How has Tuesday come around so fast. We hope you are having a good week!
We chatted to Emma Christopherson about her delicate and detailed oil paintings. She is super talented!
We first met Emma last year during London Design Week at Eccleston Yards in Victoria. It was a pleasure to spend a few days with her and discover her beautiful work. Not only is she a very talented painter, she is also involved in a few interesting side projects. She is going to be launching Artfulness Box soon, which offers mindful art boxes to help people paint with loved ones who have dementia.
What do you hope to achieve with your work?
I want my paintings to make people smile. I want them to be reminded of happy times and lovely places. I want my paintings to be fun too - little elements escape out of the painted frame: a cloud drifting in the breeze, or a wave crashing out over the boundary.
When did your business first start and what made you do it?
I started my art business after I graduated from uni because I wanted to do something that would make me happy everyday. I was inspired by the wonderful women in my family who had gone their own way and ran a successful creative business together.
How do you create your work from start to finish?
Bizarrely, I actually start with the frame (usually a quirky vintage gold one) and I use the proportions of this to paint a watercolour box which will contain the oil painting. I then work with oils, and finish off by choosing (and dithering over) an element of the painting to escape from the box and spill out onto the border.
Tell us a little more about Artfulness Box.
Artfulness Box is a project I’m currently working on launching to help people to paint with their friends or relatives living with dementia. The idea came from painting with my Grannie and seeing how much happiness and pride it bought her. I want to make this experience accessible to other people, even if they’re not arty themselves.
Which digital platforms and programs have helped shape your business?
Instagram has been so important for marketing my business, and this is where most of my sales come from. I don’t use many other digital programmes, I’m a big fan of a good old hand-written to-do list.
You teach painting. How can someone visit one of your classes?
I teach painting and Prosecco classes with a company called Brush and Bubbles - it’s the loveliest and most relaxed way for anyone to have a go at painting, even if you’ve not picked up a paintbrush in years. Tickets are available via the Brush and Bubbles website.
Do you have any advice for those looking to start their own business?
Choose something you love or find an idea you’re passionate about. Take little steps towards turning that thing into something bigger or more businessey, rather than thinking you have to do everything at once. It’s a lot less scary that way and you’ll feel more in control.
Is there anything exciting that you are working on or working towards? I’m working on launching a collection of prints at the moment, to make my work more accessible to people with different budgets. I’m also working on a collaboration with a lovely illustrator / graphic designer which is exciting!
Emma has kindly offered readers 10% off her original paintings, just use the code HELLOLMM on her website until the end of July.