Art by Luka
7/2/2025
As Luke Hubbard approaches a blank canvas with his palette knife and paint, Pink Floyd music fills his basement studio. In the process, the rhythm offers a steady flow in conjunction with layering and moving paint around.
Hubbard creates abstract contemporary and industrial art under the name Art By Luka. He was selected to display his art at the juried Des Moines Arts Festival in June. He is also the featured artist at the Waukee Arts Festival on July 18-19 at Centennial Park in Waukee.
Hubbard was inspired by art early on thanks to his uncle, who was an “old school” artist true to form with traditional paintings.
Hubbard sketched illustrations and, when an accounting major at the University of Northern Iowa felt flat and uninspiring, he switched to art and graphic design. He created CD covers and other graphic design work.
After college, when he bought a house, Hubbard began looking at the blank walls. Out of the blue, he painted an abstract art piece to fill the blank spaces.
“It was a total right turn and out of my comfort zone. It pushed me into a different direction,” he reflects.
He began layering with paint bottles and a paint palette — a Jackson Pollock-type of painting in the abstract expressionism style.
Hubbard applied for art shows and hosted an art sale in his garage, yet felt stagnant with his work. While in Kansas City, he noticed paint chipping on a wall.
“I went home and grabbed a pallet knife and paint, as I liked the way the layers looked,” he explains. “The result is a unique painting every time.”
His main goal is to create balance and work that is pleasing to the eye.
“If I think too much, I need to quit. If I push, and it doesn’t feel aesthetic in my head, I put it down, set it aside and come back to it later.”
Once it feels balanced, the painting is complete.
He explains, “It’s abstract true to form. People see what they want to see. It’s interesting how people view different things from the same painting.”
As an abstract artist, he realizes the public maintains their own opinions.
“They might not think there’s much process to an abstract painting. There’s a lot of planning,” Hubbard explains.
Hubbard performed a live painting at Lutheran Church of Hope.
“Some people said they didn’t care for abstract but like the process. Abstract isn’t just haphazardly throwing paint. We have an idea of what we want,” he reflects. “It’s like wine. Some like red or white. People don’t see all the stuff that you see behind the work.”
He explains that making art is similar to creating an emotion-filled story.
“Sometimes, I feel like the passenger. I just go along for the ride,” he says. “When something pops, it makes me smile.”
He has shown his work at the Waukee Art Festival early on, witnessing the festival’s growth. At art shows, Hubbard likes engaging with attendees about his artwork.
“The fun part is when people look at my work and say, ‘It makes me happy.’ ”
