Artist Emma Petts grew up in Kent but moved to Braintree 5 years ago to live with her boyfriend, now her husband. She has a 10 year old daughter, 2 step kids and a cat with no ears!

Emma studied Art GSCE at school and then started Art A level but left 6th form after a year of study – work was calling her and she found a job working for a fashion company as an Admin Assistant. Emma now works for Reiss as their shipping manager and has been with them for 12 years.

Emma began painting again about 4 years ago, after seeing a picture of some Graham & Green wallpaper in Marie Clare magazine and thinking a larger version would look nice on her lounge wall. She ordered a swatch, bought a canvas, some brushes and acrylic and set to work! Her style since then has changed a lot. A trip to Brighton a few years ago and a view of Yvonne Coomber’s beautiful work lead her in a different direction and
resulted in her collection of circle paintings.

Emma spend’s her evenings painting in her lounge with sheets on the floor to protect the carpet (there is a dark green stain on there from a spillage a couple of years ago, hence the sheets now!) but would love one day to turn one of her bedrooms into a studio so that she doen’t have to keep putting her paints and brushes away each time.

‘I like bright colourful pictures and although the circle paintings are abstract to me they are fields of flowers and I love them! Recently I’ve started to build up a lot of texture as I think it really adds to the painting, along with the glitter! I’m not fussy with what I use, acrylics, tester pots from B & Q, kids poster paint, kids glitter paint, shiny sequins, nothing is really off limits!’