About Emma Grace

I would like to take the time to share my background about who I am, and the path I have journeyed to get to where I am now.

 

My experiences have shaped me, as I am sure yours have for you. Ultimately, it's how we respond to those experiences that paves the way forward, as they can control us, put fear in us, or bring us down. We must remember that at any time we can take a deep breath and decide to take control of our lives. A decision that is never easy, but I have been told that life was never meant to be easy, no matter how much I wished for (what I like to call) fluffiness. By embracing these challenges, we truly begin to grow. I will never forget my past, for it has shaped me. The key, I have learned, is to leave those challenging experiences as a memory... the good and the bad. I would not change my past, for if I did, I would not be who I am today.

 

My Life’s Journey began at birth, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It continued to Ireland, where I spent most of my childhood, in the small town of Ballina, Co. Mayo, situated along the Wild Atlantic Way. Though I felt connected to the energy of the land, I had difficulty identifying myself with those around me, and really did not feel like a belonged. I went through my own ups and downs as a child, which is a story for another time (and perhaps a pot of coffee or two). Just before my thirteenth birthday, I realised with acute clarity, that I was not in the right place for me and that the life I wanted was somewhere else.

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​My self realisation may have shocked some, but was understood by those who matter most in helping to guide the next phase of my Life’s Journey. I then spent my teenage years at boarding school in America. First in Arizona and then in Vermont. Though I have always been artistically passionate, with my earliest painting framed on the wall in my family home, dating back to when I was four, it was during my years of schooling in Vermont that I was able to further open the doors of possibilities for myself in the art world. My path then led me to London, England to further my artistic studies, and though I still had support and guidance, more and more the decisions of my Life's Journey were mine to make... the good and the bad.

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​I arrived in London in the autumn of 2014, where I attended The University of the Arts London: London College of Fashion, studying International: Introduction to the Study of Fashion for my foundation year. I was so determined, I hadn't even applied to any other university program. This was an amazing year. I discovered myself and the depth of my potential as an artist. I learned that not everything exists between black and white lines, in art it's about breaking those boundaries and blending the colours while challenging yourself, as well as your audience; allowing yourself to express and break free from whatever you want to escape or understand within your life. This is how I have I have felt and which fuels my artistic drive.

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If you're still reading this, thank you for taking an interest, and the time....

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In the Spring of 2015, my Life’s Journey, and the path I was on, seemed to have hit a roadblock. I had become ill, and instead of improving, I slowly kept deteriorating. It was truly a struggle, during a time when I had been focusing on creating a life for myself, instead I was in and out of hospital, for several weeks at a time. Doctors did not know what was wrong or how to help, The discovery of one problem would lead to more questions instead of answers. The depths of my physical problems were seeming endless and my emotional state was beginning to tremble.

 

Meanwhile, I was accepted to London College of Fashion, in the BA (hons) Fashion Pattern Cutting program. After starting Term 1, it quickly became evident that the constant struggle of my health did not mix with my desire to excel in my studies. This was a very difficult and emotional time for me, as I realised that my only option was to formally take a Time Out from my studies, to focus on my health. It then took over a year for my condition to be diagnosed, followed by another year for me to go through a series of surgeries and physiotherapy. I kept trying to resume my studies but I just wasn’t physically able to. This roadblock had a huge impact on my emotional wellbeing.

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I am very grateful to everyone who was by my side while going through all this, as well as the ones who tried to have an understanding, so I didn’t feel so very alone, as I traversed this rough path of my Life's Journey. But, to be honest, the depths of how alone a felt is indescribable. I just felt so very alone. No one else can quite understand what you are going through, no matter how they may try. All I could ask of others is for some understanding and patience, perhaps (at times) not as well as I thought I had. Ultimately, I realised through all the surgeries and support I did have, my living environment wasn’t conducive for me to heal, much less thrive. I needed to dig deep. I needed to be true to my own Self, so that my body could get in balance. I needed to be me, to get back to growing my artistic passion, so that I could get back to creating the kind of life that drove my dreams. 

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This is where I stepped onto the path of exploring honest abstract impressionist art, it was the summer of 2017. I needed a creative space to express and understand better how I felt about what I was going through. Some days it made me feel better, others it made me realise what I thought made me happy, actually didn’t. These realisations were hard to come to terms with. At this junction I decided beauty needed to come from ugly. Somethings can feel dark, and that’s ok. When the darkness did come I tried to dig deep and try to see what aspects could enrich me from this side of the vail. By doing this, the discovery would help to lift the vail and let in the light. It’s ok to evoke pain as long as you don't allow it to consume you. I would try to project mine, by creating a piece of art. I would paint what I felt. I allowed the material to speak to me, using mixed media.

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While on this rocky, windy path that seemed to progress nowhere, no matter how hard I tried... my health was finally starting to gain clarity and a medical plan was in the process of being made. But then after I had thought I had hit bottom and was finally going in a positive direction, the rug was pulled out from underneath me, causing my mental health to spiral and my medical plan seemed to disappear. January 2022 is when I found myself on a path that only pointed toward home. Not the home I left in Co. Mayo, but to our new family home, further north up the Wild Atlantic Way in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

 

My emotional journey which has brought me back to my home country has been extraordinary, with many highs and lows. The process of settling in, has been surprising, since the decision to return seemed beyond my control. But, once the dust started to settle, the realisation of the importance that my path has taken has started become clearer. Not only have I come home, but I have rediscovered who I am, and how I want to move forward.

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For me, my artwork relates to my own personal and emotional experiences during my Life’s Journey. The beauty of abstract art is how it is designed to be subjective. This means that each person, who views my work, yourself included, is able to personalise their own interpretation, through their personal understanding and experiences. I hope that my honest expression of myself, through the medium of mixed media abstract art, is of value to you and helps challenge or enlighten you in ways you hadn't been expecting.

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Remember, we all go through a time in each of our life journeys when we feel alone, misunderstood, stuck, feared, disgusted, angry, overwhelmed, unwell and more. Many people may not find a way to express their inner emotions. For these people, my hope is that the expression of my journey can help you and others to relate and gain insight into your own journey.

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It is with this intention that I try to impart the seeds of growth​....

you are not alone, as I am not.

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