Dreamlike landscapes containing disembodied limbs, headless figures and mysterious forms – some representational others more abstract – create a surrealist atmosphere which draws the viewer closer to see what the artist has unearthed and portraits take on an extra layer of meaning.

Her work crosses painting, mixed media, photomontage and sculpture and she has exhibited in nine solos shows. She has won several prizes including the James Gleeson Prize for Surrealism twice and her work was acquired for the Kedumba Collection, one of Australia’s most highly regarded public collections of contemporary drawing. Louisa has also been a finalist in many other prizes including the Portia Geach Memorial Award and the Dobell prize for Drawing.

Figures and characters from art history also come through in her work and her deep knowledge of the history of art is something she passes on to her university students who she lectures in painting and drawing.

Recording this interview in Louisa’s studio in Sydney was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Her enthusiasm is infectious as you will hear in this interview. To listen to the podcast episode click play beneath the photo above.

A short video of Louisa in her studio will be uploaded to the Talking with Painters YouTube channel and to this website soon.

Above photo of Louisa in her studio by Simone Silverman