Louisa has reinvented herself several times. After a brief spell thinking she might be a
crofter's wife, she started out as an actor. Eventually she remembered that what she loved
doing the most was making things, so she did a degree at Wimbledon School of Art,
specialising in Theatre Costume. She worked in this industry for many years before setting
up her own bespoke dressmaking business, creating unique garments for clients. Finally
she became an artist. Having worked in the theatre for so long, using mixed media and
especially textile, stitch and paint is her natural creative language. She loves colour and
shape and a bit of drama. She is constantly excited by the outside natural world - it's
colours, lights, pathways, and stories. Recently she has returned to my homeland of
Scotland after many years living 'down south'.
Hi Louisa! Can you tell us how your practice has changed over time?
Time' is really the operative word here. Until fairly recently nearly all my time was taken up
making garments that (hopefully) fulfilled other people's visions. I used my skills to
articulate their ideas and dreams. This could be enormously satisfying but at the same time,
enormously frustrating. It took me quite a few years to understand what was wrong - I felt
creatively suffocated. The minute I began to make work for myself again my life changed. I
get scratchy and irritable if I can't be making, stitching or painting. Eventually this pressure
became overwhelming, and I knew I had to make my practice my main priority.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
Just do something! Don't sit and analyse or stew about it. Move out of your thinking brain
and into your doing brain..pick up a pencil and sketch something. Anything. I try to draw
and sketch everyday even if it's a subject I don't think has any relevance to what I'm
specifically interested in. It's all referenced away subconsciously and weeks or months later I realised I've used those shapes, marks or lines in my work.
Which artists inspire you? Are there non-artistic influences such as literature or music
that impact your work?
At the moment I'm obsessed with Joan Eardley. Poetry influences me, and as do random
phrases of speech heard in conversations (especially my mum's - I'd like to do a piece just
using all her best expressions.)
What element of the show's theme did you connect with the most? How did that
connection manifest artistically?
I was born in Glasgow and brought up in Ayrshire but have been living 'down south' for the
past thirty years. Last September I moved back to Scotland to develop my creative practice
and help care for my mum. It's been an interesting time to reflect on 'being Scottish' in
Scotland, as for so long I've been a Scot in England, which is a different experience. I've
been viewing Scottish life from a distance for so long (I probably have a rather rose-tinted
view - my mum definitely thinks so!) I was inspired to make 'Scottishnish-fish-wish'in
response to your Open Call theme. My salmon is leaping against the tide, against the odds,
to find its own way "home'. In the process it is slipping out of its tartan skin to reveal its full
rainbow coloured sparkling glory. This could be me, or it could be the Scottish character, or
it could be the future l'd love for Scotland - hopefully all three.
Are there specific advantages or challenges associated with working in your chosen
mediums? Have you experimented with other mediums or techniques?
I've always instinctively turned to fabric and stitch, often in a three-dimensional way, which
is probably why I found my way into making for the theatre. So the journey to using textiles
for my creative expression was a natural progression. Textile Art has come a very long way
thirty years ago, when I wrote my degree dissertation on the subject, it was very much seen
as a second class, predominately "feminine' medium. To be honest, in some quarters it still
is! But there has never been a more exciting time for Textile Art and it's riding high. There is
always a dichotomy between paint and textile. Sometimes I feel people think we are trying
to use textile and stitch to mimic paint, but textile brings its own unique language of texture
and history quite different to paint. They are different but equal.
l also paint (mostly acrylic) and I love the comparative speed compared to stitch. I'm quite
a speedy person which is ironic as stitch can be very slow.
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See Louisa's work at our first Open Call of the year, Multicultur Alba, running at Six Foot
Gallery until Thursday 14th March 2023. You can also find her on Instagram
@louisaruthvenartist