Inspired by the coastline around St Ives Bay, Emma's paintings express the beauty and vitality of the West Cornwall coast. In her work, spring flowers, bright umbrellas and dazzling waters are framed against the simple shapes of sky, sea and sand. Emma's talent with colour and the lively characterization of people and places have made her work among the most recognized and best loved in Cornwall.
'Looking out from Crab Rock is the most spectacular way to watch wave formations, and the sea colours created by the changing tide and weather. It is awe-inspiring to be right there, painting it first-hand in the middle of a Cornish winter. In midsummer, the beautiful stretch of coast path from Headland Road, which curves around the edge of Hawkes Point to Carbis Bay, is abundant with coastal plants, wildflowers and ferns which form a tropical tunnel that I felt compelled to paint. The place where sea meets land makes for delightful subject matter and is a continual source of fascination to me, and even in my still-life paintings I can't resist a hint of the nautical, if it's only the placement of one simple boat.'
Recent Exhibition: Emma Jeffryes, 'Summer Collective', New Craftsman Gallery, St Ives, 2025