COS26 An interview with Louise Duggan Studio 97

Posted by Jazmine Saunders on 7th March, 2025

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  Jazmine Saunders

  What does making art give you that nothing else does?

  Louise Duggan

  Making art gives me a voice and a space that words often cannot reach. It allows me to process ideas, emotions and observations in a way that feels instinctive rather than analytical. Painting is where things settle for me — where fragments of thought, memory and curiosity start to take form.

  The studio is also a place of quiet continuity. Even when life is chaotic or uncertain, the act of making something — layering paint, building texture, stepping back and looking again — creates a rhythm and a sense of grounding.

  Over the years I’ve realised that art is not always about explaining something clearly. Sometimes it’s about allowing ambiguity to exist. A painting can hold contradictions, questions and moods all at once. That’s something I find deeply compelling. It’s also the one place where I trust my intuition completely.

  Photographic Credit: Louise Duggan

• Jazmine Saunders

  What do you love most about the materials you use?

  Louise Duggan

  I work mainly with acrylic, mixed media, spray paint and gold leaf, and what I love most about these materials is the sense of freedom they allow. They encourage layering, experimentation and a bit of unpredictability while still allowing moments of control.

  Sometimes I begin a painting with a clear intention, particularly if I’m working through or processing something emotionally. Other times the work develops more instinctively. I build surfaces gradually — adding marks, scraping back areas and allowing earlier layers to remain visible so the painting holds a sense of its own history.

  Spray paint brings an immediacy and energy to the work, while acrylic allows me to build depth and structure. Gold leaf plays an important role in many of my pieces, introducing moments of light and contrast within the surface.

  What I enjoy most is the conversation that happens between the materials themselves — the way texture, mark-making and light interact as the painting develops.

  Photographic Credit: Louise Duggan

• Jazmine Saunders

  What changed from making art to being an artist?

  Louise Duggan

  Studying for my degree was a turning point because it shifted my thinking from simply making work to understanding the wider context of being an artist.

  During my degree I began to see it as part of a larger conversation — historically, culturally and professionally.

  Later, my career took me into the world of art consultancy, where I spent many years working with hotels, developers and private collectors, commissioning and placing artwork in commercial and residential spaces. That experience gave me a deeper understanding of how art lives beyond the studio.

  Now my practice sits somewhere between those worlds: the private process of making work and the broader role of art in public and interior spaces.

  Photographic Credit: Louise Duggan

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  Jazmine Saunders

  How do you handle creative blocks?

  Louise Duggan

  Patience more than anything.

  Creative blocks are part of the process, and I’ve learned not to panic when they appear. Often they’re simply a signal that something needs time to settle or shift.

  Rather than forcing a painting to work, I try to stay close to the studio routine. Even small actions help — sketching, preparing surfaces, experimenting with materials or revisiting older work. The key is maintaining the habit of showing up.

  Reflection also plays a role. Sometimes stepping away briefly allows ideas to reconnect in unexpected ways.

  Over time I’ve realised that creativity isn’t about constant inspiration. It’s aboutcommitment and curiosity — continuing to explore even when the outcome isn’timmediately clear.

  Photographic Credit: Louise Duggan

• Jazmine Saunders

  What advice would you give to emerging artists?

  Louise Duggan

  Experiment more than you think you should.

  A lot of emerging artists feel pressure to “find their style” quickly, but style isn’t something you decide — it evolves naturally through experimentation and time.

  Try different materials, subjects and ways of working. Pay attention to what keepspulling you back. Often the strongest ideas reveal themselves slowly.

  I also encourage artists to think about why they make work, not just how. Understanding your motivations helps create authenticity in what you share with others.

  Alongside my studio practice I mentor creatives and artists, and one thing I often say is that there isn’t a single path to building a creative career. The important thing is to remain curious, keep learning and stay open to opportunities that may not look obvious at first.

  Photographic Credit: Louise Duggan

• ... A lot of emerging artists feel pressure to “find their style” quickly, but style isn’t something you decide — it evolves naturally through experimentation and time.

  Jazmine Saunders

  How would you describe your style?

  Louise Duggan

  My work sits within abstract mixed media painting, built through layers of mark-making, texture and colour. I’m interested in surfaces that feel worked and lived in —where earlier layers remain visible and become part of the final image.

  The paintings often develop through a process of building and removing, allowing forms and motifs to emerge gradually rather than being planned from the beginning. Spray paint, acrylic, mixed media and gold leaf all play a role in creating depth and contrast within the work.

  While the paintings are largely abstract, there are sometimes subtle figurative elements or recurring symbols that appear within the surface. These aren’t always intentional at the start but reveal themselves through the process.

  Overall the work sits somewhere between instinct and reflection — balancing expressive mark-making with quieter moments of detail and light.

  Photographic Credit: Louise Duggan

• Jazmine Saunders

  What can visitors expect when they come to see your work?

  Louise Duggan

  Visitors can expect to step into a working studio environment and see the process behind the paintings.

  My work is built through many layers of materials and mark-making, and I enjoy sharing how those surfaces develop over time. There are often pieces at different stages in the studio, so visitors can see how a painting evolves rather than only the finished result.

  Open Studios also offers a chance to have relaxed conversations about the work, the ideas behind it and the materials involved. I always enjoy those exchanges —hearing what people see in the paintings is often just as interesting as explaining how they were made.

  Alongside my studio practice, I’m also involved in supporting the local creative community through the Chichester Creative Art Network, helping to connect artists and create opportunities for exhibitions and collaboration.

  Photographic Credit: Louise Duggan

• 

  Jazmine Saunders

  What theme or subject keeps pulling you back?

  Louise Duggan

  I’m often drawn to ideas around memory, instinct and the small narratives that sit quietly within everyday life.

  My recent work explores themes of gathering and observation, sometimes through recurring motifs like birds or figures that appear almost symbolically within the surface of the painting.

  I’m fascinated by folklore, myths and the way simple images can carry layered meanings across cultures and time. These references often enter the work indirectly rather than as literal illustrations.

  Ultimately the theme that keeps returning is curiosity — about what we notice, what we carry with us and how those fragments of experience translate into visual form.

  Photographic Credit: Louise Duggan

• Jazmine Saunders

  What might visitors be surprised to learn about you?

  Louise Duggan

  Probably that I have a bird phobia — which is slightly ironic given that birds have appeared in some of my recent paintings.

  Another thing people might be surprised by is that, despite working in the art world for over thirty years, I’ve still experienced moments of imposter syndrome. I think many creatives feel this at different stages of their careers.

  What I’ve learned is that doubt doesn’t disappear completely — but it can sit alongside confidence and experience. In some ways it even keeps the work honest, because it encourages questioning and exploration rather than complacency.

  Photographic Credit: Louise Duggan