Emely McConkey

My interest in art developed as a preschooler, spending many hours drawing and painting with crayons, colored pencils, watercolors and oil pastels. Looking back it seems even then my early artwork involved light and nature. These have resonated deep in my spirit since I can remember.
Raised until the age of six in Cuba, I recall magical moments of sunlight filtering through leafy canopies, and interesting shadows dancing on glowing building facades. The bright, early morning white light of the tropics sifting through brilliant jewel tones of dense foliage and flowers are images carried in my mind forever!
This early bond I developed with the land has been the main inspiration in life for me. After high school I set aside art to complete a MS in Horticulture and Landscape Design and worked in these professions for over 25 years.
I began to paint in 1996, starting with watercolor, then pastel and oil.
Still now, what beckons me to paint is nature and how the light can transform the ordinary into a scene of beauty.