Arktisk

Between 20 November and 1 December, painter Emily Powell will open the doors to her studio in the heart of Dartmoor and invite visitors to immerse themselves in an uplifting new series of artworks inspired by her travels in the Norwegian Arctic.

Twenty artworks were created en plein air when Emily and her studio team undertook their Arctic painting expedition in March 2024. Emily has also created a second body of over 100 works fitted within a bespoke installation of canvases fitted to the structure of the barn’s walls. All of these works are available for sale. Entitled Arktisk (Norwegian for Arctic) this body of paintings is intended to deliver a glowing beacon of warmth to offset the chill of the darkest season and to flood the body and mind with colour and light. Through the panorama of panelled canvases, Emily will visually describe the protective and generous embrace she felt from the Arctic mountains.

On the inspiration she took from her Norwegian expedition, Emily comments:

The Norwegian Arctic had such a gentle feel. The people were so kind, warm and generous. Time slowed. The wooden houses were multi coloured, spotted all over the landscape. Most houses we went past had huge woven hearts on their doors and they were lit up so beautifully. It was such an inviting magical scene; an antidote for anyone who isn’t sure about the dark nights. The colours I’ve used to describe the cold terrain are all bright pastels with warmth as the main undertone, and not a grey in sight. I only packed a tiny tube of white paint, which made me use peaches and pinks and intense blues in its place. Luckily, I had yellow, and could make many tones of yellow for the houses and the light. I don’t usually use much blue as it feels cold and a bit painful, but the Arctic taught me how to use blue in a new way, putting neon yellow behind it to warm its tone.

Emily’s desire to create positive, colourful, and uplifting work comes from personal loss. She says:

I lost my dad when I was 7 in early October 1997, and all these years later, my body remembers the impact of that time and I find looking after myself through the autumn months is so important to my wellbeing to this day. One of the ways I nurture myself is colour. My mind links emotion and colour so strongly. Grey is sadness. Once grey arrives it's hard to see beyond it but with yellows, pinks, and turquoises I can keep it contained. In my practice I have discovered it’s not just me that connects so viscerally with colour. When they see my work, people often cry. Not sad tears, but the tears of a person who has been seen, heard, and held through my art.

Works available include 20 en plein air paintings created by Emily in the Arctic and 100 canvases inspired by the expedition and realised within the bespoke panorama of works in the barn.

Only visitors attending the exhibition will have access to the entire range of works for sale. Ten works per day will be released online throughout the duration of the exhibition (20 November- 1 December).

Visit the Eventbrite page for further information, or get in touch with us on WhatsApp here.