Emma Howell
9 January, 2026
This post is about the start of a new chapter/season in my practice. I’m introducing to you my “Atelier works” for 2026.. and explaining how they are made slowly over time, marking moments of my life, and sharing why they will hold meaning for you, the collector.
The Atelier Works (2026)
Atelier
/atəˈljeɪ/ (ah-tuh-LYAY)
noun | ‘studio’ in French
For years now, the vast majority of my work has been released in large collections. Artworks would be made and grouped together under one umbrella title and hold up some level of synchronicity.. shared and displayed together like one big happy family (cute). This approach has always worked well with my creative rhythm, the time I have and the overall aesthetic I want to put across.. but 2026 is different. This year, my practice is evolving to reflect life as it is right now.. as a full time artist and full time mother.
My Atelier works are original pieces made in real time, across days, reworked, and lived with. They are not made in one linear and organised fashion.. “perfectly” finished and untouched, ready to be scanned and uploaded for sale. Each new piece will hold the marks of life as it happens. You know, the moments of frustration, patience, joy, exhaustion.. whenever I’m able to translate them.
The first piece, Atelier 001, is currently in progress. I cannot show it yet.. and this is intentional. Before you see the work, I want you to understand the ritual and intention behind these significant pieces.
How They Begin
Each Atelier work starts in the same way. On the back, I mark the very moment of its conception. I write the date, the time, and a short note capturing exactly what I am thinking and feeling.. putting emphasis on the fact that this is a live entry. It’s not a well thought out reflection, or some sort of polished explanation.. it’s just a marking of that very moment.. a time stamp or a signature branding. Could be positive, could be negative, could be weird – who knows.
From that very moment, the piece starts to breathe.. and I will return to it multiple times across the next few days, weeks, whatever. Sometimes for hours, sometimes for a split second. It will grow slowly, irregularly, and unpredictably. These pieces have no choice but to be built with interruptions, a lot of patience.. and with a slow burn of creativity. Instead of screaming into pillows when Lilah won’t sleep, I’ll be putting that energy onto paper or canvas.
What About Their Aesthetic
The works will be rooted in abstract expressionism, perhaps even a little impressionism. But who knows? They will also carry an element of the unknown.. even I’m unsure about how they’ll turn out. They will initially be mostly works on paper, each titled sequentially Atelier 001, Atelier 002, and so on. The first piece is A2, but sizes may vary.. with many likely to be quite large, and canvases will appear later. Expect raw, rustic, and organic hues, taken from nature or from whatever is nearby – or maybe from the emotions, thoughts, and rhythms of the day. These paintings will feel lived in and honest, hopefully capturing life as it is.
Why Now
Like I said, right now, I am navigating life as a full-time artist and a full-time mother. My daughter is not and won’t be going to nursery (for the foreseeable).. so, my days are back-to-back, pretty exhausting and rather fragmented. There are no long stretches of uninterrupted flow state – oh, how I will miss those days. “Flow state” was pure ecstasy when it came to my practice.. hours would go by and it would feel like minutes. This uninterrupted time of hyper concentration was flipping great. Now, I work around naps, schedules, mediocre sleep deprivation, and the reality of caring for a small human. Don’t get me wrong – I wouldn’t change the situation, but the fact of the matter is.. Lilah and my artwork have to coincide together.
And the Atelier works are about this very “conundrum”. They will proudly hold the marks and feelings of these days. They will be slow, lived-in, and real as they come.
Very important note: they are also part of keeping my family and practice alive. Jon and I have had to work very hard to keep afloat over the last few years.. so, these pieces are not just an arty creative expression. They are a way to continue my practice, keep our life going, and a way to desperately maintain and nurture my innate creativity. I guess you could say that they are personal and practical at the same time.
Their Significance
Recently, I was listening to a podcast by Dr Rangan Chatterjee about happiness and the things people hope to feel or say at the end of their lives. Sorry – a bit dark. He asked what would matter? What would you have hoped to have achieved, seen, experienced, felt etc. at the very end of it all?
Aside from the obvious family, friends and beautiful experiences, one of mine had to be art-focused: that I could keep painting for as long as my life allowed. Not for recognition or ego, but because making work and having it live in other people’s homes feels like a meaningful way to exist in the world. This is the spirit behind my Atlier works. I want my work to leave a mark, even long after I’m no longer here. Not as a monument, but as something subtly appreciated and present in someone’s daily life.
All the time, I think about these pieces ending up in families. Where will they go? How much did they really mean to someone? Collectors will invest in my work, but why? Was it to give them small reminders of joy, patience and love? Was it to support someone else’s life and practice? Was it for no other reason than it looking good in their living room? It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.. but I’ve realised that choosing this career was a way to live on.
Being an artist, for me, is not about success or performance. I think it’s more about contributing something human and long lasting. Something that stays.. and I suppose also carries with it my Dad’s legacy. My lord – I am really going off on one now. That’s what happens when you leave me alone with a blank word document.
How They Will Be Released
These pieces are for Atelier subscribers first.. and they will be released one at a time, as they come to life. So, first access and first option to purchase are via private enquiry only. There will be no public launch (at first) and no website listings. My Instagram page will also not see these works for a while either. If a piece remains available, it may eventually be shared publicly. Many will not. This is deliberate because these works are slow, intimate, and meant to be collected carefully. So, if you’re interested in these pieces, please make sure to subscribe – even if you’re already a part of my usual mailing list (button below).
(!) New Pricing Structure
Artwork prices will not be listed publicly ahead of time. Each piece will be priced individually, based on size, time, and where it sits within my practice. The price of an Atelier work will be visible when its release email is sent out.
It’s worth mentioning that my prices are also increasing this year. Inflation, the rising cost of living, and sustaining life with a baby all play a part in this decision. These works are intended to be saved for, considered, and cherished (forever!). Owning one means you’re not only bringing a new piece of art into the home, but also supporting the life of an artist and owning a snapshot of life.. a moment in time, a feeling, a thought, a mark I’ve deliberately left behind. God, isn’t the whole concept of art just fabulous. Okay, I’ll let you go now.