I'm a Collector and my studio is reminiscent of an old school nature table, reminders of my walks and the things that catch my eye. … But always I return to the quiet observations, moments in time delicately captured in graphite as the season dictates.
Louisa Crispin was born in 1964 and lives in Kent, often referred to as the 'Garden of England.' She grew up in Sissinghurst, surrounded by fields and woodlands, which laid the foundation for her deep connection to nature. Before becoming a full-time artist, she ran a successful jewellery business for around twenty years. In 2010, she began to shift her focus to drawing, gradually developing a practice centred around graphite and natural forms.
Louisa's work gained wider recognition in 2013 when she won the PURE Arts Drawing Prize. Since then, she has been a prizewinner in numerous open exhibitions, including those run by the Society of Graphic Fine Art, Bath Society of Artists, and the ING Discerning Eye. She has exhibited with major art societies such as the Royal West of England Academy, the Society of Botanical Artists, the Society of Wildlife Artists, and the New English Art Club.
Louisa is an elected member of the Free Painters and Sculptors, the Society of Graphic Fine Art, and the Wilderness Art Collective. She is also a Fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists. Her involvement with the arts community has extended into curatorial and collaborative roles; she was a co-founder and partner of the Artichoke Gallery in Ticehurst, East Sussex, until it closed in 2019. She continues to work closely with several artist networks, including Pure Arts Group, Sevenoaks Visual Arts Forum, and the Bridge Art School FAPD programme.
Today, Louisa works from a quiet studio at the end of her garden, where she continues to draw inspiration from close observation of flora and fauna. Her practice reflects a deep interest in ecological issues and the quiet beauty found in the natural world.