Louise Collis Studio 61 Gallery Guest Artists for March

As it turns towards spring we have a wonderful array of Louise Collis landscapes to fill the gallery contemporary and colourful and all painted on location find out more in this interview below:

Who are you and what do you do?

Louise Collis, I’m a landscape artist working mostly outdoors ‘En Plein Air’ my paintings are always colourful expressionist interpretations of the view in front of me.

 How do you work?

Working outdoors brings its own challenges. I have a full selection of oil paints and mediums that I carry around in a waterproof fishing bag. I set myself up sitting on a sandy beach or hillside and paint the view in one sitting before I lose the light or the weather turns. In the winter I often paint from my little car spreading the paints out on the dashboard.

 What’s your background?

I have always loved landscape painting but followed a path to an illustration degree in Bath Spa University. I often got into trouble with my tutors for turning every brief into a way of going outdoors and painting. After graduating I took on some illustration before working as an exhibition designer. My love of landscape painting was reignited on a trip to St Ives five years ago.

  
What inspires you?

The changing colours of the landscape inspire me. Sometimes they change to quickly and  have to paint as much as possible to record them at some times of the year and they always catch me by surprise.

What is your dream project?

 Painting every bay along the welsh coast staying in lovely hotels as I travel.

  Is the artistic life lonely?

What do you do to counteract it? It can be lonely, I often go on long painting trips by myself. I do a lot of work and enjoy it but I try to mix the painting with popping into galleries on my travels and chatting to the owners.

  What research to you do?

I use google maps and street view to plan a painting trip, looking at where the best views might be. Obviously I also look at the long range weather forecast!

 Favourite or most inspirational place?

I am very to live in the South Wales Valleys next to The Black Mountains and I find the combination of the post-industrial villages next to the ever-changing colours of the spectacular mountains Inspiring. But my favourite place is the North Devon coast which feels like a second home to me.

  What’s the best piece of advice you've been given?

 Not to compare your work or success to other artists, you should always do what feels instinctive to you.

 Professionally, what’s your goal?

 To spend more time painting. To support this I need more people to see and take home my work.

Thank you Louise! To find out more about Louise click here!