INSIGHTheading towards ‘outstanding’, but the
feeling doesn’t last long,” she laments. “Soon
I see mistakes or faults or areas where the
work can be improved, or treated differently.
I’ve never been totally happy with any
work although there have been some I was
fond of ... and I was sad to say goodbye to
them. I’m still striving for that ‘outstanding’
piece. I’ve had a few actual artistic disasters,
too; but I would rather not dwell on them.
Hopefully I have learned something through
the process of making occasional messes.”
Louise’s own collection of her art is very
small. Examples of her wonderful work
are displayed at several locations including
Cooktown, Cairns and Port Douglas. She
does not always know the buyers, but
she is aware of some people who have
acquired several pieces.
“Current contemporary artists I admire
are Ji Chen, Herman Pekel, Mel Brigg,
Todd Whisson, Colina Grant, Yvette
Hugill, Betty Mahonny, Rom Stover, Greg
Dwyer, Christopher Lees ... the list goes
on,” she says. “I take time to look at other
artists’ works and practice, and try to be
open to trying new things. I am constantly
‘looking’ at the scenery around me,
making mental notes. Looking is essential
for the subject matter I choose to paint ...
hours of observing. It is a hard slog and
few artists have lucky breaks. Success
requires buckets of discipline and hours
of hard work. If you are really passionate
about art, I would urge you to do it for the
right reasons; and, most of all, enjoy what
you do.”
Louise Derry’s ultimate artistic goal is to
create the piece she finally considers to be
truly outstanding.
Interestingly, this artist’s scenes are almost
always devoid of the presence of people
or man-made structures – reflecting her
preference for the untamed wilds of Nature,
where she herself feels most at home.
“I just love to be engulfed by wide open
spaces and drawn into unfolding vistas,
to feel immersed in the power of a huge
dominant sky. I relish the atmospheric
moodiness of approaching storms and
changing weather. I delight in the magical
colours of skies at dusk, reflections on
wet sand and the play of waves lapping
on ocean shorelines. Solitary places and
open spaces are where I am happiest. I
believe this is reflected in my work,” she
concludes. n