Courtney Berry
Artist and designer Courtney Berry of Le Court Studio merges a design career with an art practice, letting the two inspire one another.
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson I Photography: Le Court Studio & Studio S
‘I knew all throughout school that I wanted to work in a job that allowed me to be creative and express myself,’ says Courtney Berry from Le Court Studio. Photo: Studio S
Courtney Berry’s process can differ between creating paintings, drawings, and rugs—the latter needing a plan and the formers offering an organic route. Photo: Le Court Studio
‘I’ll eat lunch, do some more graphics work ,and then finish for the day and try to paint or create some made-to-order rugs that my beautiful customers have bought! I still pinch myself that my creations are in people’s homes!’ Photo: Studio S
Soft, feminine forms flow effortlessly between line drawings and gestural abstract paintings in the work of Australian artist Courtney Berry. Nature in all its organic shape and colour palettes seep into the artworks that evoke a sense of calm and serene—similarly having the same effect on the artist.
‘Time will pass by, and suddenly it's dark outside, and I’ve spent the whole day just painting with no real direction, just my paintbrush, some paint and good music.’
It’s evident that nature inspires the artist with its rich colour palette, organic shapes, diverse line and texture. ‘When I first began drawing, I would always head outside, pick up odd-shaped leaves, take pictures of tree rings and the clouds forming in the sky,’ Courtney shares. ‘I still do this! I have a box filled with random findings I’ve collected over the years from different locations around the world.’
For Courtney, observing the environment began in her childhood, growing up on Sydney’s picturesque Northern Beaches, where the sky meets the ocean in a kaleidoscope of hues throughout the day. The peachy orange and pinks of a winter sunset translated or swashes of blue with the dark edge of the land’s shadow.
The artist muses on her creative childhood, her grandpa (Richy Rich) imparting his skills which in turn encouraged Courtney’s parents to create an arty home. ‘I used to draw with pencil, large horses and faces on my bedroom wall one week, and the next week it would be different,’ the artist remembers. ‘They allowed for my siblings and me to always feel like we could be creative.’
‘Growing up on the Northern Beaches, I was always spending time at the beach staring at the deep blue… I then went travelling around Australia and was able to see more of the vast landscapes up close, which started creeping into my works,’ ays Courtney Berry. Photo: Le Court Studio
‘My mind is usually racing all the time and so when I have an idea, I need to scribble it down to move on and keep working,’ says Courtney Berry. Photo: Le Court Studio
“I began painting a long time ago; it has been my practice to calm down and stop the noise... when I directly create with my hands, I’m instantly taken somewhere else.”
Nature inspires the artist with its rich colour palette, organic shapes, diverse line and texture. Photo: Le Court Studio
‘I’m heavily inspired by music, especially jazz, while I’m creating. It’s extremely soothing, and I find it so easy to create when instrumental is playing in the background.’ Photo: Studio S
Courtney Berry’s Northern NSW studio. Photo: Le Court Studio
Courtney Berry’s process can differ between creating paintings, drawings, and rugs—the latter needing a plan and the formers offering an organic route. Photo: Le Court Studio
After primarily drawing and painting, a trip travelling America in 2020 gave Courtney an ambition to try something different. She heard about tufting and embarked on a new venture into rug making. ‘My time in America taught me the importance of dealing with adversity and overcoming it,’ she reveals.
The process can differ between making paintings, drawings, and rugs—the latter needing a plan and the formers offering an organic route. However, Courtney also juggles a graphic design career; working freelance has enabled her to let the boundaries between design and art intertwine to create unique designs.
This easy flow of creativity allows each element to influence the other; a constant balance of trying new things, failing, and then learning from experimentation. ‘I will usually wake up early, go for a walk, have a coffee in the sun (if the sun decides to show!), spend a couple hours designing graphics, take out my art book and sketch out my ideas,’ Courtney shares.
Recently Courtney moved to Northern NSW, where ‘every window in the house looks out to large gumtrees and lots of greenery,’ she says. ‘I feel so incredibly blessed to be out here. I’m still setting up the studio, but I feel very calm and grounded, which has been a wonderful feeling I didn’t know I needed.’ Here she hopes to work on food, wine, clothing collaborations—as usual, combining her creative loves.
