In the Studio with Olive Studios (Liv Godden)

Liv doesn’t depict nature in a literal sense. Instead, she draws from its rhythm — the movement of clouds, the current of the sea, the way landscapes breathe. Her work captures this flow, translating the invisible into expressive marks and expansive gestures that sweep across raw canvas. “You wouldn’t get a bright green in the sky,” she says, “but you could maybe look at one of my pieces and be like, ‘Yeah, I understand how that links.’”

Working primarily with acrylics and oil sticks, Liv’s process begins long before the first brushstroke. She stands before the blank canvas, absorbing, listening, allowing space for instinct to take over. What follows is messy, free, physical. Then comes stillness — waiting for paint to dry, for colours to settle — a moment to reflect and analyze. “I like to be methodical, but I try not to be restrictive,” she shares.

Her style, once representational, has evolved into something more atmospheric. Her research into sky contours led her to a palette rich in blues, but over time, other colours have entered her vocabulary — hues that may not literally belong to a horizon, but still resonate with its energy.

Liv’s joy extends beyond the studio walls. She recently visited a collector’s home and saw one of her GoodMood prints displayed in a living room — a deeply affirming moment. “People tell me how much they love them, or how it feels to have it in their house,” she says. “Yeah, it fills me with so much joy.”

Through her work, Liv Godden invites us to feel, not just see — to pause, observe, and experience nature’s tempo in a whole new language.