We catch up with Hastings-based abstract landscape painter, Louise Body

Q: Hi Louise it’s great to catch up, what have you been up to since we last spoke?

A: Hello! I’ve had a busy couple of years, continuing to paint full time in my studio here in Hastings. I have had the pleasure of exhibiting my work at some great galleries and art fairs which has given me the wonderful opportunity to meet some of my buyers and collectors face to face and to share my work with a wider audience. 

Q: Could you tell us about any exciting projects you have coming up later this year?

A: Obviously I am very excited to be launching some limited editions with K&M! I will be showing my work for the first time in New York in September at the Affordable Art Fair which I am really looking forward to and I have my first solo show at The Old School Gallery in Northumberland at the end of September. I am also re-launching some of my original wallpaper designs that I created 20 years ago with a brilliant wallpaper company in Germany later this year.

Q: Do you find that your experience as a textile designer feeds into your paintings?

A: My paintings have a strong sense of design, and colour is also very important to me. It’s hard to say if this is because I spent 20 years creating wallpapers and textiles or if it’s why I was attracted to the interiors world in the first place. It’s interesting because when I was designing, it was my Fine Art background that stood me apart. I guess they both feed into each other.

Q: Living in Hastings you’re surrounded by nature, the influence of which is so evident in your work. What elements, or themes most capture your attention? 

A: One of the things about living so close to the sea is that every day your eye is drawn to a very distinct horizon line which isn’t broken up by buildings or landscape. I think this is why as much as I try to break up the horizon line in my paintings, it is always there. You are also very aware of the changing light and the colour of the sea which will differ throughout the day. I often swim in the sea and I love to feel that connection with the landscape.

Q: Have you always been creative since childhood?

A: I have always loved drawing and painting and growing up in a creative household. It was encouraged from an early age. Both of my grandmothers were artists and both my parents went to art school.

Q: Can you tell us about where you grew up, has that had a bearing on your artistic practice?

A: I was born in Southend-on-Sea but grew up in Surrey. I moved to Brighton when I was 17 to complete my Art Foundation and went on to study a Fine Art degree at Nottingham Trent University and then moved back to Brighton. I now live further along the coast in Hastings. Living by the sea for most of my life has inspired my work through subject matter and the colours that I use in my work.

Q: Could you tell us a little about your journey to becoming a full-time artist?

A: When I was in my 20’s I always worked part time to supplement my income, I had various jobs from working in a whole food shop to being an art technician in a school. In 2003 I set up my own company designing and making wallpaper. My company quickly grew and my wallpapers and fabrics were produced in a factory in Lancashire. I spent years exhibiting at interior trade shows in London, New York and Paris! I also taught wallpaper printing workshops which I loved and ran these from my studio for 3 years until I had to cancel my foreseeable courses in 2020 because of Covid.

It was this forced change in 2020 that made me paint full time. I began to sell my paintings through my website and on Instagram and I took part in the Artist Support Pledge initiative which was set up by the Sussex artist Matthew Burrows. This gave me the affirmation that it was viable for me to close my wallpaper company and earn a living by selling my paintings. I then went on to exhibit with galleries and my work is now with collectors both in the UK and internationally.

Q: What’s a typical working day like for you?

A: I paint most days. I am often working towards a new collection of work for a gallery or an art fair. I work from the top floor of our house which suits me well as I like the flexibility. Because I work on my own and from home, it’s important for me to get out for some fresh air and exercise so I will often have a lunchtime swim in the sea if the weather is nice.

Q: What materials do you use, and what one piece of equipment could you not be without?

A: I use acrylic paint because I like that it dries quickly which is good for building up layers. I also use an acrylic medium to create translucent layers and I paint onto either board or canvas. I have a selection of brushes from very wide for creating large washes of colour to very small for fine lines. I have 2 buckets of water that I fill daily because I don't have a sink in my studio. I have a large piece of glass that I mix my colours onto and scrape them off with an old wallpaper scraper that I’ve had for years.

Q: Which artists inspire you?

A: I am drawn to the work of post war artists such as Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and Victor Pasmore. I love the work of Paul Klee because he was the first artist I knew about and was inspired by as a child.

Q: What have been some of your biggest career highlights to date?

A: Over the years I have been lucky enough to collaborate with some established brands. It was very exciting when Dr Martens released the ‘Louise Body for Dr Martens’ range of boots and shoes, and the fashion designer Paul Smith launched the collection of ‘Louise Body for Paul Smith’ clothing range. One of my best accolades is to have my wallpaper design ‘Garden Birds’ included in the V&A museum’s permanent wallpaper collection. Since painting full-time I feel very proud seeing my paintings up on gallery walls and seeing my paintings produced as beautiful prints with K&M.