a new book by Louise fletcher
Life Force
A painter’s response to the nature poetry
of Ted Hughes
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The book tells the story of my long-standing connection with a poet I never met and provides new insights into my creative process. I share preliminary sketches and photographs, I describe the struggles and triumphs, and I include quotations from Hughes’ poems alongside the pieces they inspired. In all, this beautiful hardback documents a journey through literature, landscape and the creative process.
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“Life Force is A beautiful book full of passion and inspiration. I loved reading about your deep connection with Hughes, the project, the poetry and the stunning paintings you've made.”
— David Mankin
I’m so proud of this book. It has been a true labour of love.
I believe that the artist’s role is to light the way, to show others what is possible, to provide a glimpse into the majesty of it all. I think this means we must make honest, personal and authentic work. But I also think it means we must share ourselves… only by sharing all that we are, and all that art entails, can we truly fulfil our purpose.
So in this book, I’m sharing it all - the initial thoughts, the investigations, the sketches, the reading… the whole of my creative process. This was an ambitious project and want you to experience it all. You will come with me into my studio, you will follow me up onto the moors, and you will sit with me late at night as I wrestle with doubt. You will learn about my process, discover my approach to colour, and follow my quest to develop a visual language suited to these amazing poems. And finally of course, you’ll view the entire series of 34 paintings, beautifully photographed in perfect colour.
By the end of the book, I hope you’ll feel inspired, energised and excited. And I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Ted Hughes Selected Poems!