Louise Body’s art is shaped by the ever-changing coastline, where the horizon, light, and space provide endless inspiration. Words by Susie Atkinson
For artist Louise Body, the line of the horizon of the coast is more than just a backdrop. ‘It’s a muse for my work,’ she says. Louise works with a sliver of the sea visible through her window, perched in her studio on the top floor of her Victorian terrace in Hastings. ‘If I stick my head out of the roof skylight I can just about see it,’ she says. ‘It’s so important for me to live by water. I need that space and I love looking out into a big nothingness.’
Louise has recently gone back to being a full-time artist. For nearly two decades, she focused her attention on designing hand-printed wallpaper. With collaborations with brands like Paul Smith, Dr. Martens, and Osborne & Little and her iconic Garden Birds design being showcased in the V&A’s permanent collection, she built a thriving business.
But by 2020, she no longer wanted to compete with the rise of digital printing and market saturation and decided to go back to her first love. ‘At heart, I’m a fine artist and so I started painting again.’ In the last five years, her work has gone on show the length of the country from Scotland to Sussex, including the annual Fair Ground event at Glyndebourne which showcases contemporary art in the county.
COASTAL MEMORIES
Although inspired by the coast, her pieces aren’t tied to any one location. ‘My intention is to capture the universal feeling of being by the sea: that mix of tranquillity, nostalgia, and infinite possibility. The Cornish and Sussex coastline all get amalgamated and come out in my work. Craggy, dark, coastlines often dominate,’ she says. ‘I paint from memory, not from sketches or photos. It’s more about the emotion of a place than the place itself. That’s why people often see their own coastal memories in my work.’
Louise’s connection to the sea began long before she moved to Hastings in 2006. Born in Southend-on-Sea and later raised near the Sussex coast, she spent her younger years cycling along Brighton’s seafront and exploring the rugged cliffs of Beachy Head. ‘My whole family, past and present, have always been drawn to the sea. It’s where I’ve played as a child, and where I’ve gone to think, to rest, recover… and be inspired,’ she says, as she waves a hand to show a studio filled with muted palettes of soft blues, and mineral greens. ‘I’ve been drawn to these colours and that horizon all my life.’
‘I never start a painting with a fixed intention. I build up layers, often painting over earlier work, so each finished piece can have five or six paintings beneath the surface.’ The process, she explains, is one of constant refinement. ‘I’m always editing. I’d love to create something with just a few strokes, but then I’d lose the underlying marks that add depth and texture. Painting can feel like a struggle, but I think that struggle is important—without it, the work wouldn’t be as successful.’
She paints with acrylics, building up layers with broad brushes, lino scrapers, and translucent glazes. ‘There’s a depth and texture to my work that comes from those layers,’ she explains. ‘They’re like veils, revealing and obscuring different elements, much like memory.’
ARTISTIC ROOTS
Louise’s artistic roots stretch back two generations. Both of her grandmothers were artists, and her parents attended art school. ‘My grandma had a studio in her garden, and she’d generously let me use her oil paints and canvases when I was a child,’ Louise recalls. ‘The smell of turpentine and linseed oil always takes me back.’ Encouraged by her family, Louise’s artistic talent blossomed early, setting her on a path to study Fine Art at Nottingham Trent University.
After graduating in 1996, Louise travelled extensively, sketchbooks in hand. ‘Spending a year in India, alone and pre-internet, was formative,’ she says. ‘It taught me independence and gave me time to reflect on what’s really important in life – adventure, beauty, epic horizons – which influences my work to this day.’
Now settled in Hastings, Louise’s days begin early. ‘I often start painting in my pyjamas,’ she smiles. ‘I’ll take my coffee upstairs and sit with my work, just looking at it for a while.’ Her studio, tucked into the loft, is a calm, quiet space where the light shifts through the day, echoing the changing hues and seasons of the sea.
By 8:30am, she’s working, and by 4:00pm she’s winding down. ‘I’m not one to paint through the night,’ she says. ‘I need structure, but it’s not hard to stay motivated. One painting always leads to another.’
THE EXHILARTATION OF SEA SWIMMING
Louise’s love for the sea extends beyond the canvas. A keen sea swimmer in her home town of Hastings, she describes the act of plunging into cold water as both exhilarating and meditative. ‘It’s the fastest way to be in the moment,’ she says. ‘When I swim out, looking back at the land from the water gives me a new perspective, both physically and mentally.’
As well as selling her work internationally, including as far afield as Australia, Louise sells her work through her website and independent galleries like the Old School Gallery in Northumberland, where she recently held a successful solo show. ‘I sell directly and through art fairs,’ she says. ‘It’s a mix that keeps me connected to my audience.’
While the art world can still feel dominated by men, Louise is proud to carve out her space. ‘I feel like I’m doing this for the women in my family who didn’t have the same opportunities I have. It’s important to show that women can create meaningful work and build sustainable careers from our art.’
Louise is optimistic about the future. ‘I’d love to combine my love of travel and painting,’ she says. ‘Maybe run workshops or just spend more time in places that inspire me, but I will always choose to be by the sea.
For now, though, she’s content to paint from her Hastings studio, capturing the essence of the coast one translucent layer at a time. ‘There’s a constant horizon, which you don’t get if you’re living in a built-up area or in the countryside,’ she says. ‘It’s that straight, flat line that will always creep into my work.’
Visit Louise’s website louisebody.com to explore her collection of coastal-inspired paintings.
Follow Louise on Instagram @louisebodyart for updates on new pieces, exhibitions, and insights into her creative process.
