ABOUT

Emma James is an artist and designer living in Austin, Texas.

Growing up in Santa Barbara, CA, James was encouraged to pursue her love of art from a very early age by her father, a professional artist, and mother, an intrinsically creative healer.

James received a BFA from Parsons the New School for Design and has been working as a designer for the past decade. She is co-owner at Antiquaria, a high end stationery company and design studio. Through her work with Antiquaria, she was able to step away from the computer screen and re-connect with painting and drawing to create the artwork for their line of greeting cards and gift items.

Recently, Emma felt the urge to dig deeper and find creative expression with a more permanent presence than the momentary life of a greeting card. Her curiosity led to taking a class on the traditional Turkish paper marbling art, Ebru. She was fascinated with this free flowing art and loved that every time she dropped pigment into the water something totally unique would happen.

James had not painted in a fine art capacity in almost 15 years, and with the block being not "how" to paint, but "what" to paint. The art of Ebru has given her the inspiration for the "what", and painting has become the cathartic expression for which she was searching.

Her work can be found for sale at Antiquaria.

James is available for commissions.