Louis is a 65 year old Artist from Carrickfergus. Let’s find out more about her, shall we?
How did you get started in the industry?
Art College, Advertising and Design Agencies.
What genre / style do you create in?
Oil painting.
What would you be best known for?
General landscapes and palette knife street scenes.
What would you consider your biggest achievement?
Enjoying my art career from an early age.
What would you consider to be the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your industry?
Being able to take criticism without it effecting your confidence.
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
Painting a new series of pictures at very short notice for a scheduled exhibition after the original ones were all destroyed in a fire at my picture framers premises.
Tell us a little about your personal life, are you married, kids, hobbies etc?
Born in Belfast and living in Northern Ireland. Divorced with two sons aged 31 and 29. Been painting since 10. Studied Art at Manchester Art College gaining a First Class Honours Degree with Commendations. Worked in London in Design, Advertising and Illustration before moving back to Northern Ireland to continue my career there. Continued to paint in my free time and explore other artistic directions. Held group and one man exhibitions. Do regular demonstrations and hold numerous Art Classes.
Tell us about your most recent work?
Just completed a series of 8 children’s books based on true stories about 3 Springer Spaniels.
What would you like us to tell people about?
Being a ‘Commercial Artist’ I am able to work in any medium and regularly do commissions on a wide range of subjects for my clients.
If you had to describe your work to someone who has never heard of you what would you say?
Varied and adaptable to whatever the brief, client or situation.
What’s the funniest experience you’ve had in your business?
Unknowingly miss spelling a word in a headline of a visual for a very important advertising campaign which when shown to the client in a presentation he loved as a different twist. They thought it was intentional, to my relief.
What would your advice be to young people hoping to pursue the same industry?
Take time to learn the basics of drawing and art before leaping on to computer programmes. Drawing and design skills are important in so many fields of the industry.
Anything else you want to tell people about yourself or your work?
It is hard to talk about your own work. It is such a visual business that if you have to explain what is going on then maybe you haven’t got it right.
Who do you look up to and why?
Striving for perfection for artists or creative people can be an up hill struggle so I am always impressed by any artist who seems to have achieved it.