Shrewsbury doodle artist Luke Crump opening solo exhibition

You might have come across doodle artist Luke Crump at Bloom art school in Coleham, or at local festivals - his eye-catching work is currently on show in a temporary exhibition at Nooch in town.

Luke ran away to Cheshire for a bit, but now he’s back in Shrewsbury (‘It’s the creative gravity - I just can’t escape!’) and he has an exciting solo exhibition and workshops coming up opening at The Hive on October 13.

Luke loves creating large scale live artwork pieces, but also enjoys quirky commissions and transferring work to 3D objects, including doodling on guitars and customising trainers. He’s most proud of a giant mural for a train station in Liverpool - which he hopes will give commuters smiles for years to come - and would love to do more large-scale pieces and public installations.

“I mostly just create what I feel on the day, quite spontaneously, although if there's a particular subject, I am drawn to, then that’s a great inspiration. I like to create from a place of energy and interest as then the pieces almost feel like they’re making themselves,” he says.

Doodling helps Luke keep unhelpful thoughts at bay. Creating and expressing his inner world has proved a useful way of dealing with ‘OCD demons’: “The importance of art as therapy to aid mental health cannot be overstated. It continues to help me - to create something tangible that was once inside you and put it out into the world to share with others is a powerful thing.

“I’m proud to have grown confidence and ability in myself to keep going and keep creating, even during some difficult times in my earlier journey. Any piece that I’ve made that brings a little joy to at least one person is an achievement in my books.”

Mostly, however, he doodles because it’s great fun: “I feel like it's a way of expressing your inner self and also helps me turn off my mind and relax into something tangible. It's also a great way of taking a break from screens and just quite a meditative practice for me.”

Luke’s style has evolved over time, becoming more structured, thoughtful and cohesive, although still translates as an explosion of positivity.

“I am more aware of line quality and composition and also the messages that some of my pieces cover such as environmental concerns and mental health messages are more mature,” Luke explains.

“I’m lucky enough to now be doing this full time! It’s a challenge working for yourself (I wear many hats at once!) but I wouldn’t change it. Each day is completely different and I get to work on so many cool things with some amazing people.”

Luke is delighted to be back in Shrewsbury; you might have heard him recently on BBC Radio Shropshire promoting the the DRAWN event in November (18th & 19th at Shrewsbury Flaxmill) with Cherie Jerrard : “Sometimes I feel I haven’t really left, when I visit! There seems to be this irresistible creative pull from the town,”

We wondered how he feels about the competition in ‘Doodle World’; there are quite a few doodle artists out there, including Shrewsbury’s own ‘The Doodle Boy’, Mr Doodle (Sam Cox), who famously covered an entire house with his artwork, Scott Walker, American artist Jon Burgerman and more.

“It’s very true, there are a number of artists who have also joined the street art/doodle movement (the more the merrier I say!). I would say my pieces have a unique style that is quite recognisable and some of the recurring characters and themes are a way of identifying my work,” Luke says.

“In the past, I have experimented with more realism and used to create quite a few pet portraits and landscapes, but I've always been drawn to an illustrative, free flowing style.”

Although Luke has a background in graphic design (he did an apprenticeship with a signmaker and vehicle wrapping studio on leaving Shrewsbury college), he’s primarily self-taught: “I feel like that adds to my slightly naive and playful style that I’ve come to be known for!” he says.

We asked Luke the ‘big’ question: ‘To Colour or not to Colour’?

“It’s the question I also regularly ask myself! It does depend on whether I ‘feel’ the piece needs it. Sometimes a black-and-white image will speak for itself and doesn't need anything added. If I want a more impactful finished piece or to highlight an area, I’ll add some colour. Although, as my pieces are quite intricate, this can take a while!”

Luke’s solo exhibition at The Hive will feature many new pieces as well as some favourites from Luke’s archive. He’ll also be exhibiting a number of 3D pieces and an interactive doodle wall. During the launch night (Friday, October 13) he’ll be creating a live piece too: “There will be doughnuts, live music, nibbles and lots of creative energy - hopefully see you there!” he says.

Lines of Thought, a solo exhibition by doodle artist Luke Crump is at The Hive, Belmont, Shrewsbury from October 13th until December 5th.

On Saturdays over the next few weeks (Oct 21 through to December 16), Luke will be running some free street art workshop sessions at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, with a chance for participants to be featured in an exhibition at the Flaxmill in 2024. These are offered by the Hive for 18-25 year olds, from 10am to 2pm. Spaces are limited, but still a few available via hiveonline.org.uk