What I've been working on ....

Pink skies over Tower bridge. Oil on linen, 60cm x 60cm ©Louise Luton

January was a very hectic start to the year for me and I'm delighted that it was. I have been doing a number of workshops with Salisbury Museum and it's been really exciting. We've been exploring the fantastic Constable exhibition, which is in it’s final month now so do try and visit if you haven't made it so far.
And we have been exploring the drainage collection in as part of the City Story project. I love the idea of these extraordinary objects, keys, scissors and buckles, being lost or discarded in the city’s drains and water channels. I love the story that might be behind each object. Enormous keys; what did they open? And how much trouble was the person in for losing them?All of the stories got me thinking about how I produce art. I think all Artists are storytellers of some kind. Musicians, painters, writers were all trying to find the truth somewhere or trying to find our truth somewhere.
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My new collection is finding the truth in my surroundings. My Countryside Companions Collection was the most popular work I have done to date. In fact you may have one hanging in your home right now.
 I adore my oil painted animals on natural linen and they have been a real hit. I have wanted to expand my collection by including surrounding areas that inspire me and to paint them on my natural linen canvases to place beside my animal artworks.
 I have drawn inspiration from my hometown of Salisbury, the beautiful nearby Georgian town of Bath, and London. I have included some extracts from my forthcoming Town and Country collection in this blog before they  are available to buy on my website. If you would like to reserve any before they are available, simply email me and I'll happily send you details. Some more beautiful animals will also be added to the collection too. 

Bath Abbey after the rain. Oil on linen, 70cm x 70cm ©Louise Luton

Salisbury Poultry Cross, oil on linen, 60cm x 60cm. ©Louise Luton

The baths at Bath. Oil on linen, 100cm x 50cm ©Louise Luton

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At the beginning of March I will be running a workshop in Salisbury Cathedral on how to draw the complex architecture without getting bogged down in linear perspective. I teach you some arty tricks to find your way through tricky subject matter. We will explore the natural beauty in this incredible place. I still have a few spaces left on this course; it's always good fun, relaxed and really useful if you want to have the confidence to go and sketch when you're on holiday or sitting in a cafe. I promise you it's not as intimidating as you think! 

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Book here

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Some of my new Town and country collection will be on display in Waterstones from 19th February. I'll be blogging about that exhibition next week...