Emily Araújo

Artist Statement:

My current paintings are an electric dazzle dream. Losing everything in the Eaton Fire unleashed me. My post-fire palette reflects this. Deep umber, fluorescent pink, sage grey, lilac, lime and apricot—anything goes. Imagery I have embraced and returned to over decades: storms, roots, trees and clouds, still figure into my work. Now the images are more specific to my home base and the L.A. landscape.

The San Gabriel mountains are my solace and anchor. Their wrinkled, rocky surfaces are a perfect complement to the Dr. Seuss-like silhouettes of palms, cypress, oak and pepper trees in Southern California. As I move about L.A., I snap pictures of urban gardens: agaves like burst stars, spills of bougainvillea, geometric shrubs and poppies thrusting toward the sun.

My abstract gardens in gouache and watercolor simmer with pattern and texture. Under translucent washes and intricate line work, images of objects are buried. Sometimes they are domestic items, such as teapots and pitchers. Sometimes they are from the natural world: a stone or acorn we slipped into our pocket on a walk.

I have always had a tender spot for seeing fragments of past lives in museums. Plates, storage jars, beads and baskets unearthed from another age are hallmarks of our humanity. I see our potted plants lining threshold steps, the treasures we keep on a windowsill or bedside, in the light of future excavation. My paintings are a proxy for the beacon of home. I want my imagery to invite viewers in, to find beauty, pleasure and warmth.