Emma Hirst (b. 1988) is a representational oil painter based out of Oakland, Calif., where she was born and raised. Emma has always had a passion for drawing and painting, and has been drawn towards realism for as long as she can remember. Having a mother who is a full-time artist, Emma was fortunate enough to have an endless source of art supplies and personal support for her artistic endeavors. In 2006 she was introduced to the work of Anthony Waichulis through John Pence Gallery, and began a journey studying under him, on and off, as just an eager teenager. She eventually completed the rigorous “Language of Drawing” and “Language of Painting” programs in 2015, working for Waichulis as a full-time apprentice.
Emma continues to work realistically and is often inspired by natural objects and natural light. She enjoys putting together still-life compositions that are unique and complex, often using elements of geometry found in natural forms. Some of her still-life work uses negative space as a primary element of the composition, while in others she eliminates negative space altogether in order to focus solely on the details of the subject. Emma’s work has begun to branch out into landscape and portrait pieces, but these remain detailed and are strongly focused on composition and the natural world.
Second only to her passion for drawing and painting, Emma has an avid love for teaching and speaking about art and art education. She feels both a desire and a responsibility to share her knowledge of technical skill- building and two dimensional representation. She began her teaching endeavors in 2016, as a substitute teacher for 5 weeks at Ani Art Academy Anguilla, and has gone on to develop workshops and teach students through online mentorship.
Emma has been featured in several successful exhibitions and noted publications. She continues to exhibit with Studio Gallery in San Francisco, CA, and Abend Gallery in Denver, CO.
Awards & Publications
2010- ARC Salon Finalist
2011- Strokes of Genius 4: Exploring Line
2012- ARC Salon Finalist
2013- 1st Place in the Drawing Category of Artist's Magazine's All Media Competition
2013- 4th Place ARC Scholarship Recipient
2013- Strokes of Genius 6: Values Light and Dark
2014- Drawing Magazine's Shades of Gray Honorable Mention
2015- Southwest Art Magazine's 21 Under 31 Young Artists to Collect Now
2015- American Art Collector Magazine April Issue
2016- Artist's Magazine November Issue
2017- Grand Central Atelier Still Life Competition Finalist
Exhibitions
Capturing Realism, 2009- Pauly Friedman Art Gallery Misericordia University, Dallas PA.
Capturing Realism, 2011- Pauly Friedman Art Gallery Misericordia University, Dallas PA.
Tiny, 2013 - Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA.
Delicious, 2013- Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA.
Capturing Realism, 2013- Pauly Friedman Art Gallery Misericordia University, Dallas PA.
The Big Gamble, 2013-Rehs Contemporary Galleries New York, NY
Water Front, 201 - Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA.
Heroes, Villains & Myths, Legends, 2014- Rehs Contemporary Galleries New York, NY.
Delicious, 2014- Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA
Drawings, 2014- John Pence Gallery San Francisco, CA.
Sexes, 2015- Rehs Contemporary Gallery New York, NY.
Cityscapes, 2015- Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA.
Capturing Realism, 2015- Pauly Friedman Art Gallery Misericordia University, Dallas PA.
Delicious, 2015- Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA.
Still Life and Florals, 2015- John Pence Gallery San Francisco, CA.
Terrain, 2016- Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA
Plus One, 2016- Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA
Still Life and Floral, 2016- John Pence Gallery San Francisco, CA
Terrain, 2017- Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA
Delicious, 2017- Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA
The 5x5 Project, 2018 - Abend Gallery Denver, CO
Art and the Written Word, 2018 - Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA
Delicious, 2018 - Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA
Tiny, 2018 - Studio Gallery San Francisco, CA
The 10x10 Exhibition, 2018 - Abend Gallery Denver, CO
Annual Miniatures Show, 2018 - Abend Gallery Denver, CO
Teaching Experience
Ani Art Academy Anguilla - Long-term substitute teaching position, 2016
Sadie Valeri Atelier, San Francisco CA- Still Life Fundamentals Workshop, 2019
Sadie Valeri Atelier, San Francisco CA- Skill Building Drills and Exercises for Oil Painting Course, 2019
Liv & Chiu Art Studio, Berkeley CA - Where Light Meets Dark, Understanding Contrasts and Edges for Realistic Drawing Workshop, 2019