Louise Gale is a British mixed media artist and author of the book ‘Botanical Mandalas’ and accompanying 'Coloring Botanical Mandalas' book. She creates in her art studio which is on the south coast of Spain overlooking the sea, tiny fishing boats and the Moroccan coastline in the distance. Louise loves to combine the healing power of nature with the meditative process of mandala creating which result in her beautiful Botanical Mandala designs.
Louise believes that nature and art is our medicine which helps us reconnect with our true selves. Her art is constantly inspired by the beauty that surrounds her in the natural world. So when she is not in her studio creating, hosting online classes or working with other creative people, you can find her on the beach collecting inspiration and putting her bare feet into the sand.
Louise also has a passion for exploring the healing power of color energy in art and life, so many of her offerings include color exploration, creating personal color palettes and helping others find confidence in using color in many aspects of life.

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You can find Louise's book Botanical Mandalas Here

What does Art is Magic mean to you?

I believe that we all have a magical power within us to live our best lives. The process of creating helps us unlock our intuition and build confidence to connect to something much deeper. When we are creating, we are in a flow state of mind, tapping into the magic inside of ourselves to share our gifts with the world. This is the Magic that is Art to me.

Why do you create art?

The core reason is that creating art helps me connect to myself and live more in the present moment. We all lead busy lives, juggling this and that and there are so many distractions in the world. When I am in my art studio, I feel centred, calm and in a place that radiates peace. I love that feeling when I create something that makes me feel good to look at everyday. I also love to create Botanical inspiration decks and color cards which I use as art tools in other creative practices such as journaling. This helps me further deepen an enquiry into myself and the world around me.

Tell us about your journey to become an artist?

My journey has been a patchwork quilt for sure. When I was 15, I was told by my high school art teacher that I would never get into art school, but my mother insisted I follow my heart, so I did and I got into art school! A great lesson at this age. I then had many years traveling, living overseas and working in corporations, but I also took time for creativity and worked on many art projects in my spare time, creating a ‘happy plan’ for myself to leave my job in the near future. Then one day, I sat in my windowless corporate office and decided there was more to life. I wanted to live life with more freedom and paint paint paint! So after a year of creating and exploring, I started designing my own online classes. My first class was in 2010, all about setting goals and following dreams, which was the process I followed to leave my job and pursue art full-time. I still follow that same process of planning and dreaming every year to keep growing as an artist. There is so much more to this journey! I love doing what I love every day. Currently, I am a part-time artist working in my own business and also work freelance for other creative souls, supporting them in their businesses too!

What is it about making art that stirs your soul?

Time does not exist when I am in my creative zone and I absolutely love the feeling of letting loose and playing with color, paint and many other art materials. My art studio is a sanctuary to me and a place where I can simply be. Creating, whether that be a huge canvas or tiny collage cards makes me feel alive and connected to something that is beyond what we can see with the naked eye.

What is currently inspiring you?

This year, I am being called to work with color energy again. This has long been one of my great influences in my art combined with nature and mandala work. I began a personal color enquiry back in 2010 when I found myself scared to use the color red, so this led me to explore the energy of color and how it affects us on a daily basis aswell as in our art practice.

Do you have any creative rituals?

For me, simply showing up in my creative space is a ritual in itself. If I am not feeling creative, I will go into my art studio and sit there, looking out to sea from my window. Often, I get outside and take a walk on the beach to connect with nature as part of my ritual. Back in the studio, before I create, I usually smudge the space with sage or other incense to cleanse the energy or tidy up to clear some mental space for myself. I also love to play with watercolor for 10 minutes to warm myself up and this helps me tap into my intuition for creative guidance. With a hot cup of tea, relaxing music, the beautiful view from my studio, I am then ready to dive into that beautiful place we call the creative zone!