Don Painting

Emma is a British contemporary artist, born and raised in London. Predominantly a portrait painter, she finds inspiration through human connection and seeks to celebrate the beauty in humanity. Emma took the leap in becoming a full-time artist during the pandemic, after her job in the events industry was made redundant. Proudly self-taught, she chose not to study Art academically after A Level, but still carried on painting and took on portrait commissions throughout her previous career. Although her early work almost solely comprises of celebrity portraiture, namely musicians and cult figures, in more recent years her portfolio is vast and varied in subject matter and style. Across all bodies of work, Emma’s joy for life is as apparent as it is infectious. Emma is fascinated by the unpredictability of human behaviour, from brief glances to the impermanence of facial expressions. She uses a mixture of unconventional, abrupt and spontaneous painting techniques, often revealing the physicality of the process in the final piece, as well as adopting a more intricate approach to create that beautiful contrast between harmony and chaos. Always one to thrive on larger scales, in 2022 Emma began painting murals. Within a few months she was approached by a premier league football player to paint his own gym with portraits of himself; combining her two practices at the time. She was then approached for a similar project, in the south of France, and spent over 5 weeks painting 7 life size portraits of one player in different football kits. Emma’s work has been exhibited in Gallery 31 during Cannes Film Festival, at Boomer Gallery in London Bridge, as well as her own solo exhibition at Deptford Does Art. Her popularity rise on social media, potentially a byproduct of the pandemic, reflects her international reach; having sold paintings to over 20 countries worldwide. Her most recent collection, ‘Lenscapes’, reveals life at its best, through Emma’s eyes, while inviting the viewer to enjoy it in a way that’s true to them. Each piece reveals a woman reflecting on sun-drenched landscapes, full of adventurous spirit, desired dreams and youthful longing. This new series retains her liberal use of texture, vibrancy and layering techniques; creating tactile and evocative portraits. Emma strives to squeeze the most out of her time, maintaining a zest for life that is clear in her eclectic set of interests/hobbies outside of the studio.