Meet Emma Brittain

Join us as we chat with Emma Brittain, a talented muralist whose work beautifully blends human experiences with the wonders of nature. From the joyful depiction of river otters to the ambitious project of crafting interactive parade puppets, Emma's art not only sparks wonder but also inspires action and connection within her community.

Q . What draws you to the theme of relationships between humans and the natural world for your art?

A. Recently, my work shifted from a more critical lens of human failures to protect our environment to a focus more on joy and belonging in the natural world. I’ve decided that love is a better starting place for my art. I’ve always found solace and wonder in nature. I’ve seen connections between my life experiences and what I see happening around me. Other times I’m brought away from my own thinking by nature. One time I was very frustrated, and I took a walk in the woods and saw a large bear track in some mud. Suddenly, standing where a bear had trod made my other thoughts silence and my wonder at the world around me bloom.

Art can foster a deeper connection to our environment. Through art I share my own view, experience, and love of nature. For example, I've lovingly made a lot of pottery with salamanders on it. The viewer interprets it, either relating or remembering something they already know, or perhaps they think “I’ve never seen that before.” Hopefully from there they search it for themselves and find what it means to them. Maybe they search for that certain type of salamander or just the feeling I evoked representing it. People have seen pieces and tell me about their memories as a kid playing in a creek or ask, “Do we really have creatures that look like this around here?” I think interaction with nature-based art boosts interest in seeing and protecting the environment around us.

Q . Anything in particular you keep in mind in your art-making process?

A. “Try everything!” I think being open to learning from different media is important. I’ve never been an abstract painter, but I recently did some freestyle quilting, which involved a similar process of piecing together colors and shapes. I see it as all connected; every form of creativity can lend itself to another. Through color play with quilts, I can use color more creatively in my other projects now. I may even try some abstract painting now!

Q . What future projects or themes are you excited to explore?

A. This month (May) I start my sixmonth residency with Hunt Gallery in downtown Buffalo, so I am very excited for the time and space to create a body of work there. I have some themes I lean towards, but my work typically evolves from creating and creating more iterations of an idea, so I am not sure of the exact trajectory yet.

Q . We adore your "Hopeful Currents" mural! What’s some of the inspiration behind it?

A. In August 2023, I painted a mural over 125 feet long for Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. The mural is a larger than life, vibrant depiction of two river otters and a school of bluegills. I chose to incorporate the species to celebrate local conservation wins. I had an amazing encounter with an otter in the nearby Tifft Nature Preserve. Otters had been absent in our area for some time, but through conservation efforts in the '90s, we’re starting to see their return. The otter I saw was the first confirmed sighting at Tifft, and a whole family of them was spotted later. This is counter to typical news about the environment; we all know things are dire but fewer people know about the small wins that happen. My mural is meant to bring joy and awareness of the conservation wins in our area. If we only focus on the bad, we can be scared into hopelessness and inaction. By acknowledging the good things happening in spite of the bad, we keep hope alive!

Q . Buffalo's local ecology seems to often show through in your projects. What are some things you particularly love?

A. I love that Buffalo and Western NY in general are full of small conservation miracles. Similarly to my otter sightings, there have been recent sightings of the Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle, which had not been seen in over 30 years in Ellicott Creek. These are creatures most people have not even heard of, so I like to depict them in my art to raise awareness.

Q . Are there any artists, past or present, who have had a significant influence on your work? Probably too many to count!

A. I had so many great art teachers from elementary through college. There was even an art teacher who owned a small business next to my mom’s shop who would encourage me outside school hours! Now I teach and hope to provide the same support to my own students.

Q . Are there any hidden gems or lesser-known areas in Buffalo and the surrounding area that are great locations for future mural projects?

A. I think as certain areas are being reclaimed for recreation and public enjoyment such as the Riverline Project and the 33 Expressway Park, there will be new and fresh places in need of public art, and I hope to be considered for those!

Q . Where do you go for fresh inspiration?

A. Most often I go to a nature preserve, but I also love to take inspiration trips when I can. I recently visited the historic Black quilting community in Gee’s Bend, Alabama and some Civil Rights spots in that area. I visited a plantation museum with merchandise in the gift shop that said “I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams,” and I’m really motivated by that idea. My ancestors endured a lot in the hope that future generations would have a better world, and we must continue to work towards that.

Q . If you could paint a mural anywhere in the world, where would it be and what would the theme be?

A. In college, I studied abroad in Tanzania and I’d love to go back and do some big artwork with the community in that area. There is so much beauty to highlight, I think the theme would probably be something about ujima, the beauty of working together.

Q . Describe your perfect day in Buffalo.

A. A morning walk at Tifft, a waffle at Fitz Books, some time in the studio, lunch at the BreadHive, teaching an afternoon class at Locust Street Art, dinner and drinks at Mint Mojito.