Louise Amelia Phelps is an artist, writer and maker. Born in London she completed a BA Fine Art at Bath Spa University College, a Foundation in Art at Wimbledon School of Art and an MA Art Psychotherapy from Roehampton University.
Her work has been exhibited in London, Cairo, New York and San Francisco. She has written for journals and her poetic prose has been published in anthologies for adults and children.
Her work draws on the poetics of sign, symbol, plants and place. It is grounded in the interface between inner and outer perceptions of our world and the movements they convey. Studying seasonal processes for 24 years, through The Ancient Wheel of Wisdom™, combined with Sacred Land Walking™ studies has led her to an expanded experience of creativity that occurs when we actively extend awareness to include the processes of nature that form the materials of our lives and invite them in. Plants are partners in creating colour. She explores this in her evolving ecopoietic research. We are not just working with ‘materials’ but with threads of life that do not end.
Exhibitions
1994 ‘Lessons in Life’, The Royal Academy, London, Group Show, UK
1998 Wimbledon School of Art Foundation Show, London, UK
1999 ‘Bath Women Artists’, Windows Arts Centre, Bath, UK
1999 ‘Back to the Root’, Cross Bath Installation, Bath, UK
2000 ‘Soul Art’, Stoke Newington, London, UK
2000 Bath Spa University College Degree Show, UK
2001 ‘Harmony’s Garden’, Beacon Centre, Kingston, UK
2002 ‘Chat el Tamar/Line of Dates’, Orange Square, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt
2002 ‘Songs from Her Shores’, Spiral Gate Café, Glastonbury, UK
2003 The Goddess Conference, Jul-Aug, Glastonbury, Somerset, UK
2003 The Princes Trust Art Well, Old Street, London, UK
2004 Dop Dop Salon, Nov-Jan, SoHo, New York, USA
2004 Shine Society Gallery, group show, Dec 2nd-12th, W 4th Street, New York, USA
2004 ‘Symbols of the Spirit’, Eickholt Gallery, group show, SoHo, New York, USA
2005 ‘ The Mother of Stars’, solo show, The Flying Hare Gallery, Grass Valley, California, USA
2006 Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, California, USA
2012 Roehampton MA Art Therapy Group Show
2012 ‘Colours of the Core’, Group show, The Art Therapy Centre, London, UK
2015 Merton Arts Week, Coffee in the Wood, Colliers wood, London, UK
2018 ‘Daughters of Earth’, Group Show, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud, UK
2019 Stroud Sisterhood , Lansdown Gallery
2020 ‘Artist of the Season’, online Exhibition for Magical Women: https://www.magicalwomen.co.uk/artist-of-the-season-louise
2020 ‘Dreaming out from the Hearth’ https://www.magicalwomen.co.uk/intothewoods/dreaming-out-from-the-hearth-louise-amelia-phelps
2020 ‘Religious Women and Goddesses’, online exhibition https://www.magicalwomen.co.uk/goddesses
2021 Oct-Dec 'Between Star and Stone' Solo Show at The Christian Community in Stroud.
2022 ‘ Sisters Re-emerge’ Lansdown gallery 8-11 March, Stroud
2022 April - Plant Communitas, Museum in the Park, Stroud curated by Patricia Brien
2022 July 13-17th - 'Reflections of Me' - Group show with Stroud ADHD Support.
Publications
2002 October Issue, Avalon Magazine, Holland
2003 Mrs Moon Lullabies for Bedtime, Barefoot Books, October 2003
2004 Avalon Magazine, poems in Summer Issue
2005 The Mother of Stars, Star Tree Press
2007 Into the Further Reaches, Anthology, Jay Ramsay, Will Parfitt Publishing
2008 CSA Magazine Cairo, Monthly Creativity Column
2020 June ‘Spinning Colours of Flora’ online Article for magicalwomen.co.uk https://www.magicalwomen.co.uk/artist-of-the-season-louise
2020 August - ‘Dreaming out from the Hearth’, online Article for magicalwomen.co.uk
https://www.magicalwomen.co.uk/intothewoods/dreaming-out-from-the-hearth-louise-amelia-phelps
2020 Magical Women, The Neurodivergent Artists Magazine, Article, December
2021 January -Steel Jackdaw Magazine, Issue 1, Article.
2022 Earth Pathways Calendar, Poem included for August.
2023 'Bonds Braids and Belonging' Issue 1, Spring, ISSN 2753-3883, Linden River Press
2023 'Becoming the Garden -Bonds Braids and Belonging' Issue 2, Summer, ISSN 2753-3883, Linden River Press
2023 Dark Mountain Issue 24 - October Contributor
2023 'The Iron Heart - Bonds, Braids and Belonging' Issue 3 - Autumn, ISSN 2753-3883, Linden River Press
2024 'Imagining Multispecies Belonging - A Recipe Book' collated and edited by Rae Turpin, contributer.
Readings
2005 Star Garden Party – IONS, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA
2006 The Centre for Women’s Health, Zamalek Cairo
2007 The Mother of Stars Launch, Watkins Books, London
2007 ‘Songs from the Star Tree’, The Lotus Foundation, Swiss Cottage, London
2024- 'Ecopoetics and Environmental Artivism Conference' - London, Presenter July 2024
Courses and Events
2021 June - ‘Bonds Braids and Belonging’ at Sladebank Woods, Stroud, UK
2021 November 'The Iron Heart'- An exploration of the processes of spinning and plant colours in Autumn.
2022 14th September 'The Edge of the Vessel' - An exploration of the growth of colour in plants. See workshops page to book.
2023 - Becoming the Garden - Summer Becoming the Garden - Autumn
2024 - 'Weaving the Ground' Weaving and Poetry towards Midwinter- With Nicola Builder, Wayward Weaves.
Residencies
Awakening Arts Academy, California, June 2004
Awakening Arts Academy, California July 2005
Training
1997-2000 BA (Hons) Fine Art Sculpture, Bath Spa University College
1998-Present ‘Ancient Wheel of Wisdom™’
2006-2009 Sacred Land Walking™
2012 MA Art Psychotherapy, Roehampton University, London
2013 Foundation in Family Therapy and Systemic Practice, Prudence Skynner Family Therapy Unit, Springfield Hospital, London
Podcasts/Interviews
The Magical Women Podcast September 2020
2021 https://open.spotify.com/episode/0iIbcMO7CGFNbxzhnxCoDe?si=BX25UwFuRluZx-Zr70fokQ&dl_branch=1
2022 In conversation with Dr Sigrid Holmwood, hosted by Patricia Brien, Plant Communitas, Museum in the Park 6th April 2022
2024 Indelible Evenings - London Arts Based Research Centre 'Travelling Hearthwards' November 2024
