Louise Knowles
Sydney, Australia
Website
louiseknowles.com
Social Media
Instagram
How would you describe your work?
My paintings are a mixture of colour, texture and form that communicate my response to my surroundings. Currently it is the landscape I visit but previously I used to paint the things around me, interiors and objects in my house.
What inspires you?
So many things…. Natural wonder, colours in the sky, music, love, food and looking at art. I am reminded constantly that inspiration can come from the smallest thing.
Can you speak about your process?
I have been using oils since the mid 90’s, their texture and pigments excite me. I love the ability to use the opaque and transparent colours to create depth and different textural elements in my work. I’m currently painting on a couple of large pieces of unstretched belgian linen but also love working on board. The boards allow me to put on, scrape off and dig in.
How did you become interested in art?
I studied art at high school, I focused on painting and found it was the love of colour mixing that drew me in. I was heavily influenced by Jeffery Smart at that stage, hard edge realism was my goal. Fast forward nearly 40 years, a mixture of careers and a few solo exhibitions before family, I am now a painter. I don’t think I would have been ready before now to jump off the cliff as a full-time artist. The momentum of working everyday gives the work so much more value in my eyes.
Do you have any favourite artists, movies, books, or quotes?
Lots of favourite artists and happily discovering new inspirations all the time. To name a few, Bonnard, Matisse, Braque, Richard Diebenkorn, Elmer Bishcoff, Elisabeth Cummings, Ian Fairweather, and many Australian Indigenous artists. I love visiting art galleries big and small.
