As an artist, I’m a restless spirit. So much so, that I have a hard time picking one style and am constantly exploring different media and techniques. My work has ranged from expressionist to realist and everything in between, but, in general, I do favor work with bold colors. I work primarily in oil and acrylic, because of the satisfying “gush” factor, and have lately been experimenting with mixed media.

I tend to focus on a single subject matter for a while, which is usually a result of my need to process something that is happening in my life. My art is often a kind of therapy. I’ll work diligently on topic for a few years, occasionally stopping to take a break and create a few pieces that are purely for the love of painting, until something else comes along to demand my attention. The forays into other topics allow me to remember what it’s like to just play with paint for the joy of it, as well as break the intensity of concentration I’ve been devoting to one idea. Past collections have included work about a series of deaths I had to cope with in college, my battle with depression and physical illness, and an homage to my grandmother and dance.

Most of my themed work currently focuses on a series of pieces about dementia and my father’s journey with it, as well as my journey as a caretaker. Using the elephant as a symbol for dementia (because an “elephant never forgets”), I’m exploring dementia both from the viewpoint of someone who has the disease and as the caregiver. In addition to the series of paintings themselves, I have been working on a book that will include both the images from my paintings, as well as deeper discussion about how my family and other families have navigated through life and death from dementia. My eventual goal is to publish the book and have a corresponding art show.

To see work from the Fractured Memories series and past works that have sold, please visit my website at http://www.emilypageart.com. You can also read all of my ridiculous thoughts at http://www.emilypageart.net.