THE LONELY TOWER by Louise Banks

Gouache and ink on kraft paper

49 x 49 cm

40 x 40 cm

£450

Enquiries

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Artist Statement

Living by the Exe estuary in Devon, my home location is a continuous source of inspiration. I am interested in our human desire to leave land and the ways we find to do this. Swimming in the estuary, I am always aware of the moment my feet leave the ground. I was born on a boat to parents who lived on the water.

I enjoy exploring effects of translucency, layering colours as glazes in gesso, ink, gouache and watercolour; methods that show what lies beneath the surface. I am particularly drawn to the timeless, mysterious associations of the sea that artists such as Alfred Wallis convey so powerfully. The village is one of the few in the area where there is still small scale commercial fishing. My practice is partly an attempt to document this activity and record the ebb and flow of life that revolves around the harbour.

My painting Ways to Leave Land (selected for the Sunday Times Watercolour show 2020) was produced during lockdown when I was fortunate enough to be confined to such an inspiring location. I start from sketches made while sitting in the harbour and by the boat shelter. I am interested in the idea of contained, small worlds from which the elements and wider horizons can be viewed. The village boat shelter creates a safe portal from which one can anticipate journeys and possibilities beyond the home shore.