Echoing the Art

Local artists paint from photographs

By Bridget Graham

When an artist recreates another’s work, it can be either inspiration or imitation. In this case, it is all admiration. Local artists came together to recreate photographs by Malibu photographer Emily Scher via their own

interpretations.

“Local artists and friends started to ask me if they could paint my photography, and I loved the idea,” Emily explained. “And then I was blown away by how beautiful they were, especially side-by-side.”

Scher, who is originally from Manhattan, went to school for visual arts and became an animator for computer special effects for movies. She found herself in California in the Hollywood Hills after her then-husband landed a job in Los Angeles.

“Once I was out here, I remember my brother asking me how often I would go to the beach, and when I told him ‘maybe two times a year,’ I knew something had to change,” she recalled.

So, she drove out to Malibu, now 30 years ago, and walked up and down Malibu Road, where she found her first local house where she lived in for seven years while starting a family. Scher raised her two children within the local schools, Webster Elementary, Juan Cabrillo, Malibu Middle, and Malibu High school.

After having kids, she gravitated toward photography.

“I found and fell in love with photography, the ocean, and all the treasures there,” she shared.

Her very first showing of her photography work was in Starbucks, when they used to rotate art. She would go on to exhibit her work there three times over the years.

“I was so thrilled to be showing the first time,” Emily recalled. “It was a big gamble to spend a bunch of money on prints not knowing whether people will like them.”

But it paid off, not only selling a piece of work, but also being

EMILY SCHER

“discovered by The Malibu Times.”

“I remember Arnold York grabbed my portfolio from the counter and said he’d like me to work with the publication,” Emily, who is currently an MTM photographer, explained.

In fact, York wasn’t the only one who liked her portfolio.

“Someone stole [it] from the counter, which I think is a big compliment,” Emily said. “It was actually stolen twice; after I did a reprint, it was gone again.”

Emily, whose work is inspired by nature’s colors and movement such as leaves changing colors, sunsets curling, flowers blooming, has since had her work shown at various spots, including Malibu Stage, the old Diesel Bookstore, Zumi Sushi back in the day, and now currently at Sunset Restaurant. She’s has shown twice at Ollo— so when she was granted a third show there, she knew she wanted to partner with local artists who were already painting her work—or were up for the challenge—and hang the pieces next to each other. She personally asked eight artists to take part in the experience.

The show was named “Malibu Echoes—where lens meets brush.”

“Emily puts her heart and soul into her photos,” artist Lori Mills said. “So mirroring her work and creating artwork within artwork … well, I can feel her heart when I paint.”

Lori, vice president of the Malibu Art Association, is an artist who paints different series that embrace abstraction, including abstract nudes, hearts, and other pieces that “come from emotion.”

“To be a part of this was so great because I just admire Emily and her work so much,” Lori shared.

Artist Bill Stange bonded many years ago with Emily because they are both water-oriented people. At one time, he said he called her ‘Rainbow’ because “her eyes see all the colors of the world.”

As an artist whose favorite medium is watercolor, Bill depicts mostly tropical and game fish in transparent paint to create unique layers of details.

“It was a little daunting to hang a piece next to her photos,” he explained. “And it’s hard to replicate something in a photo that is so unique. Your mind wants to wander as an artist, so to replicate from a photo is difficult because that is a snapshot of a moment in time that passed.”

Artist Daniela Schweitzer also interpreted a water scene from the photography but was very upfront with Scher from the start that she is a figurative, abstract painter. A big theme in her work is water, the beach, and the ocean from a contemporary point of view.

“I was a little skeptical at first because it was duplicating photos, but it was a great experiment for everyone,” Daniela said. “I was humbled to be a part of this.”

When artist Lisa Semler was asked to be a part of the show, she knew that she definitely wanted to paint Scher’s photographs. Semler originally started her painting journey in oils but then progressed to other mediums as her artistry evolved. She recreated the photographs for the show from encaustics.

“It was definitely challenging to copy someone else’s artwork, but it was a really fun experience,” Lisa explained. “I think that I would only do that with someone like Emily. She is a really special woman.”

Emily said she continually feels grateful for the response to her photography, whether on the walls, Instagram or in a small online shop she created where people gravitate to Malibu pictures. And she said she still can’t believe how the show turned out on the walls of Ollo.

“It was just a magical feeling,” she said. “I was uplifted and overwhelmed, and just really excited and happy about opening this door to something new and all the artists coming together.”