By taking one look at my artwork you can see how besotted I am with field sports, especially when it involves gundogs and game shooting. I am a huge advocate for shouting about all the positive sides of shooting through my social media and art however, this hasn’t always been the case.
I grew up in a shooting family with my grandparents who handily lived right next door. My grandad had been a Gamekeeper all his life. So going up to the wood with him to ‘help’ feed around while Grandma topped the drinkers up was a regular occurrence. I can still recall his distinctive whistles which would suddenly make hundreds of pheasants appear who would all know its feeding time. During the shoot season, I would be in the beating line on his shoot with my black Labrador Tess. I remember being told not to mention what I did during the weekend at school. From a caring point of view, I don’t think they wanted me to stand out or come up against anyone who didn’t agree. This couldn’t be more opposite now but for some time this stuck with me.
I was always known as the arty one in school however, I didn’t think much of it and didn’t dream I could make money at it, so followed a career path in farming. Anaerobic digestion, a little by accident but I loved it. It wasn’t until I was gifted a set of coloured pencils, 5 years after leaving school I wanted to start drawing again. Back then I would draw an array of pets from dogs to horses. Jumping to present where I specialise in gundog portraiture.
As my art grew, I leaped to go full-time just creating pet portraits for people. I would receive all different photos that the client would then want me to draw. It wasn’t until I started to take on working dogs such as Sheepdogs on Gators and Springer Spaniels in Land Rovers, this was when my art started to sing. I could find a lot deeper connection with the subject I was drawing and I think that began to reflect in my work.
The nagging feeling that something was missing in my artwork made me want to switch directions and focus solely on drawing gundogs. It took me some time to feel confident enough to share both my working gundogs in the field and sharing artwork of gundogs retrieving game birds. I think that feeling when I was younger, not wanting to attract the attention of the wrong crowd was lingering.
What I came to realise is how many of us are involved in the different aspects of fieldsports. It is such a fantastic community of people, who would have your back if you ever needed it. It was the confidence I felt being able to relate to my fellow gundog owners and that bond we have with our working dogs, that makes me want to continue pushing our world into the limelight. This then made me realise what my business stood for and my vision for the future.
I could have chosen an easier path, one with at times less resistance. But my resilience to keep going would falter over time if I didn’t pursue something I truly believed in and cared for. As with any business in fieldsports, you will from time to time come up against aversions. My art would be very unlikely to win awards with my subject matter. It can also be difficult to find the right customer base who understands my ethos, especially on social media. But I keep putting myself out there to truly connect with like-minded people who have a passion for fieldsports and are looking for gifts and homewares all tailored to them.
Ellie Louise Art is all about creating artwork that captures gundogs doing what they were bred for through my realism and determination to include all gundogs, even the minority breeds. I will always add timeless classics to my product range such as game birds, but you will also find one-of-a-kind products and designs that bridge the gap in the market. Whether you want gundog themed kitchenware or you are looking for the perfect gift, I am hoping I will be the go-to name in the field.
In the future, I do see commissions taking more of a back seat while I set out on the mammoth task of drawing all 38 KC gundogs including each of their breed standard colours. So whatever breed and colour you own, you will be able to find gifts, stationery and homewares that finally fly the flag for all our different gundogs. Watch out for me at game fairs and country shows as I convert an exhibition trailer and camper van to make reaching different parts of the UK possible.
While I never set out to have a career in fieldsports and it certainly isn’t one I thought existed, it has been the best decision I ever made. I now get to live and breathe gundogs, whether it’s working my Labradors on a shoot during the weekends or sitting drawing them in the week. It goes to show there is jobs out there even if you must make them yourself. The more we push our way of life into the public and raise awareness of all the good that comes from it. The better it will be for the future of fieldsports.
