THE WEY GALLERY |  Emily Gregory Smith

Emily Gregory-Smith lives near Aberystwyth, where she has been based since moving from Cambridgeshire in 2000. She graduated with an MA in Fine Art from the University of Wales Aberystwyth in 2005, having also studied in Leeds and Madrid. She has since been exhibiting widely in galleries around England and Wales. 

I return often to the coastal and estuary landscapes of West Wales and the wooded riverside area of the Rheidol Valley where I live - walking, absorbing and drawing, trying to capture above all the feeling of being there. Small studies are made outside, and these, along with impressions and memories are taken back to the studio where most of my work is done. I paint intuitively and try to let the materials lead the work to allow the freshness of the landscape to come in through the paint. There is an element of risk in this kind of painting which is important. It’s not just about the landscape, the paint itself, or my emotional response, but a synergy of the three, which I hope creates a resonance for the viewer, a space for their own feelings and state of mind.