About the artist

Beginnings

Emma grew up with her family in rural Norfolk. Growing up in the countryside being surrounded by animals and nature provided the inspirational starting point for Emma’s creativity.
From a young age Emma was notably musical and creative. During primary school she learnt to play various instruments including the recorder, flute and piano. Emma greatly enjoyed drawing, sketching and painting, quickly filling walls in the home with her art.

Living close to her grandparents she spent a great deal of time with them. Both her mother and grandmother were seamstresses and she was taught to knit and sew very early on.

Emma attended college where she studied textiles, life-drawing and pattern-cutting. At this time Emma exhibited some work in a local gallery and hotel. Being greatly inspired by fashion and design, she became the apprentice of an Italian fashion design for a short while. Here she gained insight into the fashion world. To this day Emma continues to design and create her own clothing and has taught workshops helping others do the same.

About her work

For a long time Emma was aware of her ability to paint and draw but she didn’t know how to focus it. It wasn’t until enrolling on a local art class that she realised the reason why she should be painting. With a rekindled passion for her art she set about painting professionally.
Emma’s work is all about brushwork, tone and colour. She greatly enjoys using the play of light on subject matter to bring her paintings to life. She works rapidly, completing pieces in one sitting, capturing the immediacy of the emotions felt and conveying them though expressive brushwork and colour.
Emma works in oils, either on box canvas, canvas paper or board. Her pieces are normally completed using only one short flat brush, sometimes a finer one for small details. Emma’s style is intuitive and impressionistic.
Painting is always a relaxing and spontaneous event that Emma enjoys. She hopes that this is conveyed through her pieces allowing the viewer to feel the pleasure with which each piece was painted, through her vibrant colours and playful brushstrokes.

The Red Signature
On any piece of Emma’s work you will find the signature is written in red paint. At the beginning of Emma’s painting career, she signed all her paintings with the only acrylic colour she had to hand, cadmium red. The red signature has become part and parcel of the stamp on Emma’s work and you will see it on all works she goes on to produce.