Q & A with Louise Aldridge

Louise Aldridge (pictured above)is a bright young thing whose paintings are selling and whose reputation is growing. You can find out more about her by visiting her website (www.louisealdridge.com)or reading the mini interview below...

The Rebel:How much time do you get to spend painting or drawing each week? Louise: "I was likely enough to register as a self-employed artist shortly after graduating in the summer 2013 from my Fine art Degree. I had amazing response to my work after exhibiting in both my degree show and then soon after a London show. I now work full time partly on my own work that I sell mainly on Saatchi Online as a ‘One to Watch artist’ and commission pieces for businesses and home spaces. I am also currently collaborating with two designers on different projects, so I guess the answer is all day every day!" The Rebel: What's your studio like? Do you tend to work at night or during the day? Louise: "I am most productive in the day; I usually wake up 7am and am working in the studio by 8am, My studio is currently in my home - a large garage that looks a state but for an artist surprisingly tidy, it is only when I am painting that I create a load of mess, I work very freely with paint so you can imagine everything get covered, including myself. But I always like to end a day with a tidy studio so that nothing clouds my head for the following day."

The Rebel: I like your paintings of Norman. Can you tell me about your relationship to him - is he a friend, relative or someone you just liked the look of? Louise: "Norman is my grandfather and we have an amazing relationship. He is far from the serious, blank expression in these studies. People miss interpret his character from these works. I think that’s why I had such an urge to paint him. His relaxed face is an open book; every line has a story.

The Rebel:Francis Bacon is listed as one of your influences. Would period of his work do you like most - do you think he continued making interesting work right up to the end? Louise: "Francis Bacon’s work is powerful to me in ways that are both unexplainable and obvious. Bacon has the same fascination as I do; an unexplainable urge to constantly try to interpret or represent the figure. For me, he transformed the way in which we view the figure today." The Rebel:Can you work from old postcards and scraps of paper and film stills like Bacon did or do your best results come from working from a model? Louise:"Before studying Fine art I had never painted or drawn from a model, so found the process of drawing from life daunting thing, it look me two years to really free up when in the life room but now for the last year and a bit I do nothing other than paint and draw from life. It is only very recently that I am starting to use past drawings, cut outs from magazines, and photography. I feel as if this grounding of life drawing has opened up another door for me in my practise by using secondary sources again.

The Rebel:Are there any key movies in your life? Or films that always make you cry? Louise: "I don’t have to look too far to stimulate enough emotion to make me tearful, whether that’s got to do with being a woman or genetics… but one film that makes me cry every time is ‘The Little Princess’ it’s an old kids film now ,but even thinking about it wells me up! Think it’s got to do with the recurring nightmares I used to have as a child being separated from my parents through death or a kidnapping…

The Rebel: Are there any artists in your family and do your parents take an interest in what you do? Louise: "I am from a very creative family, no artists as such, but my mum is very musically talented and my dad has an amazing eye for detail and can copy a picture beautifully – I think our creative streak is from my Nan (dads mum). She paints stunning watercolour work but always copies from a picture.. so feels she isn't creative but that isn't true I think that’s just fear. My Brother and sister are also very artistic my brother is an incredible drawer and uses these skills in his landscape architecture business and my sister is an actress!"

The Rebel: What do you consider to be your best painting so far? Louise: "It’s strange; I have an odd relationship with my work. As soon as I've finished a new piece I think it’s the best work I have ever completed. Then in a few days I can’t bear to look at it… It then takes a few weeks or sometimes months until I re address the work and my feelings change again – usually fondness. I can’t really say what my ‘Favourite’ piece is … I paint what I want to paint because I enjoy it - otherwise I wouldn't do it, so what I ‘like’ the most always changes really. I know a big part of it comes when you release works its always really interesting to see how your opinion can change to a work once other people’s opinions are heard."

The Rebel:What are your ambitions? Louise: "My ambition is to get my work seen by as many people as I can… The feeling when a complete stranger emails you to say they really appreciate what you are doing or you hear your name is mentioned on another continent drives me on.But generally? To be happy, and travel as much as possible and to always be positive.

The Rebel: What's the most inspiring exhibition you've ever seen? Louise: "This is a hard question for me as I have found so many exhibitions inspiring, but one that really sticks in my mind is the The Picasso exhibition in Malaga. I don’t know whether it’s because we hear so much about Picasso’s work whether you’re an artist or not but I almost became numb to the constant study at university and the constant reference to his work, that it wasn't until I visited this beautiful space with some of his most famous works right down to some mindless scribbles that I really built a deep appreciation and what he did, How he changed art single handily inspired and influenced every artist’s work today , whether they know it or not.

The Rebel: What's the best thing about being you? Louise: "I think the people around me.. I am lucky, I have an amazing fiancé, family and friends and these are the people who drive me on and keep me sane."