Devon portrait photographer with Artist Lucie Smailes

I’m thrilled to share images from this ongoing collaboration with the wonderfully talented Lucie Smailes. Lucie is an artist who lives and breathes her art, she doesn’t just create it; she is a piece of art herself. Everything about her reflects her creative spirit: how she transforms personal experiences into her work, the way she dresses, and how she curates her surroundings with such intention.

It’s been a real joy working on this project, which will be published as a book celebrating her life’s work as an artist. The project has included portraits of Lucie, photographs of her artwork, and glimpses into her home, studio and places she hangs out a lot like her colourful beach hut!

Lucie has a deep fascination with 1950s objects, and her home is brimming with intentionally sourced curiosities from vintage markets and fellow collectors—each with its own story to tell. She is a true collector, and stepping into her home feels like stepping into a museum, where every corner and room becomes a curated display of her artworks and found treasures. At first, it felt overwhelming, but I quickly realised how thoughtfully every piece was placed, creating a kind of organised chaos. Her home feels like a living, breathing artwork.

Lucie intuitively combines collected objects with handcrafted sculptures to create dreamlike installations—poetic and theatrical, often with a dark twist. Her art tells intricate stories, rooted in personal experiences yet ones we can all relate to.. Each piece invites you into a world both familiar and surreal, evoking a shared understanding of life’s complexities.

I know how deeply important this project is to her, as it represents her life’s work as an artist, and I felt truly honoured to capture glimpses of it!

I highly recommend checking out her incredible work on Instagram: @art_of_lucie_smailes.