Artist Summary:

Luke Neston, born in 1981, is a self-taught artist who has been creating art throughout his life, developing his craft through personal exploration rather than formal training. Originally from Orlando, Florida, Luke moved to O'Fallon, Missouri in 2006, where he currently resides with his pets—two cats, Big Cat and Miss Mudd, as well as his dog, Valentine.

In 2017, Luke began working with resin, a medium that sparked a new creative direction, and in 2022, he ventured into painting. He primarily uses watercolors and acrylics, with much of his inspiration drawn from the natural world around him. Luke's work is a reflection of his deep connection to nature, capturing its fluidity, colors, and forms through his chosen mediums.

🎨 Artist Bio: Luke Neston

Luke Neston is a contemporary artist whose work straddles the wild line between the natural world and the imagined one. Working primarily in acrylic, watercolor, and pastel, Neston’s art evokes a sense of wonder and familiarity—like spotting something strange and beautiful just beyond the edge of the trail.

With a background rooted in both storytelling and observation, his paintings lean into bold color palettes, stylized shapes, and expressive textures. He draws inspiration from Fauvism, post-impressionism, and the quiet eccentricities of the creatures we often overlook. Based in the U.S., Neston creates from his cozy studio space, often accompanied by two curious cats and a rotating cast of lizards, insects, and memories from the garden.

🖌️ Artist Statement

My work is a celebration of the overlooked—tiny beetles, shy lizards, a cat’s sideways glance. I aim to capture not just how these creatures look, but how they feel in a moment: wild, whimsical, alert, or at peace. I use expressive color and simplified form to exaggerate their presence and personality, often turning them into small totems of energy and spirit.

Nature is rarely quiet, even when it seems still. I try to paint that hum. Sometimes it's a burst of turquoise across a wing, sometimes it's a deliberate smirk on a feline face. I’m not chasing realism—I'm chasing recognition: that flicker of connection when someone sees a piece and says, “That’s exactly it.”

My style walks between Fauvism and natural illustration, always with a bit of mischief and warmth. I like to think of my work as a conversation—between the wild things, the viewer, and me.