Lisa Price takes a delightfully quiet, deliberate approach to her craft.
Handcrafting custom watercolour paints using earth minerals she has personally foraged from coastlines and landscapes, including the rugged Cambois Beach in Northumberland. Lisa creates abstract compositions that act as a bridge between art, philosophy, and environmental stewardship.
Grounded in a holistic commitment to sustainability that permeates every aspect of her Hertfordshire studio practice, her work captures the fragile beauty of our planet while inviting viewers into gentle, constructive conversations about the climate crisis.
For this week’s Sunday Series, Lisa opens up about the meditative process of mineral hunting, finding inspiration in everything from the cosmos to local woodland walks, and how a slow-paced lifestyle fuels her creative vision.
Let’s get into it.
You handcraft your watercolours using earth minerals you’ve foraged yourself.
Can you walk us through how discovering or gathering a specific mineral sparks
the concept for a new piece?
Being out in nature is one of my favourite things to do. Enjoying the small, quiet details that would usually go unnoticed. One of my favourite places to collect pigment is Cambois Beach in Northumberland. When I am out gathering pigments, I am fully immersed in the process. This deep time in nature brings complete calm and allows me to switch off from everyday noise.
Each earth mineral holds its own story, taking me back to the place I collected it. No single mineral sparks the concept of a piece; rather, it is the complete act of collecting, studying, and transforming the pigment. I use my time in nature for visual inspiration, taking photos of cloud formations, shifting shadows, and grasses swaying in the wind.
I also read a lot, specifically about the cosmos, our planet, and our impact on it. Both the physical pigments and this research come together to inspire a new collection of work. I love that each place I visit has its own unique colour palette, and because these natural pigments are finite, it makes the final paintings all the more precious.
Where do you find inspiration? What continues to inspire you?
My inspiration always comes back to the small, quiet details in nature that usually go unnoticed. I find endless inspiration just by watching the way light changes, how clouds shift across the sky, and the beauty in the simplicity of tall grasses swaying in the wind. Spending that slow, meditative time outside keeps my creativity fueled
I am also continuously inspired by learning. Reading about the cosmos, our planet, and how we interact with the environment always sparks new ideas for me. I am hugely passionate about nature and our delicate ecosystems. I believe the earth should be preserved for all living things; humans, animals, and plants alike, so we can all experience its beauty equally.
Ultimately, it always comes back to the minerals themselves and the history they hold. Knowing that I am using earth from a specific place to capture a feeling is incredibly special. Each pigment tells a story of the present, but also of the past. There is always a new palette to discover in nature, and I want to share the beauty and calmness of our world, which is what keeps me returning to the studio every day.
Carbon’s Dance of Life, Lisa Price
Climate change and our relationship with the natural world are heavy themes in
your work. How do you balance communicating the urgency of the climate crisis
with the gentle, calming atmosphere your paintings evoke?
The climate crisis can be a triggering topic that brings up big emotions, often causing conversations to become heated or defensive. I find that my paintings can offer a gentler way into these difficult conversations. The beauty of abstract art is that people are curious about it, allowing them to share their own experiences, making the conversation a shared journey.
By creating my paint from natural minerals and using a soft palette, I create a sense of calm that brings my work back to nature, prompting conversations about how we each have an impact on our natural world. Instead of dividing people with alarming headlines, I want my work to unite us in our love for our planet and its beauty.
I want to try to have these harder conversations kindly. The calmness of my paintings creates a space where I can speak with people openly and without judgment or forcing my views on anyone. It’s important not to shy away from thinking more closely about how we treat our planet, but I believe it doesn’t need to be loud or forceful. We can approach the crisis gently, calmly, and with kindness, and still make progress.
Your abstract compositions draw from both rural landscapes and broader
conceptual ideas like the cosmos. Which environment feeds your creativity the
most when you are feeling creatively blocked?
When I am experiencing a creative block, it is honestly a mix of both. Reading in nature is the absolute best way to find my way back to my creative process!
Was there a specific turning point in your life or career where you realised that
creating art focused on environmental preservation was your true calling?
Yes, absolutely. In 2018, I went vegan. It actually started as a bit of a bet with my partner for 'Veganuary,' where you try eating a plant-based diet for a month. During that month, I wanted to understand why people choose this lifestyle, and I just couldn't stop wanting to know more about it. I watched documentaries, read lots of books, and found that my health and my mind felt so much better.
Soon after, I knew I had to make changes in the studio, too. I wanted this new lifestyle to be reflected in my practice, so it became a completely holistic process. I began looking at everything I used, stepping away from traditional animal-based supplies and focusing on minimising any waste. Now, I source off-cut linen whenever I can and turn to the earth for my pigments. It was such a pivotal moment for me because it brought so much focus and passion to my paintings. Suddenly, they had real meaning, and I knew it was the right decision.
Creating paint from earth minerals connects me directly to the earth. It is a constant reminder that our world is precious and delicate, and it is so important to me to share this feeling through my work.
Untitled, Lisa Price
Your artwork has been featured by high-end interior designers and spaces. How
does your approach shift, if at all, when you know your abstract pieces will live
inside a curated architectural space?
Usually, when my work features in these curated architectural spaces, the paintings are custom commissions; I will absolutely take the client's colour schemes and the specific scale of the space into consideration. However, I ultimately believe that the final piece should still reflect my own artistic voice.
When a client or designer approaches me, they typically have a specific painting of mine they are drawn to or a certain colour palette in mind for their project. Fortunately, they often trust me completely to create the artwork with very few restrictions. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to create paintings for some truly beautiful spaces.
Since you create your own pigments, do you ever encounter accidents in the
chemistry of the foraged minerals that completely change the direction of a
series?
It doesn’t really affect my working practice. I have a huge collection of earth minerals now, and while each pigment behaves differently from the next, it doesn’t usually change the direction of a piece or a series. The beauty of natural pigments is that you work with what you have. No two pigments are the same.
In our world today, we are so used to having everything we want instantly and exactly right all the time. What I love most about working with natural materials is that they don't always behave perfectly, and things don't always go 'right' in a conventional sense. That unpredictability is exactly what makes them so special. Over the years, I have learned that this uniqueness is a gift rather than an accident.
What is the most rewarding part of the entire artistic journey for you?
This is a tough one, because the journey has two parts that feel equally rewarding to me.
First, I absolutely love the slow, quiet process of creating my own paint from scratch; each mineral has its own feel and scent, and each paint behaves completely differently on the linen’s surface. I find so much joy in watching the artwork come to life as I work my way around the canvas, slowly building layers and choosing colours.
But the ultimate reward is when one of those completed paintings finally finds its forever home. Whether it is for a private client, a boutique, an interior design scheme, or a corporate space, it is an incredible feeling. I just love the thought of someone experiencing my work in their daily life, and I hope it brings them a sense of calm and joy.
As an artist working with raw minerals and linen, what does your practical studio
uniform look like? Does your personal day-to-day fashion mirror the earthy,
muted, and organic tones of your palette?
In all honesty, my main priority in the studio is comfort. This usually means an old T-shirt and a pair of joggers, not particularly glamorous or exciting!
However, when it comes to the clothes I choose to buy, I tend to shop second-hand or look for environmentally conscious brands. Because of that, most of my wardrobe naturally reflects the earthy, muted tones I use in my paintings, whether I am working in the studio or out and about.
Since you explore themes of mindfulness, nature, and philosophy, what book is
currently sitting on your bedside table or inspiring your current body of work?
I tend to read three or four books at a time. The ones currently sitting on my bedside table are Stones Clouds Miles: A Richard Long Reader edited by Clarrie Wallis, Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle, Otherlands by Thomas Halliday, and Orbital by Samantha Harvey.
I actually have a huge stack of books I want to dive into this year. My goal is to read fifty-two books. It is a bit ambitious, especially since some of the non-fiction can be quite dense and challenging to get through, but I just love the learning and research process. My fifteen-year-old self who hated reading certainly wouldn’t recognise me today!
Being based in Hertfordshire, do you have a favourite hidden gem, woodland
walk, or natural landscape in the local area that you retreat to when you need to
clear your head?
Hatfield House Estate is right on my doorstep in Old Hatfield, and I walk my dog there every single day. It is a beautiful, quiet park with a wonderful woodland trail. If you are lucky, you will spot rabbits, muntjac deer, and birds of prey during your visit.
I once saw a stunning tawny owl swoop right past me on an evening dog walk; it was completely breathtaking. You can also find incredible ancient oak trees scattered across the grounds.
If someone was coming to visit you in Hertfordshire for a relaxed weekend, what
would your ultimate itinerary look like, where should they eat, walk, or explore?
If someone were visiting me, it would be all about a relaxed and slow-paced weekend spent connecting with nature.
I’d take them for a walk in the Hatfield House grounds first; it is an absolute must. Afterwards, I highly recommend The Oak House Studio & Therapies for an incredible yoga or pilates session in Old Hatfield. I have practised there for a few years. The instructors are amazing, and the venue is a beautifully restored 1869 church hall. You won’t find a more stunning studio.
Next, we’d grab a coffee at Sustain Coffee in Salisbury Square. They roast their own beans on-site. The square was recently rebuilt with pretty gardens, making it the perfect spot to sit and enjoy a great coffee and pastry.
A little further away, I love escaping to Folly's Farm Home of Rest for Donkeys and Ponies in Berkhamsted. It is the cutest not-for-profit sanctuary providing lifelong care for rescued animals. Your heart will feel full by the time you leave. Berkhamsted itself is also well worth a visit, as it is a lovely market town filled with wonderful independent shops and cafes.
The Murmur of Life, Lisa Price
To step outside of the studio for our final question, where is at the top of your ‘To Visit’ list, whether in Hertfordshire or as part of a global exploration?
I really want to spend some time in Cornwall. I am represented by CIRCLE Contemporary Gallery and would love to visit them, as well as explore the Cornish coast for pigments. I have family in Truro and the surrounding areas, so it would be a great all-around trip.
Further afield, I would love to revisit Namibia. Many years ago, before I started collecting earth minerals, I spent three weeks exploring the country in a 4x4, sleeping in a tent on top of the car. I remember the landscape being so beautifully rich in colour; each place we visited had a completely different feel. The people and the wildlife were incredible. It’s a really special country, and I am so thankful to have experienced it. I’d love to go back now with a fresh perspective to appreciate the richness of the landscape in a completely new way.
Through her deep connection to the natural world and her refusal to rush the creative process, Lisa offers a refreshing perspective on how art can advocate for the environment without losing its sense of serenity.
From foraging raw pigments to selecting sustainable studio materials and finding inspiration in the pages of complex non-fiction, her journey proves that the most impactful messages are often delivered softly. Whether capturing the subtle shifting of light across Hertfordshire’s ancient oaks or gathering rich earth tones in Cornwall and Namibia, Lisa reminds us to slow down, notice the overlooked details, and cherish the finite beauty of the world around us.
Image credit: Lisa Price
