A few weeks ago I opened the doors to my very first solo exhibition, Soul of the Sea.
Even writing those words still feels a little surreal.
Just over a year ago I picked up a paintbrush as a way to heal. I never imagined that 15 months later I'd be standing in a gallery, watching complete strangers stop in front of my paintings, sharing their own stories, connecting with my work, and in many cases taking a piece of it home.
I honestly didn't know what to expect.
Would anyone come? Would people understand my work? Would they connect with it in the same way I do when I'm painting?
The answer was more than I could ever have hoped for.
The greatest gift wasn't the paintings that sold. It was the conversations. Hearing someone tell me that a painting made them emotional. That it reminded them of home. That it made them feel calm. That they could almost hear the waves.
That's exactly why I paint.
Why the Sea?
The sea has always been my place.
It's where I think, where I heal, where I find perspective and where I feel most alive. Living on the North Coast, I'm incredibly lucky to be surrounded by some of the most beautiful coastline in the world, and every walk, every swim and every changing tide leaves its mark on me.
I don't paint photographs of the ocean.
I paint its energy. Its movement. Its power. Its stillness.
I want every painting to capture a feeling rather than just a view. Sometimes that's the calm after a storm. Sometimes it's the excitement of standing on the shoreline as a wave crashes in. Sometimes it's simply that deep breath you take when you first smell the sea air.
If someone stands in front of one of my paintings and feels something, then I've achieved exactly what I hoped for.
Permission to Shine
There was one painting that became the heart of the exhibition.
Permission to Shine.
It was the painting that people stopped in front of. The one they asked about. The one so many people wanted to buy.
But it was never for sale.
Permission to Shine was painted in memory of my beautiful sister, Bernadette.
Bernadette had an incredible gift for helping people see the best in themselves. She encouraged others to be brave, to dream bigger, and to step into who they truly were. She gave people permission to shine long before they realised they needed it.
Creating this painting was deeply emotional. A small part of Bernadette's ashes is incorporated into the artwork, making it not only a tribute to her life but something that carries her spirit in a very real way.
The painting has always had a home waiting for it.
Permission to Shine will soon travel to Scotland to be with Bernadette's family, where it will hang overlooking the sea in North Berwick. I can't think of a more fitting place.
Seeing how many people connected with the painting throughout the exhibition confirmed something I'd been feeling for a while. Bernadette's message still has so much more to say, and it has inspired a new body of work that I'm excited to begin creating over the coming months.
Thank You
There are so many people who helped make Soul of the Sea possible.
To my children, Hale and Oskar, thank you for believing in me, cheering me on and reminding me that it's never too late to chase something that sets your soul on fire.
To Tanya at Arcadia, thank you for believing in me enough to hand me the keys to such an incredible space. Your encouragement gave me the confidence to take this leap.
To my sister Claire and her amazing kids, thank you for throwing yourselves into "the marketing department", sharing posts, spreading the word and encouraging me every step of the way.
To my wider family and my wonderful friends, thank you for every message, every share, every visit, every coffee, every pep talk and every gentle push outside my comfort zone. You probably don't realise just how much those little moments meant.
And finally, thank you to everyone who walked through the gallery doors.
Whether you bought a painting, shared a conversation, left kind words, or simply spent a few quiet moments with my work, you've become part of this journey.
I'll never forget it.
What's Next?
Although Soul of the Sea has come to an end, this feels very much like the beginning.
There are still a small number of original paintings from the exhibition looking for their forever homes, and I'd love you to take a look if something has caught your eye.
I'm already back in the studio working on commissions and developing a brand new collection for Autumn. It's a series that feels incredibly close to my heart, and I can't wait to share more about it over the coming months.
Thank you for being here.
This really is just the beginning.
Best wishes,
Emma x
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