Please join us to celebrate the opening of Emma’s new collection
Saturday 5th April, 5-7pm
RSVP : info@newcraftsmanstives.com
“This past year has been one of interesting and varied experiences for me, both here in West Cornwall and further afield. In March, I spent a week as Artist in Residence at Brisons Veor, situated in the most exhilarating spot on the tip of Cape Cornwall. It is apparently the most westerly dwelling on the English mainland. This was an incredible opportunity to focus totally on work with no distractions, and my plan was to experiment with technique and application and develop new ways of working: instead, I became fixated by the desire to capture the rugged and breathtaking view over Priests Cove, set against the headland and coastline beyond, with rough seas rolling in and out and acres of ocean out to the horizon. My week became a rotation of one canvas after another, in order to catch changes in light, colour or tide. It was an utterly consuming and wonderful exercise.
During a trip to London in April to see our eldest son, Sunny, I had the pleasure of revisiting the beautiful Kew Gardens. I originally went there in 1993 whilst studying at The Royal College of Art. Back then I carried a large folder of paper and a rucksack of paints and would work on the ground before a view. One piece in this show, Kew Gardens , is a painting I made there in that way, that I have treasured for years since. My reignited interest in Kew has resulted in some new, large canvases on the same theme, so I thought now would be a good time to exhibit the original painting alongside my new works.
The biennial Sea Salts and Sail Festival in Mousehole took place again in July. Having been captivated by this event in the past, I rented a harbourside cottage for a front row seat. It is a step back in time, with the gathering of old sailboats of all manner and size. One of the stars of the show, the Maggie Helen, is featured in this collection. Being a 120 year old fishing boat she is completely without an engine. It is testament to her skilled crew that they can navigate long distances entirely under sail, and it was amazing to watch them manoeuvre through the narrow harbour entrance just using giant ores.
Also in this collection is Frenchman’s Creek , a work which conveys a very different feel. In October, my husband Ben and I stayed at The Shipwrights Arms in Helford, such an enchantingly beautiful and romantic part of this county. Leading there, the coast path winds through thick woodland, pebbled coves and muddy creeks and inlets. It is from Helford that walkers take the ferry across the Helford Passage to continue onwards, and nearby is Frenchman’s Creek, which is a wonder to behold and is, of course, the inspiration for Daphne Du Maurier’s famous book. She describes the surroundings so eloquently and emphasizes how ancient and little changed the creek was then, as it still seems today. Whilst walking there, an incredible natural composition was presented to me, of subtle colour but striking tonal contrasts, which I just had to capture in this painting”.
Emma Jeffryes 2025
1. ‘Boats’, acrylic on canvas, 51x61cm, £950
2. ‘Rock Forms, Cape Cornwall’, acrylic on canvas, 61x76cm, £1,400
3. ‘Large White Aqua Wave’, acrylic on canvas, 71x91cm, £2,400
4. ‘Jagged Cliff Face (Priests Cove)’, mixed media on canvas, 61x91cm, £1,600
5. ‘The Palm House’, acrylic on canvas, 76x122cm, £3,800
6. ‘Palm House II’, acrylic on canvas, 122x92cm, £4,500
7. ‘Kew Gardens (1993)’, mixed media on paper, 57x76cm, £1,600
8. ‘The Brighest Day’, acrylic on canvas board, 41x51cm, £750
9. ‘Orange Beachscape’, acrylic on canvas, 41x51cm, £750
10. ‘Tropical’, acrylic on board, 32x26cm, £500
11. ‘Dahilias and Green Harbour’, acrylic on board, 45x39cm, £675
12. ‘The Town by Porthmeor’, acrylic on canvas, 91x71cm, £2,500
13. ‘Large Blooms, Small Pot’, mixed media on wood panel, 41x41cm, £650
14. ‘Romance’, mixed media on board, 36x36cm, £595
15. ‘Beach Pinks’, mixed media on canvas, 76x76cm, £1,700
16. ‘Unashamedly Orange Dahlias!’, acrylic on board, 33x33cm, £550
17. ‘The Glorious Sea of Porthmeor’, acrylic on canvas, 102x152cm, £6,500
18. ‘Helford Cottages’, acrylic on board, 32x39cm, £575
19. ‘Shipwrights Arms’, acrylic on canvas board, 41x51cm, £750
20. ‘Frenchman’s Creek’, acrylic on canvas, 71x911cm, £2,500
21. ‘Aqua Ocean’, acrylic on canvas, 51x61cm, £950
22. ‘Sea Off Cape Cornwall’, acrylic on canvas, 51x61cm, £950
23. ‘Yellow Rowing Boat, Mousehole’, acrylic on canvas, 61x76cm, £1,400
24. ‘Maggie Helen’, acrylic on canvas, 30x41cm, £575
25. ‘Blue Umbrellas’, acrylic on canvas board, 30x41cm, £595
26. ‘Rigging’, mixed media on paper, 30x42cm, £700
Front cover : ‘Palm House I’, acrylic on canvas, 122x92cm, £4,500
Back cover : ‘Nautical View’, acrylic on board, 32x40cm, £595
7* - A page from Emma’s skecthbook - Palm House Sketch (not for sale)
