Artist London Wilde

Artistry comes in many forms; music, interior design, custom wedding cakes, signature cocktails and fantastic paintings. Asian influenced mixed media artist London Wilde excels in all of these. Born creative, London was raised in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains. She had a long career in the Tech Industry plus several years in the music industry as a vocalist and producer. Now retired from these demanding professions, London has finally given herself permission to paint full time.

Her Inspiration

London has been drawing and painting since childhood. Inspired by the beaches and redwood forests of Northern California, she created her first oil painting at age 7. She continued to develop her technical skills by emulating art she saw in books and museums. Travel to Europe and Asia further advanced her interest and exposure to multiple art forms, the Mandarin language and the use of symbolism in art. She enjoys combining positive words or phrases with beautiful wildlife images.

Above left, London puts the finishing touches on the original Sunrise Runners. Above right and below, examples of integrating wildlife images with Asian words and symbols.

Earlier Work and Recognition

When she began painting full time in 2017, it was largely a way to manage stress. She subconsciously sought peaceful subjects to paint, and quickly noticed commonality with the Asian art subjects that she’d always loved.

Before the pandemic, she had gallery representation. Unfortunately, shut down practices made it difficult for galleries to stay open. She turned to showing pieces at the local Art league or entering art competitions. Examples of this work, some award winning, are below.

Although blue ribbons are nice, London wanted to reach beyond the local art scene and share her art with as many people as possible. She began working on a website and increasing her social media presence.

Emerging Work

London continues to create Asian influenced contemporary work, but has expanded her media. She uses numerous forms, working in layers, often starting with fluid media and finishing with acrylics or oils. In her own words, she “recognizes stories in fluid patterns, such as one revealing a tsunami, some cliffs, and a bird rising above it all.” The result was “Water Cloud Crane”, seen here in print form on her website. A similar work is “Sea Cloud Crane,” below.

Lifestyle Changes Result in a Promotion to Full Time Artist

In April of 2024, London suffered a small stroke. While in the hospital, she was advised to make life style changes, including reducing stress levels. She began painting more often, discovering she now had “permission” to do what she loved most. Like a lot of recent retirees, a small part of her felt guilty for spending so much time on something fun. But her passion became a prescription for health, and not even her inner critic could question how she was spending her time. She finished pieces that had been lying around, began taking more chances and became more productive. London encourages others to give themselves permission to pursue passions without guilt.

A Few Favorites

I write “Artistic Pension,” partly because I am an art collector and advocate. I like supporting local artists and currently have three original pieces of London’s work. I am contemplating a 4th – unless someone beats me to it! I love the symmetry and colors of these two pieces together. One currently hangs in my living room, the other may find its future home soon. Maybe even yours…..

Are you an artist and/or collector? How have your styles changed over time? What kind of art makes you happy, and are you making time for it?

To see more originals, framed and unframed prints, and fun lifestyle arts check out London’s Art by London Wilde website or on Instagram.

Thanks for stopping by.