An ode to home
Connection to place isn't something I actively realised I was missing until it bloomed in this house in Granada. So here is my ode to this home, constructed of hundreds of moments of repeating yet shifting experiences.
Hi, I'm Emma
I’m a watercolour and gouache artist living in Granada, Spain.
I love creating lasting memories from everyday moments with bright colours and dynamic textures. I hope my sketches bring you some of the joy I experience while creating them!
I also write Sketches from Granada, a newsletter which celebrates moments of connection with strangers, friends and ourselves.
Featured posts
How to start travel sketching
Key things to consider before, during and after your trip to help you start to develop your own travel sketching practice. Plus, download your travel sketching kit.
Painting the Court of the Myrtles
As soon as I finished painting the Comares Palace at the Alhambra, I knew I had to paint the view from the other side of the Court of the Pool. When you enter the courtyard, you're drawn to the reflections in the enormous central pool, which is framed by thirty-metre-long myrtle bushes.
Latest posts
Apr 21
Reconnect to yourself with colour
I first picked up a paintbrush as a form of self-care, and it’s something I return to again and again in my practice. When I’m feeling low on energy and need to reconnect with my body, I love to play with colour.
3 min read
Apr 13
The self-care habit I stopped to find more ease
When I worked as a lawyer I tracked my work days in six-minute increments for almost ten years. When I finished work, I had limited energy left, so I put pressure on myself to make my self-care as efficient as possible.
4 min read
Apr 10
Painting the Gate of Justice
The Gate of Justice or la Puerta de la Justicia is my favourite way to enter the Alhambra palace in Granada. Built in 1348, it’s the largest of the four gates in the Alhambra’s walls. Like so much of the architecture at the Alhambra, its layers mix the work of different peoples, times and faiths.
3 min read
Apr 06
In which a beloved belt gets its second wind
We go to our local shoe repair store to see if they can fix my husband’s leather belt. Its buckle has retired after many years of service and it’s time for a piece from the younger generation to take the helm.
3 min read
Mar 30
In which I sketch Granada’s busiest square and travel to 1970s New York
The last few weeks we’ve had an inordinate amount of rain in Granada. So when my urban sketching group proposed a last minute outing to take advantage of the sunshine, I was in.
4 min read
Mar 23
In which I order two hearts and my dog learns to six
A few weeks ago we took our dog, Skye, to a café for the first time. Every time I go for coffee in Granada, I see dogs lazing under café tables or calmly waiting for snacks to fall into their mouths, but for Skye this was a big deal.
3 min read
Mar 18
Take a moment for inspiration, joy or curiosity
Are you craving inspiration to help you start your next creative project? Would some music bring a bit of joy to your morning walk or evening chores? Or do you want to engage your curiosity and think more deeply about this present moment?
4 min read