Emily Eldridge’s textural landscapes of the southwest have been showcased in Australian Galleries over the past 5 years. Her ethereal forests are painted in the heart of the Wooditjup Forest, and are influenced by a childhood on the land. “It’s a dance between magical moments with land, my energy and the canvas.” While trees are her specialty, moody oceans, abstract waterfalls and caves are explored in this years body of work.
Emily is inspired by the hectare of gorgeous trees on her property on Illawarra Avenue, and the magnificent trees of Boranup Forest. The process of creating her trees begins with walking meditation, connecting with the land, and carrying that energy into her pieces. She experiments with make marking, texture, shape and colour inspired by the region’s natural palette of umber, golds, rich greens and southern ocean blues. The presence of gold and bronze hues in her marri and karri trees capture the magic of these forests at different times of day and throw light off her layered canvases.
Central to Emily’s practice is the idea that energy flows and changes constantly; if life throws you lemons- you have the capability to turn it, change it and build it into something beautiful. This thought process is integral as she layers her paint, inks and sprays in a state of meditative flow and movement. The process can last for up to 12 hours, as she becomes hyper focussed during these painting sessions; painting bare footed to the tunes of artists like The Waifs, Emily Barker and Sarah Blasko. These painting marathons are followed by an editing process of days. Palette knives, scrapers and acrylic washes and inks are often applied during these editing days to punctuate the light, depth and energy of the forest in her pieces.
The marked golden orbs in Emily’s work are a consistent theme. This universal symbol for energy offsets the linear shape of the trees but is also an energetic representation of the life force these forests hold. It is Emily’s ode to trees; a thank you to their integral part of her healing and her immense respect for the land.