A local Abergavenny artist is celebrating after being shortlisted for a national art award.
Louise Collis is a landscape artist who specialises in oil paintings, using some of the amazing landscapes in the surrounding local area to produce quality artwork.
Louise’s excellent artwork has now been recognised with one of her original paintings, ‘Reflections at Saunton Sands’ being shortlisted for the British Contemporary Art Awards 2022.
British Contemporary Art is an online agency representing and selling the work of some of the best artists working in the UK. Their website acts as a shop window for some of the best art in the country and aims to make the buying of art online more accessible, simple and secure.
Louise’s painting is one of ten pieces shortlisted for this year’s award with the winner’s painting being represented in the BCA national gallery in Cornwall, as well as having their work promoted by British Contemporary Art.
Having graduated from Bath Spa University in 1998 with a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration, Louise worked as an exhibition designer for galleries in Birmingham and Newport.
She has been working full-time as a professional landscape artist for ten years now, opening her own studio and gallery in Abergavenny’s Nevill Street in 2013 before relocating to Monk Street where her work has been displayed from since 2018.
As well as having her own studio in Abergavenny (which is currently open for appointments, hopefully fully open in the Spring) Louise exhibits with Oriel CRiC in Crickhowell, the Ardent Gallery in Brecon, as well as galleries in Cardiff, Caerphilly, Rhondda Valleys, Pembrokeshire and Devon. She also has regularly had work selected for the Royal Society of Marine Artists Exhibition in the Mall Galleries in London.
Speaking to the Chronicle about her nomination, Louise said: “I’m delighted to have been shortlisted for such a prestigious award. I only found out around a week ago so this is such a lovely start to 2022.”
Louise, who lives in Garndiffaith near Blaenavon, often uses the local landscapes of the South Wales valleys for her work, mostly working outside painting on location on mountains and beaches, however due to Covid and recent travel restrictions she has been forced to work from home recently.
“Its been frustrating not being able to get out on location, I often go away on painting trips but unfortunately due to Covid I have been unable to do that for some time. As a consequence, I have stayed local and done much of my work from home in the garden or in the studio in Abergavenny, although I am lucky to be surrounded by such beautiful landscapes on my doorstep.”
Voting for the British Contemporary Art award is all done online, with voting closing on Sunday February 6 and the winner announced on the same day. The winner will be selected by public vote and will be represented and promoted by ‘British Contemporary Art’.
Louise added: “I have had such amazing messages of support from local people and would appreciate it greatly if people could visit the website and cast their vote for my painting.”
To vote for Louise’s ‘Reflections at Saunton Sands’ please visit https://www.britishcontemporary.art/voting/
More of Louise’s artwork is available to view on her website http://www.louisecollis.com