Daily Inspiration: Meet Emma Curtis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Curtis

Hi Emma, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a representational fine artist from Washington state. I grew up loving to draw and paint and make things with my hands, and was always encouraged to do so. I didn’t receive formal training though until college, where I decided to pursue a degree in fine arts at Hillsdale College. While I did receive some technical training there, it wasn’t the immersive art education I was looking for. During my senior year of college I was introduced to the concept of atelier training–a form of art education based on a more traditional apprenticeship approach. I knew this was the kind of education I was lacking, and after graduating in 2012, I began the three-year intensive program at Georgetown Atelier in Seattle, studying classical drawing and oil painting with the renowned educator and painter, Tenaya Sims. After completing this program, I worked at Georgetown Atelier for two years as the Administrator/Development Director. During this time, I continued to be mentored by Tenaya while working towards developing my voice as an artist.

Another great passion of mine is travel, and in 2017 I left Seattle to travel to Asia. What was initially planned to be a six-month backpacking trip, turned into mainly living abroad for seven years. I was primarily based in India and Lebanon, while also traveling to many other parts of the world. I continued to make art during this time, but it was less of a focus. Last year, I returned to the US to refocus on my career in the arts. I am now settled in Raleigh, painting out of my home studio and working at East Oaks Studio, a fine art and production studio in Cary.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road, and I have taken many detours along the way! A big struggle has been finding the balance between my many interests and passions, which necessarily means choosing a certain focus over others. For the last several years this has looked like choosing to live abroad and travel over focusing on my art. But I don’t regret it at all! The time I have spent living abroad has greatly expanded my mind and has informed my art in many ways. At the same time, it does mean that I am not as advanced in my art career as I would like to be. And of course, a career in the arts comes with many challenges of its own–from finding a path forward that is sustainable financially, to navigating the disappointment of rejection from show or grant submissions, to managing all the roles that come along with being self-employed.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My focus is in classical drawing and oil painting. I have a broad range of subject matter–landscape, still-life, portraiture, and figurative. My main passion, however, is figure painting, particularly painting women within a landscape or environment. I want my paintings to tell a story, one that can be interpreted differently by each viewer as they bring their own unique experience and perspective. My time spent living among different cultures and with people from all over the world has given me an extra depth of empathy and understanding, and I want to bring this into my art.
On a more practical level, I believe my organizational skills set me apart, and have opened up wonderful opportunities to work with many exceptional artists and in different capacities within the arts.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Being relatively new to the Raleigh area, I am looking to build connections here. I am always interested in opportunities to show my work, and of course, the biggest support as an artist is building connections with collectors!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emmaferncurtis.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmaferncurtis/