Lisa Le Quelenec Seaside studios paintings, prints and mixed media

Thursday, 24 May 2018

Softly silently crept the tide

Ssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...........

Thursday, 17 May 2018

Time and Tide - a mini art book

I continue to think about the effects of time and errosion and the part they have played in shaping the coast where I live. How the pebbles that I pick up along the shore were once part of the land and how much the coastline has changed over thousands of years and how it could change in years to come. Old Harry Rocks was once joined to The Needles on the Isle of Wight....Harry has already lost his 'wife' a chalk stack that fell into the sea circa 1896 and at some point Old Harry will probably join her though I shouldn't think that will be in my lifetime especially as UNESCO has teams working to try and protect him. I wonder just how they can stop the tide... or even if they should? What treasures lie waiting for the tide to reveal?

I started to play with ideas on small pieces of card only 8x14cm using collage and drawing. I ended up with quite a collection and wanted a way to order and present them. Whittling it down to just five I have mounted them into a concertina book that I have made. A book as a finished piece is not a format that I have worked in before but it feels 'right' for this mini project. In my mind I am not thinking of it as a book as such but maybe more of a small chapter in a much longer narrative that I will never see completed.

On the final page is a small explanation about the inspiration behind the work which you can read below.

Like many coastal areas Dorset has a wealth of tales of myth and legend, some of which centre around Old Harry Rocks. These are chalk stacks formed by coastal erosion that lie at the gateway to the Jurassic Coast – a World Heritage site. The erosion that formed the chalk stacks also threatens their destruction and teams from UNESCO are working to save them.

One legend states that the rocks are named after a man called Harry Paye (d. 1419) a privateer and smuggler from Poole who intercepted hundreds of French and Spanish ships bringing his spoils back to the busy port of Poole.

Another naturally occurring phenomenon are hag stones which are pebbles with holes also made by erosion. Folklore states that they provide protection from witchcraft, disease and by looking through the hole you can see the fairy folk. Dorset fishermen used to tie them onto their boats for luck. I wonder if Harry Paye and his crew kept a hag stone or two on their ship…

Thursday, 10 May 2018

Well weathered - a series in mixed media and collage

I can get up to all sorts of mischief whilst waiting for ink to dry ;o) I have been working into some drypoint and etching prints with pencils, paint and collage - looking at them afresh and thinking about time and errosion.

The original six are available here.

They are also available as prints, cards and notebooks on RedBubble here.

Well Weathered VI by LisaLeQuelenec as prints, cards and notebooks on RedBubble

Thursday, 3 May 2018

Three Pebbles - proofing an etching plate and an experiment.

Two little pebble etching proof prints - trying out ideas for inking - both available on Folksy.

....then a little experiment mixing printing techniques and adding drawing. The darker pebble shapes are the individual collagraph plates from a few posts back over-printed onto the etching. Another avenue of possibilities to explore.

Thursday, 26 April 2018

Transformation collage and monoprint

Following on from Ebb and Flow I and II a couple more compositions using monoprint this time. I like the different kind of marks with direct monoprint and the feathery line quality because I did those sections on a textured watercolour paper it is more pronounced than it would have been on a smoother surface giving a softer feel that contrasts with the harder lines of the pebble shapes.

I will start to add these to the Etsy shop over the next few days and make some from the series available as prints and cards on RedBubble.

The pebble project is progressing well and there is much work in progress. However waiting for layers of ink to dry is getting a little frustrating. It means that posts may end up being a bit like buses with lots to share in one go with big gaps in between :o)

Thursday, 19 April 2018

New watercolour shells added to the collection

The sun has finally started to shine bringing a little Spring warmth with it and after heading to the beach for a while I am in the mood for these warmer aqua blues....

I hope the sun is shining for you.

All three are available at here on Etsy.

Thursday, 22 March 2018

Ebb and flow - collagraph and mixed media

Following on from the Elemental triptych a couple more mixed media pieces. They have proved very difficult to photograph I'm not sure if it is a problem with my camera or just that it can't cope with the subtleties of texture and tone in the printed elements.

Edges, line, boundaries, balance and texture seem to be my focus at the moment. I think I need to spend some time drawing - thinking with a pencil (or whatever else comes to hand.....).

Monday, 19 March 2018

Some Canadian sunshine on a snowy day

A gift of sunshine and friendship was delivered to me for which I am very grateful. Isn't it a beaut'! 'Zavicon Island' a slice of Spring all the way from Canada. It has arrived, ironically, on a snowy day here in Dorset - we don't get many.

If you aren't familiar with Bruce's blog
I urge you to pay it a visit, he generously shares his insights in painting and life - always thought provoking and uplifting - you will be richer for it.

Thank you Bruce, once again, I will be doing a happy dance on the way to the framers this weekend :o)

Thursday, 15 March 2018

Elemental I, II and III - block print and collage

A combination of techniques and materials has been used to create this triptch. First three blocks printed using a blended pass of blue ink. Once these had dried I collaged the pebble shapes using a mixture of inked paper and shapes from previous collagraph prints. Also areas of tracing and tissue paper are collaged in I like the mix of opacity and transparency.

I have tried to show in the detail photograph some of the lovely texture from the ink in the block print. The variation in tone and lovely granulatory qualities bring to mind looking at sand rich in mica through water.

This series seems to be heading in a more graphic and hard edged direction in print compared with the path the paintings are taking. I continue to explore but am intrigued if the two will ever meet and merge at some point in the future.

Thursday, 1 March 2018

Well travelled pebbles in watercolour

I had hoped to be able to share the next round of collagraph prints but I am in between stages waiting for ink to dry still. Unable to continue with them I have returned to watercolour and whilst the medium dictates a completely different result from the prints the theme is the same.

Replicating some of the marks and textures that I had made in the prints with watercolour and a little gouache has made some interesting areas. I also used more granulating pigments in the mixes especially the new love of my life Daniel Smith's Sodolite Genuine. I can see I will be getting through the tube rather quickly.

Not a bad way to spend time waiting for ink to dry.......

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