I arrived fairly early at the 10th October opening of this exhibition of paintings in various media by Emma Underwood and found Tea Amantes on Albert Road already lively with a cheerful group of people. This was perhaps the best attended event at this venue I have seen and that was well justified by the work on display, an excellent selection of artwork.
In this case I have to declare a little jealousy as watercolour is my own favoured medium, when I have the time. These works are far and away above anything I will ever manage with my little daubs. A nature and wildlife lover, Emma represents this in her art. Exhibiting great versatility, as well as watercolour, she also uses oils and acrylics. Frequently commissioned, Emma has produced pieces for documentaries, corporate publications and multiple other events and publications.
Though nature and wildlife was to the fore in this exhibition of paintings, particularly the large fox and stag paintings that Emma stands in front of here, the mix of images was eclectic. I was particularly impressed by the small portrait below and the Blackpool skyline with lightning to the left.
Wearing her striking Klimt ‘The Kiss’ dress, Emma said:
My favourite part is the eyes, when painting portraits of people or animals, because when you get the eyes right the painting really begins to come alive! They show so much of the character and personality! Thank you to all who came out to see my exhibition so far, it’s been a fantastic opening evening! If you haven’t had chance to get there yet, it’s open for anyone to view until the 7th November in Tea Amantes.
Emma’s technique is excellent with strong and sometimes quirky composition, including the three geese which I also liked a lot. Colour is vibrant, particularly for watercolour, but never garish, which frankly is something I can never get right. Visitors were lapping up these works.
Emma has now started a series of works based on bringing pictures from zold family albums back to life and perhaps we’ll see some results of this soon.
Thanks once more to the Tea Amantes team for hosting this event. It was Janey’s birthday and there she was keeping us all stocked with snacks. Those tempting cakes are no good for my waistline, but that bit too irresistible.
This excellent show can be viewed until 7th November. And of course snacks and tea are always available.
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