Abbie Lois

Abbie Lois is a printmaker and illustrator based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her work focuses on folklore, mythology, and the natural world. However, she describes; “I am most interested in the way women are portrayed in different cultures, and seek to amplify their stories through my practise”. Abbie graduated in Illustration from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, Scotland in 2017; “I loved every minute of art school – studying illustration gave me the structure of working to a brief whilst having the freedom to explore different ways to fulfil the topic at hand. My time there made me realise the importance of sketchbooks and taking the time to research and develop ideas before coming to a final conclusion.” After graduating, she spent a few years travelling and finding her feet, and has been working as a freelance artist and artist residency leader for the last year.

Most often, a new project is initiated after being inspired by something she has seen or heard. Abbie explains; “sometimes it could be the changing seasons, listening to a podcast talking about a tradition from another part of the world, or researching the history of an approaching holiday or religious event”. In her studio, she’ll sketch ideas out first, then take these sketches into Photoshop where she experiments with colours and compositions. Once happy, Abbie traces the final piece on to tracing paper which acts as her separations for when she screen prints. She comments; “I choose to hand-draw my separations as I love showing pencil-marks in my work – to me it creates a print that feels more personal and relaxed”. Finally, she heads in to the print studio where she prints her final piece. 

Working in different locations as much as possible is important to Abbie so that she can continually discover new inspiration directly from the source. “For me, artists residencies are the perfect way to do this,” says the printmaker. She continues; “I love being able to immerse myself in a culture for a length of time, to experience their landscapes, architecture and people first-hand”. To date, she has spent lengths of time in India, Cyprus, Ireland, and, of course, Scotland as a practising artist, and this is reflected in the diversity of her inspiration sources. 

Abbie concludes; “I would love people to be brought together by my work, and to feel a connection to a place or culture they might never have been or experienced before, as well as preserving stories from the past that might otherwise be lost or forgotten. Most importantly, I seek to show the influence and strength of women from history right through to the present day.” 

www.abbielois.myportfolio.com
@abbieloisillustration

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