Eloise Lark

Art led by curiosity and instinct

Image: RISE artist Eloise Lark working in her studio. Photo: QVMAG.

Based in the coastal suburb of Lauderdale, around 40 minutes from Hobart, Eloise Lark’s practice is shaped by proximity to the natural world.

Central to her creative process is regular time spent walking near the beach and along local tracks: "Being outside, around nature and moving, is when I am most present and therefore open to the arrival of creative ideas."

Eloise describes her practice as fluid, experimental, and playful.

Driven by a desire to keep the work feeling fresh and engaging, she introduces an element of “newness” with each project – whether through materials, scale, or method. "Essentially, I create out of a pure desire to make. If something isn’t working, it often means it's time to play with something new," she explains.

"I aim to make work that feels fresh, alive and intentional. It’s not overcomplicated or traumatic… it’s not to be taken too seriously."

She is drawn to artists who balance freedom and intuition with compositional control. "The first time I was introduced to Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work as a high school student, I was so blown away and energised," she recalls. "I realised there were different ways to approach art beyond being able to draw or paint realistically. What freedom!"

Image: Eloise incorporates a range of techniques in her works, including collage. Photo: QVMAG.

Her process typically begins with a loose sketch or title, followed by the selection and creation of materials, colours, and textures. Collage, scanning, and digital layering are used to refine composition and scale, with Photoshop playing a key role in the development of final works. Despite this structure, the process remains open-ended: "The making process is often very intuitive. I allow space for new ideas as I go, my artworks almost never end up the way I initially intend them to."

Eloise’s pathway into art emerged through a background in Communication Design, where she gravitated toward illustration and conceptual thinking. Commercial illustration and product-based work further developed her practice, before a pop-up exhibition in 2018 marked a turning point towards exhibiting cohesive bodies of work: "I really enjoyed putting together a collection of work that could tell a larger story. It felt like a natural progression, which led to my art practice."

Image: Eloise is comfortable working on the ground to create her works. Photo: QVMAG.

Being invited to participate in RISE represents an encouraging moment in her practice, offering the opportunity to connect with wider audiences beyond her immediate network. Eloise hopes audiences experience a sense of joy and uplift when viewing her works. "I have fun creating and I hope that translates through the work."

Through colour, language, and layered processes, Eloise invites audiences into a world that is both thoughtful and light-hearted. Her work resists rigidity, instead embracing change and discovery. It is a reminder that creativity thrives in openness and play.

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