Emma Hunt grew up in a single parent family in industrial West Cumbria. She knew she had a talent for art but also that for a working class teenager in Whitehaven there was no living to be made from it. She trained as a radio-chemist at Sellafield and later moved into accounts. Following her diagnosis with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which is a degenerative condition affecting the collagen in her body, she returned to painting as a way of pain and mental health management. She discovered there was quite an interest in her predominantly pastel Cumbrian landscapes and developed a large social media following. Commercial commissions followed rapidly.
During the COVID lockdown she began delivering online workshops for Women Out West, a West Cumbrian charity who provide support for women who have suffered or are suffering domestic abuse and also with women in the criminal justice system. She then began streaming her classes on Facebook allowing the general population to join in.
Emma’s joyfulness and passion is tangible within her work. She captures the beautiful landscapes and seascapes of the Lakes and West Cumbria but also embues them with an emotional authenticity that is unmistakably her. There is no pretence or pretention with Emma or with her art – what you see is what you get. She has also returned to her love of writing poetry and creating music to compliment her visual work.
In recent months, and whilst continuing to paint, licence her art and teach, she has also been busy curating exhibitions for venues in Maryport and Whitehaven, with plans for more, offering opportunities for new and emerging artists to develop their practices and create an income from them in West Cumbria.
When I first discovered Bob Ross, I was immediately captivated - not just by his gentle voice and soothing presence, but by the way he made art feel accessible to everyone.
When I first picked up a pastel after years of aggressive pain medications, I quickly realised that all I really needed was my faculties back and a beautiful distraction.
Along with running my art business, I have been busy volunteering and visiting schools to promote the peaceful practice of pastel art for our primary school students.
