Emma tells us about herself with a simple Q&A
Q1 Who is Emma?
I am a mixed media artist who uses the natural world as my main point of inspiration. My studio is based in London and I sell my work through exhibitions and galleries as well as increasingly through social media.
Q2 where do you get your inspiration?
My inspiration comes from a number of sources. Having grown up in Northern Ireland during the 1970's, I often (although not always) try and absorb my experiences, cultural influences and memories within my work, to quote Seamus Heaney I am often "digging deep to find the hidden artist within: introspective spadework".This is combined with inspiration gathered from trips to the far corners of the world where I have experienced new countries, cultures and artistic techniques and materials. Each painting nudges me closer to understanding the 'essence' of who I am and what makes my work unique.
Q3 Did you have any training?
I have always painted, and my father was originally a draughtsman so as a child I was always making art. He worked alongside a number of well-Known Artists, and so I would go to where dad worked on the weekends sometimes and draw alongside the other artists in the studio. I studied art at school and did a number of courses in ceramics and printmaking going on to complete a foundation course at the university of Ulster where I specialised in photography and printmaking. I then went on to complete a degree in fashion design and textiles at University in England. I have also attended many courses during my career including Japanese printmaking, Chinese watercolour, screen-printing and abstract painting. In the last four years I have been receiving specialist tutoring from a fabulous artist in London called Kevin Chapman. Kevin has worked hard to teach me many formal techniques and then encourages me to go off and explore these with my own interpretation. My work has blossomed under his watchful eye.
Q4 How would you describe your art?
My artwork aims to transport the viewer into a realm of 'feeling', through my artistic interpretations and explorations of places beyond the visible world. The work is often very 'painterly' in its look with layer upon layer of colour washes to build up that inner emotion. Buyers often comment that they find my work very soothing or relaxing to look at, and that every time they look at an artwork they see something new emerge from within.
Q5 What artists inspire you?
Since being more professional as a painter, I now have an increased respect for painters and artists in general. For the big names I am inspired by, I particularly like the work of Cai Guo-Qiang, a chinese painter best known for his amazing gunpowder paintings. I love some of Paul Klee's floral paintings for their colour confidence and German abstract artist Christian Hetzel's large artworks. For British painters I love the work of Chris Bushe and emerging artist Claire Wiltsher, and for Irish artists I love the work of Brian Ballard, and Neil Shawcross.
Q6 What does Sentiment mean to you?
Obviously there is the more literal interpretation that is a viewpoint or attitude, but for me it's very much an emotional thing. It's how I feel about people and places past and present I guess.
To see more of Emma's work visit www.emmatweedie.art
Emma's Sentiment
'Rowallane'
This beautiful painting is from Emma's Abstract collection. We have taken a hi-res image printed on canvas and divided the collaborative piece into 1000 pieces allowing friends, family and fellow art lovers to connect to the artist and each other through this unique medium.
Each piece is mounted on a 24 carat gold leaf base with a thread of gold running through each piece to connect each piece together and to this artist and in turn all the artists in this Sentiment collection.
Framed in a black wooden box frame signed and numbered and ready to be shared and collected.
To own a piece of Emma's Sentiment follow the link below and start collecting and connecting.
A human connection through the medium of art.
Emma's Gallery
FIVE FINGER STRAND
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FRAME: 92 x 88cm Limestone washed wooden frame with off white backing mount and 10cm deep mount.
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MEDIUM: MIXED MEDIA
Signed original Artwork on Irish Linen, 500gsm Fabriano paper using claypaint, acrylic inks, concentrated watercolour, Indian ink, watercolour, oil pastel, pencil, gesso, watercolour ground medium, acrylic spray paint
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BACKGROUND ON ARTWORK AND PROCESS:
Part of a series of work titled Land’e’Scapes, this is a semi-autobiographical piece of work which explores modern day themes such as cultural conflict with that of mythological landscapes. Upon closer inspection stores have been concealed between layers of mixed media. Five Finger Strand is a beautiful beach nestled between impressive 30 metre high dunes (some of the highest in Europe) and is located in the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal and within an area known as ’The Wild Atlantic’ way. The landscapes of Northern and Southern Ireland are spectacular and many stories exist about these locations including ones about Norsemen, ancient kings of Ireland and special magical stones. These landscapes were places that as an artist Emma has visited escaping the modern day conflicts that also exist there. In one quote doing back to the 1970’s, Nelson Mandela noted that the violence in Northern Ireland was worse than that experienced during the apartheid regime. These kind of hard hitting statements highlight the huge contrast between the city and the vast areas of stunning seascapes and landscapes.
Processes used include hand dyed paper and linen, overworked with additional textures and mediums including sand and netting, then building up layers of colour through pigment washes and scraping back to reveal substrates where required. The process is painstaking, and each artwork in this series can take up to 40 hours in making time.
