about the artist

Louise Body

Based in Hastings

 

Louise studied Painting at Nottingham Trent University and graduated in 1996. Her love of painting began as a child, both her grandmothers were artists and Louise’s parents both went to art school so being an artist was strongly encouraged when growing up. After studying, Louise’s career took a detour into the world of design. In 2003 she set up her own company, designing and producing wallpaper and fabric. This led to some exciting collaborations with brands such as Paul Smith, Dr Martens and the V&A Museum and took Louise around the world exhibiting at trade shows in New York, Paris and London. In March 2020, Louise made the decision to leave the world of design to return to painting full-time.

 

“I paint from memory, and I am interested in the interpretation of the natural world, the way that landscapes and memories change over time and how these changes can be reflected in painting. Through these imagined landscapes, which often slip into the dream-like, I sometimes use repetitive lines to echo the fluid, wave-like patterns of dreams and thoughts, like stepping into a place between waking and sleeping, transforming the landscape into something otherworldly. By using layers of translucent paint which allow shadows and shapes to be partly revealed, I try to convey the ongoing process of change and adaptation that defines the landscape with a sense of what came before. I like this idea as a visual metaphor for memory. I find the layers of past paintings or ‘under paintings’ intriguing, they form the story of the painting. They are the ‘mistakes’ and the compositions that didn’t quite work, but are integral to the finished piece.”