Artist Spotlight: Louise Frith
Having grown up surrounded by the Australian bush, Sydney-based artist Louise Frith was drawn to art and landscape from her earliest memories. Get to know Louise, our artist collaborator, as she shares her experiences of being in the bush and the calm & comfort it brings.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AS AN ARTIST?
I have been painting and drawing for as long as I can remember. I can still remember my excitement at age 4 when my parents bought me a child’s easel and paint. I’ve pretty much been making art ever since.
After studying 3 unit art for my HSC I studied fine art majoring in photography. After I completed my Diploma I spent my evenings at life drawing classes, learnt watercolour and etching and basically tried every art form I had an interest in. I moved to London and learnt Botanical Illustration from one of Kew Gardens botanical illustrators. I wanted to keep learning and trying new ways of working so when I moved back to Sydney I sought out workshops from some great artists. Jo Bertini, Lucy Culliton, John Bokor, Tim Allen and Robert Malherbe. It was attending these workshops that really gave me the confidence to rent a studio and commit to art making.
WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO IMMERSE YOURSELF?
Growing up in Northern Sydney meant easy access to bushland like Lane Cove National Park. Our backyard had a creek that flowed to the National Park and my afternoons and weekends were spent exploring the bush. Sometimes with neighbouring children, sometimes with a nearby friend. That is where I found my interest in nature.
Being in a bush landscape brings me an immediate sense of calm but also comfort.
Most of my recent paintings have been based around walks at North Head in Sydney. I love the abundance of wildflowers there and I love to return there regularly and see how the flora has changed with the seasons.
WHAT WAS YOUR PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING THE FLANNEL FLOWER AND STILL LIFE PAINTINGS – DO YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO LANDSCAPE AND STILL LIFE?
For me, still life paintings are more about observation and landscape paintings are more about experience, the feeling of being immersed on every level.
Flannel Flowers are a regular feature in my work. They are a nostalgic symbol of childhood, family and connection to where I grew up. At the same time, I hope my painting inspire people to look more closely at nature and marvel at the miracle we have at our feet.
When I started painting Flannel Flowers in the landscape I had painted a lot of Flannel Flower still life paintings and I wanted still life and the landscape to become one. When I am walking in nature I am frequently stopping to look at the details of the bush. A closer inspection of how a plant or flower forms. I am interested in the whole ecosystem.
“When I am walking in nature I am frequently stopping to look at the details of the bush. A closer inspection of how a plant or flower forms. I am interested in the whole ecosystem.”
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR ARTWORK TAKING YOU THIS YEAR?
I have just completed some small works looking further at flora in the landscape. I have some larger works planned that will take a lot of my time. And I will be exploring some multi panel works that I hope will encourage viewers to consider how to see our incredible plant life and how important they are to human life.
WHAT ARE YOU READING, LISTENING, FOLLOWING, DRAWN TO RIGHT NOW?
Listening to my family singing at the piano. Lots of podcasts in the studio to keep me company! Watching Portrait Artist of the Year – I can never get enough art. Reading Tom Carment’s Womerah Lane – Lives and Landscapes. Warm recollections and an artist’s observations around Sydney and beyond.
HOW DID YOU FEEL SEEING YOUR ARTWORK TRANSLATED TO CLOTHING AND WHAT’S FAVOURITE PIECE FROM THE COLLECTION?
I was so impressed when I saw how the Nancybird designers had arranged the print of the fabric, I really wasn’t sure how a landscape would look on clothing. It was very exciting to get to try some of the pieces on and I think my favourite would have to be the Aries skirt. The fabric is so light and the cut of the skirt is so flattering.
Follow Louise Frith
instagram.com/louise_frith_
louisefrith.com.au
Photos by Samantha Mackie
