Emilie Houssart is a Dutch oil painter and printmaker. She grew up in Norwich, UK, gained a language degree at Durham University, and trained in portraiture at the Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence on a teaching scholarship, graduating in 2006. Her work since then has included a series of landscape paintings in Norfolk, Italy and Texas, various portraits, a woodcarving and forays into printmaking. In addition she is delighted to be working with Austin Shakespeare as a Scenic Designer; recent productions include Julius Caesar, a new stage adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Noël Coward's Design For Living.
Emilie's work is inspired by nature in all its enormity and strangeness; by the indignity of death; and the blurry lines at the boundaries of humour. Her work reflects her great love of the 17th century Dutch Masters and their understanding of light, as well as their embracing of the very ordinary and the slapstick. She holds among her heroes Rembrandt, Morandi and Mondrian.
Some landscapes and faces can draw us out of our tangled inner lives and make us soar, or wonder, or reflect. This essential energy of a first-hand experience drives Emilie’s work. Her landscapes are painted on location with some studio reworking and the portraits evolve from repeated sessions with the sitters, usually in her studio where high, filtered windows provide beautiful constant light and shadows.
The bird series explores a subject that can be simultaneously tragic, beautiful, comic and grotesque.
Her current prints include a series of lighthearted studies of Texan seed pods which have evolved in extraordinary ways in response to the extreme climate. The intense, fine raised lines of etching are ideal for bringing out eccentricities of texture and form and for transmitting the energy of the drawing process. Emilie prints at Slugfest in Austin, and is grateful to Tom and Margie, their six cats and Janet the tortoise for all their help and encouragement.
Works by Emilie Houssart are held in private collections across Europe and the States. Her studio is at the Pump Project in East Austin. Emilie accepts select commissions, is available for private tuition (please email for a consultation) and conducts tailored workshops.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
**Don't miss Cantanker: THE END, juried show and catalog at Big Medium, Austin, TX; Dec 15th-Jan 18th!**
More info at http://www.bigmedium.org/gallery_current.htm
CONTACT:
Please contact Emilie at ehoussart@hotmail.com if you would like to discuss one of the works on this site, a commissioned project or tuition.
To be updated about new work or exhibitions, please send an email entitled "Mailing List".
EXHIBITIONS:
2013
The Drawing Show, Pump Project, Austin, TX
2012
Cantanker: THE END, juried catalog and show, Big Medium, Austin, TX
East Austin Studio Tour group show
East Austin Studio Tour, Pump Project gallery show
Intaglio, Lithography and Silkscreen from Slugfest Printmaking Workshop, Jonathan Abrams MD Art Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
SLUGFEST, Stars of Austin Gallery, Austin Bergstrom Airport, TX
The Drawing Show, Pump Project, Austin, TX
Mixed Show, Mandell's Gallery, Norwich, UK
The People's Gallery Exhibition, City Hall, Austin, TX
Austin Art Connections Airport Show 2012 (Portraits By Women), Austin Bergstrom Airport, TX
2011
East Austin Studio Tour, Pump Project gallery show, TX
2010
Opera Festival Exhibition, Greenacres Gallery, Wexford, Ireland
Summer Show, Mandell's Gallery, Norwich, UK
2008
East Austin Studio Tour, Pump Project gallery show, TX
March Show, Greenacres Gallery, Wexford, Ireland
2007
East Austin Studio Tour, Pump Project gallery show, TX
Norwich Art Now Guest Artist, Norwich Fringe, UK
John Allen Fine Arts Spring View, Norwich, UK
2006
Gang of Four, St. Margaret's Church, Norwich, UK
Opera Festival Exhibition, Greenacres Gallery, Wexford, Ireland
2004
Christmas Show, Belgravia Gallery, London, UK
2003
Solo show, Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich, UK