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Artist Louise Dear’s Love of Life AND the sea is reflected in her glittering, glamorous works, AVAILABLE At runway-gallery.com
Louise Dear is one of a number of artists featured in the Runway Gallery, an online showcase of contemporary art. From her studio by the sea in East Sussex, Louise creates multilayered works on aluminium panels, full of texture and intriguing materials. Here, she tells us about the inspiration and process behind her shimmering, sensual artworks.
Where do you find inspiration?
My favourite place is the sea. I swim in the sea every day, and the glitter in my work represents the sunlight twinkling on the water. I also love to walk, which gives me the chance to photograph nature at its most beautiful. I’m in the process of moving my studio from Brighton to the south of France. My plan is to work for a couple of weeks at a time, returning to London for meetings and the monthly salon for our art movement The Beautalists, of which I’m a founding member.
Describe your style
My work is full of joie de vivre, vibrant colours, glitter and crystals that shimmer and sparkle. They nearly always portray beautiful women. The line I use to paint these gorgeous girls is pure mark making, and it’s as distinct as an individual’s handwriting. Each and every line has to be alluring, to create the seductive effect of the whole. The eyes and lips are very much a signature of my style.
What effect do you want your work to have?
I want it to make people smile, and to evoke the feel of a happy memory, like walking along a sunny shore or snuggling up with a lover, and add a touch of sparkle to their daily lives.
When you’ve created originals, you sometimes produce these as limited edition prints, can you tell us about this process
I work closely with a master printer to reproduce my prints on tactile paper, which is then embellished with different finishes, such as gold leaf and high-gloss varnish. I then hand finish a select few by creating more layers – adding gloss paints, glitters, sequins, stickers and crystals, making each individual piece a unique work.
What should someone look for when buying art for their home?
Buy from the heart and what you love. You’ll be looking at it every day, so have something that makes you feel good. My works are created with passion and I think that shows. They excite and entice their viewer, and people who love them do get quite addicted. I have clients who began buying prints, went on to buy hand-finished prints, before moving up to originals. My biggest collectors have up to 18 pieces in their home.