The Art of Staying Home, with La Rousse Illustration

Firstly how are you feeling today?

I feel ok today. It’s a lovely spring day and I feel lucky to be healthy and safe.

Tell us about your art and your studio.

My studio is in my house now. My stuff is encroaching upon all of our living space. I used to have a studio in an old school but it was so cold I used to give up. I swapped from an illustration MA to a Fine Art one at Central St. Martin’s and then did a Fine Art PhD. There’s a snobbery about illustration but I love doing both.

Do you normally work from home?

I mostly work from home, often in bed. Sometimes I teach at university or visit places for illustration jobs. 

How has your day to day life changed since COVID-19?

I’m an introvert so in some ways self-isolation is a state I’m familiar with. I used to live on a small sailing boat on my own and as long as I feel the natural world is nearby I feel ok. I’m at home with my 18 month old baby boy Larry and my husband Alex.

What are you doing creatively to stay calm and mindful?

The things I’ve enjoyed have been weeding and being in the garden, collecting wildflower seeds, cooking and sending people paintings, cards and packages through the post. I’ve also enjoyed not wearing makeup and not brushing my hair.

Do you have any creative ideas for people to do at home?

I think growing things is really good for mental health. I had years of fertility problems and growing plants really helped me to feel hopeful that one day I could grow and nurture something. If you don’t have a garden, growing herbs or nasturtiums in a pot in the kitchen or on a windowsill can be uplifting. 

What do you think the world will have learned from this?

I think this is a good time to slow down and to think about what you’re grateful for. I had a stroke a few years ago and it confirmed to me that health is so much more valuable than money or status. It would be nice if we could think about communication, social connections and helping one another in a meaningful way. My stepdaughters work for the NHS. It would be great if all key workers were really valued.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I’ve been thinking about the Lars von Trier film, Melancholia and how the female character who appears at the start to be unbalanced and overly aware of the vulnerability of life triumphs in a time of crisis while her high powered brother in law is shocked at his lack of power and crumbles. I know Chekhov said ‘Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out’. At the moment I think we are all living a crisis day to day. Angus Calder’s book about the myth of the Blitz Spirit is sobering reading and I hope that we can learn act as a society rather than as selfish individuals. Watching bees in a hive is really inspiring.