Painter, designer, and muralist Luisa Salas (aka Hola Lou) describes her work as simple yet bold – a complex image broken into a steady flow. While her art is abstract it relies on basic concepts of visual aesthetics — concepts which Salas acquired while working as both graphic designer and art director. These concepts include composition, color contrast, and most importantly, balance.
“To be completely honest, starting out with bold shapes was a mere representation of what I saw in the artwork of my son Lori, who was three at the time I started painting again,” admitted Salas in an interview with Society6. “I could see how carefree he was—he didn’t have any objective and wasn’t concerned with what anyone would think of his painting. This was without a doubt what I needed to do. I needed to be free again so I started out on the path he unconsciously showed me.”
Based in Mexico, her artwork is also inspired by the ever-changing scenarios of her immensely diverse home country. “I very much enjoy finding new color combos and I adore playing with them as much as possible,” says Salas. “When I first started painting I knew I had to push myself to paint bigger canvases, use different types of paper, find my favorite brushes and doodle on photos I took. Life has guided me into a situation where I get to experiment on every single surface I could’ve ever imagined (even using spray cans for a 90-meter wall!). Even if I don’t like it, even if it’s not painting or design, I keep creating new stuff everyday.”
While always exploring the limits of simplicity and minimalism, Salas focuses her art on an endless study of color reactions by carefully proportioning a mix of tension and organic movements. Show her some love on Instagram:
