Ludwina Orchard
Artist, Mentor and Storyteller
I didn't begin painting until I was fifty.
Before that, I spent decades building businesses, raising a family and helping other people bring their ideas to life. Art wasn't part of the plan. It arrived later and quietly became one of the most important chapters of my life.
Today, my work explores the stories we carry beneath the surface. Identity, resilience, grief, healing, wisdom and the moments that change us forever. Many of my paintings are deeply personal, drawing from my own experiences of cancer, motherhood, marriage, reinvention and beginning again. Through texture, symbolism and layered materials, I create work that invites people to pause, reflect and feel something of their own story within it.
Alongside my art practice, I mentor artists through The Business of Art, helping creative women build confidence, clarity and sustainable careers. Whether you're here to collect artwork, follow my journey or grow your own creative practice, I'm glad you've found your way here.
The Story Behind the Work
My art is deeply connected to my life.
Over the past fifteen years I have survived kidney cancer, navigated the breakdown of a thirty three year marriage, experienced the challenges of menopause and, more recently, faced breast cancer. Like many women, I have learned that some of life's greatest lessons arrive uninvited.
Painting became a way of making sense of those experiences.
It became a place to process grief, uncertainty, resilience, hope and ultimately transformation. Many of the symbols, textures and materials that appear in my work carry personal meaning. Some pieces contain fragments of medical robes collected during cancer scans. Others include family heirlooms, handwritten notes, found objects and materials that hold stories of their own.
My series Scars of a Woman explores both the visible and invisible marks we carry through life. It is not a story about suffering. It is a story about survival, wisdom and the strength that emerges when life asks us to begin again.
Today, I paint from a place of honesty. My hope is that when someone stands in front of one of my paintings, they don't just see my story. They recognise something of their own.
Why I Mentor Artists
For more than thirty years I built businesses, led teams and worked as an entrepreneur.
When I became an artist, I quickly discovered that creating the work was only part of the journey. Many talented artists struggle not because they lack ability, but because nobody has taught them how to build confidence, find opportunities, market themselves or create a sustainable art practice.
That is why I created The Business of Art.
I am passionate about helping artists bridge the gap between creativity and business. Through mentoring, workshops, events and resources, I share the lessons I have learned from both worlds.
I believe artists deserve to be paid for their work. I believe creative careers can be built with intention. And I believe it is never too late to start.
After all, I didn't pick up a paintbrush seriously until I was fifty.