'French Fancies' is a rare and intimate collection of original small-scale artworks by celebrated British artist Louise Dear, created during the spring of 2020 at the very start of lockdown. Stranded in a holiday rental in the South of France with no access to her studio and only limited materials, Louise began painting freely, embracing the stillness, the solitude, and the chance to explore something new.
These expressive 18 x 18cm works on paper became a joyful departure from her usual large-scale paintings on metal. Among glittering petals and vivid colour fields, childhood motifs began to appear: beloved storybook characters such as Winnie the Pooh, fairies, Thumper, and Cinderella, fragments of her daughter’s childhood reimagined through glitter inks, gold leaf and fine linework.
Originally kept for Louise’s personal collection, these are the final few remaining pieces — hand-finished with playful experimentation, and now available for the first time in the UK and internationally. Offered at £365 each, they represent a rare opportunity to own a signed original that blends nostalgia, craftsmanship and a deeply personal chapter in the artist’s life.
