My work uses observation as a starting point, but I am less interested in description than in atmosphere. Through layered coloured pencil and ink, I build dense, low-key surfaces that slow the act of looking and heighten subtle tensions within the image. I am drawn to subjects that appear still or stable but contain an undercurrent of vulnerability or threat. Whether through the quiet encroachment of a small creature or the weight of a landscape altered by human presence, the work explores how fragility and disturbance coexist within familiar environments. I aim to create spaces that feel intimate yet unsettled - images that reward close attention and prolonged viewing 

Louise Couper is an Irish artist working primarily in coloured pencil and mixed media. Her practice centres on intimate, carefully constructed compositions that explore atmosphere, fragility and subtle narrative tension. She is currently exhibiting in Art in the Ballroom at Powerscourt Estate.