Why I paint
I've always drawn, doodled since I can remember. It started to become something that became almost my sole focus. I have to paint....sounds a bit odd, doesn't it? to be honest, creating paintings is an addiction, I get restless and moody if I'm pulled away from my paints. I'll see something that triggers the creative side of me, the countryside the open space with the fields and hills that stretch out in front of you with an endless sky or the coast a rough sea Stony beach sand dunes or dramatic cliffs I could keep going. It fills me with feelings, peace excitement energy drama. The challenge it gives me is to paint those feelings, which is a never-ending process of exploration, ok perhaps I should say more excuses to play ;)
As a disabled (differently-abled) person art is a wonderful distraction, to focus on a canvas or whatever substrate means I'm not focusing on pain, it's better than more medication. I store up the feelings of where I visited either at home in Shropshire or close to my daughters in Norfolk, (free accommodation haha) My daydreaming skills are excellent. I can close my eyes and reproduce the feelings of places I've visited and love. The challenge of pouring everything onto a canvas is one I love including all the frustrating parts where nothing works because once in a while, a painting will look back at me and I'll think oh I painted that well flipping heck that's rather good.
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About me
Lou Whittingham
I’m an abstract artist, I paint landscapes using my emotions feelings and connections with places I have visited and fallen in love with, both at home in Shropshire and further afield, occasionally I feel compelled to paint a figurative painting.
My process
I work intuitively, like writing a story, but with paint and various tools as my pen and paper.
Starting with rough sketches often en Plein air with ink paint crayons pencils etc. Frequently tearing them and collaging to create mood pictures then I do a series of thumbnail sketches increasing in size to A3 when colour comes into play and I start to fit the pieces and feelings together that are floating around in my memory. Each piece will change several times as I start to work out colour palettes and compositions before moving to canvas and/or cradled panels, regularly just the bare bones of the sketches will make their way into a painting as I continue to ‘write’ each painting's story onto the substrates, I usually have 3-5 on the go in rotation. using whatever media I feel suits the feeling of the painting collage, acrylic paint, oil pastilles and ink’s throughout the layers refining as I paint.
In the figurative work that I feel compelled to do I like to challenge myself with new techniques and processes like not using a paintbrush or only using one colour.
My home
My first love of landscapes came from the countryside of my place of birth, Shropshire. I love wide open spaces peaceful, full of nature and wildlife. It started before my teens I’d walk by the river Severn with my little tape deck recording the bird songs and the sound of the river. Now I’ve fallen in love with Norfolk where my daughter lives with so many beautiful coastal locations and much more yet to be investigated an exciting thought of all the new possibilities to create.