint   ©2019LisaLeQuelenec

The third print in a series of drypoint studies titled Heavy Weather is now available at Seaside Studios Uk .

You can also find  Heavy Weather  and  Heavy Weather II  the first and second prints in the series. All three are printed in editions of 10.

Arriving storm - drypoint with collagraph

We have had some spectacular weather the past week or so...lashing rain, howling wind, there have also been some breathtakingly beautiful sunsets. I love Autumn and all its changeability, I am looking forward to seeing the changing colours. It won't be long now I think.

The storms have been quite something and have been prompting some new work.

Storm at Sea   14x14cm drypoint with collagraph monoprint   ©2019LisaLe Quelenec

A mixture of techniques have been used to make this print - there are areas of drypoint and collagraph and due to the disintegration of the plate in the sky area each time it travelled through the press, each print has altered and arrives at the other side appearing quite different. I like the idea of the plate physically eroding like the coastline it is depicting in the storm.

This print is available at Seaside Studios UK.