Meet the Ludlow artist creating eye-catching paintings with sand
For more than 20 years Abigail Humphries has sold and exhibited her unique sand paintings while dreaming of the day she could open her own studio and gallery.
After a health scare prompted her to re-evaluate her priorities, Abigail decided to make her life-long ambition a reality. Her artwork is now hanging on the walls of her dedicated art space in Quality Square in Ludlow where visitors can also find her working on her creations.
“I was brought up near Ludlow, have lived in the town for several years and I can’t think of anywhere I would rather be. I feel incredibly lucky that I have been able to open my studio and gallery in my home town. It is fantastic to be able to fully immerse myself in my art practice in this new fabulous space and to be able to meet so many new people.”
As a child, Abigail, who comes from an artistic family, was always painting and drawing.
After leaving school, Abigail studied photography and art at Ludlow College, followed by a foundation art course and BA honours degree in Photography at the University of Derby, graduating with first class honours.
Abigail’s design and photography clients over the years have included advertising and design, agencies, publishing companies, and international magazines.
For the past 18 years, Abigail has been a design and media manager for a renowned publishing company that specialises in motoring books.
As well as managing the busy department, she also exhibited and sold her sand paintings at various venues. Her technique of painting with sand developed through an interest in the therapeutic benefits of photography and art.
“As a child, you go to a beach and play in the sand and as a adult, if you go to the beach, you can’t help but play in the sand.
“I was thinking about how I could recreate those feelings on canvas and it started to evolve from that,” explains Abigail, who likes to experiment with texture in her art.
Her near-life-size figurative pieces aim to encourage people to explore human interactions and body language. Her paintings, which can each take between three and four weeks to complete, are made and carved out of layers of sand and acrylic, which when dry gives them a rustic appearance.
“It’s quite a long process because each layer of sand has to fully dry,” explains Abigail. “I like it to look a hard slab of rock. I don’t like to get to the point where the paint overshadows the sand,” explains Abigail, who will vary her sand processes depending on the kind of texture she aims to achieve. Her figures are faceless in order to evoke emotional reactions from the viewer.
“I don’t want people to look at the figures and think they remind them of someone they know.
“I want them to think about the relationships and connections between them, rather than who they are,” she explains.
For Abigail, working on the paintings is an very inspiring process.
“I like the fact I can get really messy and I can immerse myself in each piece,” she says.
Alongside her sand art, Abigail also enjoys working with oils to paint local scenes.
“It’s nice to do a little bit of art that is different and have creative fun in a different way,” she says.
Opening the studio and gallery has been well worth the wait and she is enjoying chatting to visitors. "Rather than painting on my own all the time and exhibiting where I’m not there when it happens, it’s been lovely to meet people and talk about art and not just my art.
“I have even been able to paint outside when the weather has been kind, which has been wonderful for being able to share my art with others,” she adds.
Abigail Humphries Studio & Gallery is open on Monday and Wednesday, by appointment only, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from 10am-5.30pm and from 10am-4pm on Sunday.
For more information, see abigailhumphriesart.com