Artist Profile: Emma Blount

Fine artist Emma Blount talks glass art and lions…

Sir Winston Churchill Memorial Window, St Martin’s Church, Bladon, Oxfordshire.

At the age of four, Emma Blount surprised her mum by drawing a road in perfect perspective. ‘Of course, I had no idea what I was doing,’ laughs Emma. ‘But I just seemed to have a natural ability for art that stayed with me all through school.’ But instead of pursuing a career in art, Emma chose to focus on the sciences. ‘It was the 1980s and I thought I wanted to be rich, famous and powerful so I dropped art and chose to focus on science at Edinburgh University,’ says Emma. ‘But it was a mistake as I was trying to be someone I’m not. I became very depressed and it was only when I became a Christian at 23 that the pressure of that decision was lifted away and I realised my heart was an artist.’ Emma studied art at Roehampton University. One module in particular resonated strongly. ‘We learnt the techniques of stained glass and I felt an immediate connection with the medium,’ says Emma. ‘It was colourful, vibrant and suited my personality.’ In 2007, Emma won a prestigious award from The Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass. ‘The prize was a work placement across the UK and in Germany with the invaluable opportunity to learn the intricate methods involved in the production of quality stained glass,’ says Emma. Emma went on to specialise in stained glass windows for churches and Victorian front doors. In 2014, she was honoured to be commissioned to produce a stained glass window in memory of Winston Churchill at his burial site in St Martin’s Church, Bladon, Oxfordshire. ‘The design of the window reflects both Christian heritage and representations of Sir Winston’s life and work,’ says Emma. ‘It was unveiled by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall which was a very proud moment for me.’ Emma still takes on stained glass commissions but made a decision in 2019 to move into fine art work, both glass painting and pencil drawing. ‘Designing your own work and then persuading people to like it is much harder than commission work but I relish the challenge,’ says Emma. ‘My new work seems to have taken two paths - glass paintings of birds and pencil drawings of lions.’ Combining her love of birds with the glass painting skills she’s developed over the years, Emma has produced some beautiful wall and window art. ‘I feel a real connection with birds and love watching them in my garden,’ says Emma. ‘I paint onto the glass using glass paints which are then fired so that it fuses with the surface of the glass, in the same way stained glass windows have been painted since medieval times.’

‘I then place an LED light sheet behind the glass. These lights are dimmable and can be tuned from warm to cold light.’ Alongside her glass work, Emma has developed a real passion and skill for pencil drawings of lions. ‘For me, the lions represent God and the little girl that features in the drawings is me,’ says Emma. ‘The pictures come from right within me and are an immediate expression of a feeling or emotion. For me, God is protecting me and always there for me.’ Emma will be exhibiting 15 hand-sized glass paintings of birds at Cley Contemporary Art which takes place from July 1st-August 1st at St. Margaret’s Church in Cley-next-the-sea. Her work is also available for sale on her website.

Photo: Charlotte Bromley-Davenport

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Restless Coast – From 1 July 2021 Restless Coast – From 1 July 2021 Image: Vanessa Gardiner/Godrevy Point 49

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