About

Em Whiteford is an artist and maker based in Cumbria/Scotland whose work is deeply inspired by wild coastlines, uplands and the tempestuous skies of the North.

Having grown up exploring the mountains of my home county and the impressive coastlines in my childhood, nature has always played a major role in my life. Now, it’s my playground, place of rest and ever my source of inspiration. Turning to the outdoors has always been a way for me to process emotions and challenging life events.

Since completing my degree in illustration, I’ve been painting ever since. I work predominantly in oil paint, and attempt to capture a visceral response to the power, movement and profound emotional response I have experienced being immersed in the nature of Northern landscapes.

Through my work I hope to spark an emotional response, and delve deeper through the surface in an attempt to capture the essence of what a landscape truly holds.
In my practise as an artist, I seek to emulate the feelings you experience whilst being immersed within this nature, blurring the lines between the self and the surrounding landscape, in a place where a deeper connection to the natural world emerges.

I create pieces on both wood panel, canvas and paper where whatever material I’m working on becomes a place of release, exploration and curiosity. I use expressive gestures, diversity of texture and a palette filled with the organic hues of the environments I immerse myself in. Each colour, brush stroke and mark made carrying the power, movement and emotional weight of the landscapes they represent in the paint.

The abstract elements which tangle throughout my work allow me to delve a little further beyond a literal depiction, creating a deeper sensory dimension to every piece. Like a woven tapestry, there is a delicate intricacy and bonding between what is seen and what is felt. In this light, I hope for viewers to engage with the emotions that this sort of nature conjures up. I hope it evokes a sense of connection within people which ignites a need to protect these landscapes which are so vital.

My work is a dedication to the landscapes which have shaped the foundations of my life as an artist. It is a love letter to the environments which resonate pure power and awe, whilst offering us all a place of deep healing and reflection.