Lu Cornish

Lu describes herself as a colour loving misfit living by the sea, creating art from her anxious mind and free soul to bring a colour to a world that sometimes seems grey.

Lu creates colourful and whimsical illustrations with a mid-century retro flare, whether she is in her room in Newquay, or on the sand at Porth beach. Her work is inspired by connections to nature, wild swimming, mental health, empowerment and of course, her beloved home county of Cornwall.

Lu graduated with a degree in Graphic design in 2008 from UCA Epsom and worked as a designer, admin assistant, office manager and PA for many years. 

Lu tells us "Along came the pandemic and with it a nervous breakdown for me. As part of my recovery I jumped into the ocean and started swimming, I ordered an art subscription box and drew a little field mouse. I loved it, just that little creative outlet was enough to reignite my passion for illustration that had all but burnt out. An unexpected side effect of the medication I was taking was that I lost some inhibitions, so I started an instagram account and posted my work and the rest, as they say, is history."

Lu pours her heart and soul into her work and she is very much a visual storyteller, with every single piece telling a story, creating a feeling or bringing back a memory.