IT’S NOT JUST A PAINTING, IT’S A STORY
Emily Ball was born in 1967 in Colchester Essex. She went to Exeter College of Art where she gained a BA in Fine Art Painting in 1989. She continued developing her painting, doing residencies, undertaking public commissions and exhibiting in the South East for the next 10 years. Alongside her painting she established privately run courses in Contemporary Painting and Drawing in West Sussex.
PRIZE WINNER
In 1999 Emily gained an MA in painting from The Surrey Institute of Art & Design, Farnham. She had her first child in 2001 and second in 2004 and during this period produced ambitious and successful paintings. She has exhibited at the RA Summer Exhibition and been a prize winner at the National Open Art Exhibition (NOA), judged by Maurice Cockrill RA, Jennifer Durrant RA and Nicholas Usherwood, art critic.
PAINTER AND TEACHER
In August 2005, in recognition of her reputation and talent as a painter and teacher, Seawhite of Brighton (supplier's of art materials) gave Emily a large studio space in which to paint and teach within their premises. In 2009 she published her first book ‘Drawing and Painting People – A Fresh Approach (reviewed by Matthew Collings and now in its eighth edition). Emily curated her book launch exhibition showing the work of the artists interveiwed and included in the book. These included Rose Wylie, Roy Oxlade, Georgia Hayes and John Skinner. The show was opened by Matthew Collings and Emma Biggs. In 2012 her second book was published 'Emily Ball – Painting'. This book is a 25 year retrospective look at the development of her own work..
INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION
Now, in 2018, she is director of her Painting School 'Emily Ball at Seawhite', and has a team of 9 artist tutors running courses. The school has grown, as has its international reputation. Students travel from all over the world to attend courses and Emily also travels to Cape Town in South Africa, Portugal and nationally across the UK to teach painting. Emily is a short course tutor at West Dean College near Chichester.