There’s something quite special about watching people see your paintings for the first time. The little pause, the closer look, the questions about the colours and textures, and those lovely moments when someone connects with a piece in a way you hadn't expected.
Last weekend, I got to experience a lot of that at my very first pop-up shop, at The Courthouse in Bushmills, as part of the Salmon & Whiskey (The Giant’s Table) Festival.
And honestly? I loved every minute of it.
Taking my art out into the world
My paintings spend most of their time in my studio or hanging around my own home. Which is lovely, of course, but it does mean that unless someone visits me, they don't really get the chance to see the paintings in person.
And original art is something I think you need to experience up close.
You can see the colours in a photograph, but it's much harder to capture the layers, the movement and the textures that bring a painting to life. You can't quite appreciate how the light catches the gold or how the surface changes as you move around it.
So, having the opportunity to set up a little space at The Courthouse, surrounded by other creatives and with new people coming through the door, felt like a big step for me.
The Courthouse's Creative Studios provide a space for artists and makers to share their work, connect with people and bring creativity into the heart of Bushmills. It was the perfect setting for my first pop-up.
What I hadn't fully appreciated beforehand was just how much I'd enjoy the conversations.
People stopped to look, asked about my work and shared their thoughts. I loved hearing what drew them to particular paintings, and seeing their reactions to the vibrant colours I naturally gravitate towards and the textures I use to give my seascapes depth and energy.
There were some wonderful conversations with people who might one day become collectors, and just as importantly, I had the chance to meet and connect with other creatives, which I found so inspiring.
Working from home can be a solitary business, especially as an artist. You spend hours immersed in your own thoughts, experimenting, creating and sometimes wondering whether what you're doing will ever resonate with anyone else.
To step outside of that bubble and share what I do with others was the reminder I needed of why I started this journey in the first place.
A year ago, I couldn't have imagined this
This journey didn't start with a plan to become an artist. Far from it.
Painting found its way back into my life at a time when I was navigating some pretty significant changes. Losing my sister Bernadette was a huge part of that, alongside the challenges that come with reaching midlife and finding yourself questioning what comes next, who you are and what you really want from life.
For a long time, I think I'd been so busy being all the things everyone else needed me to be that I'd lost a little bit of myself along the way.
So on my 52nd birthday I gifted myself some acrylic paints and a set of paintbrushed and I started painting again.
The ocean had always been somewhere I could find a bit of peace. I love the power of it, the movement, the colours and the way it can make you feel completely insignificant one minute and somehow more connected to everything the next.
Painting and sea swimming became my outlet. My therapy, really. Both offered the chance to switch off from everything else, work through my emotions, so it was only natural when I put paint to canvas the ocean kept showing up. I would lose myself in colour, texture and movement, just like when I'm floating in the sea. At first I wasn't thinking about selling anything or whether anyone else would like what I was creating. I was simply painting because it made me feel good.
Then something unexpected happened.
Friends started asking me to paint for them. Those first commissions gave me a little nudge, and with each one, I grew a bit more confident. People were responding to my work, connecting with it and wanting to have a piece of it in their own homes.
I began to think, this was something I could actually do.
It sounds like such a simple thing, but deciding to call myself an artist was a big step. It meant giving myself permission to take what I was doing seriously, to put my work out into the world and to see where it might lead.
I even created a collection called Permission to Shine, which feels rather fitting when I think about the journey I've been on. Giving yourself permission to take up space, to be seen, to try something new and to believe that it's not too late to start another chapter.
My paintings have become so much more than something I do in my spare time. They've helped me through difficult moments, given me a way to express things I can't always put into words, and opened doors I never expected to walk through.
And for the first time in years, I genuinely feel as though I've found my purpose.
I know that might sound a little clichéd, but it's how I feel. I'm not saying I've suddenly got everything figured out. Far from it! But there's something incredibly rewarding about finding something that feels so completely you.
Something that gives you a reason to get up in the morning excited about what you're creating next.
And that's what painting has given me.
So, what's next?
As if the weekend hadn't given me enough to smile about, it also led to something rather exciting.
The Designerie has taken seven of my original paintings to display and sell in their shop!
This is a first for me, and I'm genuinely so excited to have my work available to see in person in a shop setting.
One of the biggest challenges as an artist working from home is getting your work in front of people. You can share photographs online, post reels and talk about your paintings, but there's nothing quite like seeing an original piece in the flesh.
AND that is just the start as I'm already planning a second pop-up event.
I'll be back at The Courthouse Creative Studios over the Halloween weekend at the end of October, and I'd absolutely love you to come along.
If you've been following my work online but haven't seen the paintings in person yet, this is your chance to get up close, see the textures and colours for yourself, have a chat and tell me which pieces catch your eye.
If you're already an art lover, or simply curious about buying original art, come and have a look around. There's something lovely about discovering a painting that speaks to you when you least expect it.
You might even find the piece that feels like it was made for your home.
As for what comes after that? Who knows. Maybe I'll find myself spending more time at The Courthouse, perhaps even as a resident creative one day. It's certainly a thought that's crossed my mind!
For now, I'm taking each opportunity as it comes, enjoying the experience and seeing where this journey takes me.
A year ago, I couldn't have imagined any of this. Today, I'm looking at what's possible, and that's a pretty wonderful feeling.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by, chatted with me, showed an interest in my work or encouraged me along the way. Every conversation and connection makes a difference, and I'm so grateful to be able to share this journey with you.
I hope to see some of you back in Bushmills at the end of October!
Emma x
0 comments