Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Wallerstein.
Hi Emily, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began painting as a creative outlet while working as a fashion designer designing for various brands and big box companies. I studied fashion design in college, knowing painting would always be my passion. I moved to Los Angeles from Ohio 10 years ago in 2013. I quickly became inspired by the city in which I live and began painting traffic sunsets and the surrounding urban environment. In 2019, I resolved to show my work publicly at the Beverly Hills Art Show. I continued to paint while working full-time, showing my work in various group exhibitions in galleries around Los Angeles. In 2022, I parted ways with my job as a fashion designer and have been painting full-time ever since. I’m currently preparing for my debut solo show at TAG Gallery in May 2023 called “Lost Angles.” The show will feature a series of paintings exploring the lost, unnoticed, yet familiar views of LA.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every road has its challenges. Every chapter in life begins and ends. Two weeks prior to my acceptance to the Beverly Hills Art Show in 2019, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I am ok now but being faced with a potentially terminally ill disease changed my perspective on life. Painting gave me a much-needed therapeutic outlet and distraction during a very difficult period in my life. When I was going thru treatment, it was very hard for me to keep up with painting, working, and being a mother. And then during Covid, the world shut down, but my responsibilities at the office and home did not. I still had to make time to paint in an uncertain world for my own sanity. When something is a part of you, you make time. If it fills your soul, you make time. And so I made time. The road still feels bumpy, with winds and bends, but I’m in for the ride!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create oil paintings that find beauty in the mundane. Landscapes are symbolic of life passing, capturing moments in time that are always fleeting and impermanent. My paintings focus on the juxtaposition of industry versus nature, where light meets darkness, and textures contrast smooth gradations. From a distance, they look like a photograph, picture perfect, a trick to the eye! Up close, they are filled with texture and emotion. Similar to life, the messiness adds to the beauty and richness of each painting and our day-to-day lives.
How do you think about happiness?
Spending time with my family, son, partner, and pets brings me the most joy day to day. Appreciating and taking notice and gratitude for the small moments that are so special, like picking my son up from school, eating dinner as a family, and walks together in nature. I also love a good sunset, nature, yoga, art, music, and travel. Connecting with other artists in the local art community always inspires me and feels very supportive and uplifting! And of course, painting makes me very happy! I love being able to share my perspective with the world thru my paintings, bringing light to the overlooked, and creating depth and feeling to imagery potentially lost.
Contact Info:
- Website: emilywallerstein.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.wallerstein_paintings/
