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.

Sea worn textures shaped by the tide

 

Sea worn and sun bleached   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

We are experiencing a heatwave here in the UK. I find hot summer days a trial at the best of times without it going to extremes so I'm not looking forward to the weekend and early part of next week. Instead of heading to the beach I will be inside with my collections revisiting inspirations already found. 

Arranging my beach findings, photographing and playing digitally with them always inspires new colour combinations, marks, textures etc, It is something to take time over and meditate on, to recognise connections and I don't get frustrated with paint or ink drying too quickly ;o) although a sketchbook will probably be pulled out for a play at some point. So that is where I will be for a while, looking at pretty things and refilling the well. I hope you enjoy the sunshine if that is your thing and if not enjoy the shade like me. Best wishes.

New store at Society6

 

Lines in the Water - Blues   framed print available at Society6   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

The last few weeks I have been working on making work available as reproductions in a new store on Society6. I am very happy with how it is going so far and will be adding more work in the coming weeks. I have heard good feedback from other artists of the quality and service from this company so thought I would give it a whirl. I'd love to know what you think of the store if you take a peek.

It just so happens that they are having a Forth of July Sale at the moment which means 40% off art prints & posters and 30% off wall art and home decor. 

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...

Lines in the Water II & III - linoprints

 

Lines in the Water II   linoprint 15x15cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Two more in the series, once again varied, open editions. I will have fun exploring and experimenting with different inking techniques and colourways. 

Prints available in my Folksy Store.

Lines in the Water III   linoprint 15x15cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

A big thank you to the lovely anonymous buyer of journals, RedBubble doesn't tell me who you are but I think I know....thank you Kentucky I hope you  love them ;o)

Repeating Waves - making patterns

 

Repeating waves ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

After scanning one of my lino prints into Photoshop I had a play with making a repeat pattern. I have uploaded it into my RedBubble store and it is available on different accessories to purchase. I will try out some different colour combinations soon though I like the subtlety of this colourway which is true to the print that I scanned. I might try it as a border rather than a full repeating pattern too. What do you think?

....and just to brighten your day, how cute are these two modelling one of the latest products available of RedBubble? 

Repeating Waves ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Lines in the water - linoprint

 

Lines in the Water I   linoprint 10x15cm  ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

So the last few days I have begun printing the lino plate from my previous post. I tried out a couple of colour ways and also over printing on to a pre-printed background. 

Lines in the Water I   linoprint 10x15cm  ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Lines in the Water I   variations linoprints 10x15cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

It was whilst I was inking up the plate in the top image colourway that I thought....hold on I have been here before....March 2018 (handy that I have been blogging for so long as it meant I could go back to check when)....a predecessor methinks..... How did I not make that connection? I am coming to realise that my working practise is circular or maybe that should be tidal? Themes wax and wane like the moon's pull on the ocean. I don't feel like I am reworking old ground though...rather eroding away at ideas until I reach (maybe one day if I am lucky) the essence of the thing. Back to mulling over ideas as to where this is going...time for a walk.

Elemental I, II & III   each image 11x18cm   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec

Lines in the water - doodles and linoprinting

 

Telephone doodles   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

I've had reason to be waiting on hold with telephone music to keep me company lately. Totally mind numbing. However with my mind numbed and without thinking my hand set to work doodling, it had quite a bit of time fortunately/unfortunately. Once said call had ended and my brain slowly worked its way out of the fog I looked at what my hand had done. I'm not sure if it is something or nothing but thought I would spend a little bit of time exploring the drawings, redrawing, pondering - I like the flow and movement of the lines and the variations of weight and depth. 

The lines are making me think of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham's drawings and some Victor Pasmore paintings. What do you think?

Linoprinting has always been a challenge and was something I actively avoided in my college days (many, many years ago). However these line doodles feel like they might work best in this medium so I am having myself an experiment. Now lino has come along since I last had a go and there are much easier materials to carve these days. No more the tough as nails brown, heavy stuff that I used to lay over a hot water bottle in the vain attempt to help soften it, no now there is this marvellous blue Japanese vinyl. With a reasonably sharp tool it cuts like butter, which is a good job as my hands would definitely not be up to carving the old style lino.

So after refining one of my Phone doodles I traced the drawing onto the vinyl and carved away. Time was not on my side so instead of getting out the printing ink and because I was far to impatient to wait for another day I tried out an ink stamp pad to try making a quick proof print from.

Playing with lino ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

There is quite a bit of 'noise' - bits of lino that I haven't quite carved enough away and have printed where they shouldn't. I'm not sure whether to leave some or not as I think it will help the image not look quite so graphic and maybe a bit more like water. Also in my impatient proofing I did crumple the paper which left a couple of creases oops! I will ponder some more before getting the printing ink out another day and playing with different combinations of inking. It feels rather exciting to be trying something completely different again and I am wondering how this will feed into my other work it normally does at some stage without me realising it at the time.

Scintillating seas - acrylic on linen board

 

Scintillating Seas   acrylic on linen board 20x20cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Always a challenge to paint and one I return to again and again over the years.  This is definitely the kind of sparkle that I value the most, who needs diamonds?

 This little gen is available in my Folksy Store.

- see what I did there ;o)  Wishing you a creative and successful week.

Lines in the Tide I & II - drypoint prints

 

Getting inky...  ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Two new drypoint prints available in my Folksy store today, .................  These are a continuation of my heavy weather series that I began some years back. The lines seem calmer and more serene in a lot of ways. I seem to gravitate back to working in line and exploring how a mood can be expressed in just a few simple strokes, be that pencil, paint or drypoint needle.

The above photo is the plate inked up and partially wiped ready to go through the press. I am very forgetful of taking photos of the process but am trying to remember. Below are two of the prints from the editions.  Both are available in my Folksy store.

Lines in the Tide    drypoint 8x15cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec

Lines in the Tide II    drypoint 8x15cm   ©2022LisaLeQuelenec