Olivia Beau West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Hey I'm Olivia, I'm a Yorkshire artist, and my story goes something like: "I didn't know I could paint". To that end, it took me 40+ years to realize I'm an artist! This 'accidental' discovery happened in 2021 when I found myself post-pandemic dabbling with paint. Within months I became a full-time artist. Three years on, and I'm still pinching myself that this is what I get to do.
I work from my countryside home studio near Ilkley, and travel frequently to the family house in Filey to exhibit at the Pop-up Gallery shop, a venture I co-host with my parents and daughter. I'm an intuitive painter and so it's very much a case of I lean-in to creating what 'comes through' in the moment. I work primarily with acrylics and you'll find the use of vintage maps a bit of a theme in my work, as is Yorkshire sand in the coastal pieces. I love bespoke touches like these and it's something most of my commission clients ask for. Growing up on the Yorkshire Coast undoubtedly inspires my work. In the early days, I created most of my work with our coastal gallery in mind. That said, as I've grown in my practice and said 'yes' to new opportunities, I've allowed for a range of expressions to emerge. I've created work that speaks to the stunning greens of our home in the Yorkshire Dales, and more recently, The Lake District, where I go to hike.
