Emily Gregory-Smith lives near Aberystwyth, where she has been based since moving from Cambridgeshire six years ago. She graduated with an MA in Fine Art from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, in 2005, having also studied in Leeds and Madrid.
The Rheidol river and surrounding valley near her home are a familiar and constant motif in Emily’s paintings. Combining the poetic qualities of landscape and the physicality of oil paint, she tries to evoke a sense - and a sensation - of this elusive place as dynamically as possible.
Her coastal paintings have been an ongoing project, alongside other work, for several years – drawing on her experiences of the West Wales coast and also of Cornwall and Pembrokeshire.
Prizes and Awards
2002 Ben Bowen Thomas Prize for Fine Art, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
2001 David Tinker Prize, Contemporary Art Society for Wales
2000 Erasmus Award, bursary to study Fine Art at Universidad Complutense, Madrid, six months
