Emma’s Paintings Take the Spotlight at Her First Show
For Emma, art is more than paint on canvas. It is a way to process grief, release emotion, and share a deeply personal part of herself with the world.
“I lost both of my mom’s grandparents within nine months of each other,” Emma shared. “It was really hard on my life, and I wanted to get the anger out of my system. I decided to put my anger and thoughts into art.”
What began as an emotional outlet has grown into a passionate creative practice. Emma has been painting for several years and estimates she has completed more than 1,000 pieces. Her work is primarily acrylic, though she has recently started experimenting with watercolor. She describes her process as intuitive and expressive. “I just paint whatever comes to my mind,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun to get out whatever’s going on in my head.”
Emma’s artwork ranges widely in size and scope, from smaller pieces that take about a week to complete to large-scale paintings that can take several weeks. One of her largest works stands over six feet tall. “It’s one of my favorite ones,” she said. “I don’t really know the name of it, but it has faces in it, a man and a woman, shrouded in color.”
Art runs deep in Emma’s family. Her grandmother was an artist, and Emma credits her as a major inspiration. “I got my art side from my grandmother,” she shared. “It runs in the family. It runs in the blood.”
Much of Emma’s work is created in her home studio, where she has the space to fully immerse herself in the creative process. “I have a little art studio downstairs where I have more room to do art,” she said. “That’s made a huge difference.”
Animals are another strong source of inspiration for Emma. She has created painted portraits of dogs and cats, including one of her favorite fur babies, a Rottweiler who recently passed away. “I connect really well with animals,” she explained. “I’ve been raised around big dogs my entire life.” While she admits that capturing eyes and noses can be challenging, she continues to practice and refine her skills.
In addition to painting, Emma has a deep passion for nature photography, another way she connects with the world around her. She has been drawn to photography since her teenage years, capturing images of animals and natural spaces that reflect her love of the outdoors. While she primarily uses her phone camera, she also treasures older cameras passed down from her grandparents. For Emma, photography is both an artistic outlet and a meaningful connection to family and memory. Like her painting, it offers a quiet way to observe, reflect, and tell stories through visual detail.
This spring marks a major milestone for Emma. On May 16, she will share her work publicly for the first time at Hopkins’ Mainstreet Day Arts & Craft Fair. As she prepares for the event, she is thoughtfully deciding which pieces to bring. “I have too many paintings,” she said with a laugh. “I want to show older ones and newer ones, but I don’t want to overthink it.”
Participating in the fair represents something Emma has dreamed about for a long time. “It’s the biggest part of my life that I’ve wanted to show to the world for the longest time,” she said. “My family knows I’m very addicted to it.”
Looking ahead, Emma hopes to turn her creativity into a full-time business, allowing her to work on her own schedule and continue creating in ways that suit her best. “That’s my goal,” she said. “I really want to do my own business so I can do it from home or in person.”
Through color, texture, and emotion, Emma’s artwork tells a story of resilience, healing, and passion. As she begins to share her work more widely, her first art show in Hopkins is just the beginning.