Emma has always had one foot in the art world: her first job
was painting signs and large-scale caricatures before moving into the theatre
world as a scenic artist and hand drawing interior elevations for a kitchen
company!
Emma commented, “I loved the variety of work, but
a lot of theatre work sent me up and down the country which I couldn’t do with
a young family, so I had to adapt my approaches.” A chance encounter with
Creative ENRG’s Gill Hobson whilst doing a mural piece for Goodwin Development
Trust led to a fruitful and supportive engagement with the project.
“It was just at the right time, I can’t tell you how
important that was … the children had gone to school, and I was trying to find
a way to get back into the work I do, while still being there for my family.”
CENRG helped Emma reconnect with the art community, which
she’d been detached from for quite a few years and before she knew it, she was
exhibiting at Queen’s House Showcase bringing her a huge confidence boost. “I
felt supported to really grab that opportunity - I wanted to be there, and to
experience it and learn from it like all my other jobs and get as much out of
it as possible. The freedom & support to absorb all of the energy from the
experience has transferred into other projects I’ve gone into.”
Renewed confidence, energy & connections helped her
communicate with the broader arts world and she now makes her living as a full
time artist – creating works to commission, exhibiting studio works and working
with schools, theatres and community groups. Reflecting on her experience with
Creative ENRG she noted, “We’re all in our little bubbles - we all love our
little bubbles! - and when I was having the family, I sort of got into a cocoon
which I had to change to reconnect with my work and get back out there – I
thought, ‘ So how on earth do I change things?’ - that’s the part
Creative ENRG really helped me with!”
Artist Website: www.emmagarness.co.uk
For more information about Creative ENRG visit our website
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