Bio

Emma Ashby grew up on the East Coast of England, UK, where her deep affection for coastal landscapes was cultivated. It’s a love affair that has continued to grow in her 20+ years of living on the East Coast of New England and is reflected in the atmosphere and emotion of her paintings.

Emma studied textiles at the Royal College of Art in London, where she received an MA. Then, having worked for several years in the British fashion industry, she moved to the United States where she was introduced to the ancient medium of encaustic. It quickly became her passion. Today Emma is a full-time artist and encaustic educator. Early work drew on her textile background, incorporating fabric and pattern to create abstract images of flowers and ponds.

In recent years her work has become more representational, and she is one of the few artists, working with encaustic, who is known for landscape painting. What makes her work especially unique is her use of clay. As the artist explains “I wanted to incorporate clay into the layers of wax so that some of the subject matter would actually become an organic part of what I was creating”.

“Emma Ashby is a skilled encaustic and mixed media artist. Her creations are deeply inspired by the natural world, particularly the coastal landscapes and seascapes that surround her. Using layers of beeswax, resin and pigments, Emma's work captures the ephemeral beauty of nature, blending texture and color to evoke a sense of depth and movement. Her pieces invite viewers to explore the intricate interplay between light, shadow, and form, offering a contemplative experience that highlights the tranquility and dynamism of the natural environment.” Nahcotta Gallery, Portsmouth NH

“Ashby is a true working artist. Working artists spend significant amounts of time working in their studios and part of that work is to evolve their art.” Vandy Leigh, The Portsmouth Herald July 2019

Emma’s paintings have been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows and commissioned for both private and public spaces. She has work in the permanent collection of the Museum of Encaustic Art in Santa Fe, NM, and is a member of the International Encaustic Artists. 

Her work can be found at Nahcotta Gallery in Portsmouth, NH, Bowersock Gallery in Provincetown, MA, and Summer House Furnishings, Rye, NH.

Artist Statement

My work is deeply inspired by the endless cycles of nature—growth and decay, movement and stillness, beauty and fragility. These fundamental rhythms of life, constantly unfolding before us, fuel my exploration of color, texture, and pattern. Through this lens, I find a profound connection to the world around me, which leads me to my passion for encaustic painting.

Encaustic allows me to build complex layers—often dozens—of wax and pigment, some of which are scraped away to reveal the hidden depths beneath. This process mirrors the layers of the natural world, where every surface holds traces of the past, every fragment carries the weight of time. In many of my landscapes, I incorporate clay as well, grounding my work in the earth itself, bringing a tangible, organic element into the composition.

What draws me to encaustic is the way it allows me to convey both the physical and emotional textures of nature. The translucent depth, the vibrant intensity of color, and the unpredictable nature of the medium itself all serve to capture the essence of the subjects I portray. In the unpredictability of the process, I find a reflection of nature’s own mysteries and complexities—a reminder of life’s transient yet enduring beauty.

Education
MA Textiles. The Royal College of Art, London. 1986.
BA (Hons) Fashion Design. Ravensbourne College Art & Design, London. 1984.