Artist Bio
Emily Read’s spirit and art embodies the meticulousness of Mouse and the broad perspective of Eagle. Her undeniable gift for detail down to the last whisker is as spellbinding as her themes and stories are touchingly universal.
Emily’s collection Not So Hopeless shines light upon a number of Earth’s species survivors, who, with the aid of some human helpers, have come back from the brink of extinction and now thrive. Each of the 60 paintings, big and small, tells a different success story and allows us to look straight into the twinkling eyes of the survivors.
Ultimately, the message is of hope. The inspiration is nature. The reminder is that we are capable of so much if we just exercise our courage to choose beauty, respect, and collaboration with our natural world.
A self-declared wallflower because of her quiet and reflective nature, Emily felt most at home as a young girl in the wild forests of Canada. As she developed her art during adolescence and young adulthood, she found herself speaking for those who could not speak up for themselves.
Emily soon spread her wings and began roaming the globe expanding the scope of her storytelling. Australia brought her to painting murals, a medium that introduced freedom and spontaneity to her otherwise controlled and conscientious style. Thailand introduced her to the Elephant Nature Park, a busy and respected rescue centre that began with one woman and one elephant and inspired Emily to use her art to reveal more stories of humans working with and for nature.
Since then, Emily has painted murals in Australia, Finland, Spain and Canada showcasing each country’s local fauna. Her other artwork has also traveled far and wide being exhibited in galleries such as the Louvre, projected in Times Square, featured in magazines, and awarded numerous international art awards.
A passionate traveler, Emily has been to 22 countries so far. But true to her love of nature and tranquility she has always sought out remote and off-the-beaten-path destinations. In this way, she has continued to fine tune her fluency with our Earth’s diversity of cultures, colours, textures, and other manifestations of human and animal life.
Perfectly illustrated in this collection, which highlights stories, creatures and motifs from around the world, her viewers will be guided through a trance-like experience that reveals our global interconnectedness and the power we hold as one: both individually and collectively.
Emily’s collection Not So Hopeless shines light upon a number of Earth’s species survivors, who, with the aid of some human helpers, have come back from the brink of extinction and now thrive. Each of the 60 paintings, big and small, tells a different success story and allows us to look straight into the twinkling eyes of the survivors.
Ultimately, the message is of hope. The inspiration is nature. The reminder is that we are capable of so much if we just exercise our courage to choose beauty, respect, and collaboration with our natural world.
A self-declared wallflower because of her quiet and reflective nature, Emily felt most at home as a young girl in the wild forests of Canada. As she developed her art during adolescence and young adulthood, she found herself speaking for those who could not speak up for themselves.
Emily soon spread her wings and began roaming the globe expanding the scope of her storytelling. Australia brought her to painting murals, a medium that introduced freedom and spontaneity to her otherwise controlled and conscientious style. Thailand introduced her to the Elephant Nature Park, a busy and respected rescue centre that began with one woman and one elephant and inspired Emily to use her art to reveal more stories of humans working with and for nature.
Since then, Emily has painted murals in Australia, Finland, Spain and Canada showcasing each country’s local fauna. Her other artwork has also traveled far and wide being exhibited in galleries such as the Louvre, projected in Times Square, featured in magazines, and awarded numerous international art awards.
A passionate traveler, Emily has been to 22 countries so far. But true to her love of nature and tranquility she has always sought out remote and off-the-beaten-path destinations. In this way, she has continued to fine tune her fluency with our Earth’s diversity of cultures, colours, textures, and other manifestations of human and animal life.
Perfectly illustrated in this collection, which highlights stories, creatures and motifs from around the world, her viewers will be guided through a trance-like experience that reveals our global interconnectedness and the power we hold as one: both individually and collectively.
CV
Awards
Top Ten Small Scale Murals in Montreal, C’est Toi Ma Ville, Dec 2018
2nd Place National Prize, International Watercolour Society Canada, competition '150 Ways to Celebrate', 2017
Honorable Mention, International Juried Art Competition, Contemporary Art Gallery Online, February 2015
Honorable Mention, International Juried Watercolour Competition, Art Competition. net, CA, 2015
Honorable Mention, International Juried Art Competition for ‘Blue’, Art Ascent Magazine, April 2014
1st Runner up, International Art Competition ‘Sky is the Limit’, A Singular Creation Art Showdown 2013
Supplemental Award, Excellence in Print Media , University of Toronto, 2010
Art Gallery of Mississauga Award, Volunteer Involvement, Art Gallery of Mississauga, 2009
Paper Place Award, Outstanding Print Media Skills, The Paper Place, 2008
Grants
Market Strategy Grant, Canada Arts Council, 2020
Marketing Grant, CALQ, Government of Québec, 2020
Travel Grant, CALQ, Government of Québec, 2018
Travel Grant, City of Tolosa, Basque Country, Spain, 2018
Murals
Pangolin, Stay at Home Mural Festival, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2020
Spotted Owl, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2020
Moose, Mimmitt Peintta International Mural Festival, Barrie, Ontario, Canada, 2020
White-Tailed Eagle, Helsinki, Finland, 2019
Saimaa Seal, Vantaa, Finland, 2019
Lynx, Mural Festival, Montreal, Canada, 2019
Spanish Brown Bear, Plaza del Ayintamiento, Tolosa, Spain, 2018
Egyptian Vulture, Parc de Les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona, Spain, 2018
Grizzly Bear, Victoria Market, Melbourne, Australia, 2018
Pangolin, Stay at Home Mural Festival, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2020
Spotted Owl, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2020
Moose, Mimmitt Peintta International Mural Festival, Barrie, Ontario, Canada, 2020Alpine Ibex, Elio Pizzeria, corner of rue Drolet / Bellechasse, Montreal, Canada, 2018
Peregrine Falcon, Corner of rue Drolet / Beaubien, Montreal, Canada, 2018
Exhibitions
Solo / Monographie
Mother vs. Nature, Glassdoor Gallery, Montreal, QC, CA 2016
Rooted, Cottage Canoe, Barrie, ON, 2015
Evolvement, Color of Money Gallery, Seoul, KOR, 2014
Group / Exposition Collectif
On Board, Gallery Marc Gosselin, Montreal, Canada, 2019
Nature, Power, and Beauty, Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki, Finland, 2019
Lights of the World, International Watercolour Society of Bolivia, 2019
Symphony of Watercolour, International Watercolour Society of Canada Exhibition, Boynton House, Richmond Hill, Canada, Sept. - Oct. 2018
First Budapest International Watercolour Society Exhibition, Stephanie Palace Gallery, Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 2018
Childhood, Gko Gallery, Tolosa, Spain, June. 2018
Boundaries, GlassDoor Gallery, Montreal, Canada, 2018
Traveling Home, Lulu Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2017
3rd Year Celebration, The Laneway Art Space, Melbourne, Australia, 2017
Hit the Road, Fotofestiwal, Ludz, Poland, 2016
Identité(s), Accès Public #2, Montreal, CA, 2016
MTL en Arts, Rue Sainte Catherine, Montreal, CA, 2016
MTL Exposed, Galerie 203, Montreal, CA, 2016
Fresh Paint Market #11, Théâtre Ste-Catherine, Montreal, CA, 2016
REversion, Super Wonder Gallery, Toronto, CA, 2016
Fresh Paint Market #10, Fresh Paint Gallery, Montreal, CA, 2016
D’arts Visuels, l’Ecomusée du Fier Monde, Montreal, CA, 2016
Comps, Espace Cercle Carré, Montreal, CA, 2016
Under the Snow, Église Sainte Denis, Montreal, CA, 2016
International Watercolor Exhibition, National Historical Museum, Tirana, Albania, 2015
Under the Covers, Glass Door Gallery, Montreal, CA, 2015
Salon of Inclusiveness II, Black Cat Artspace, Toronto, CA, 2015
Group Exhibit, Ben Navaee Gallery, Toronto, CA, 2015
Global Art League, Le Canal Gallery, Montreal, CA, 2015
Solace, Glass Door Gallery, Montreal, CA, 2015
Exposure Award, Musee du Louvre, Paris, FR, 2015
Lets Get Xeroxing, Book and Job Gallery, SanFrancisco, USA, 2015
Mtl en Arts, Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, CA, 2015
Salonesque, MAI Gallery, Montreal, CA, 2015
Small is Beautiful, Ben Navaee Gallery, Toronto, CA, 2015
Fresh Paint Marché, Fresh Paint Gallery, Montreal, CA 2015
Ma Plaza, Plaza St-Hubert, Montreal, CA, 2015
One Hundred or Less, The Front Room Gallery, Barrie, CA, 2014
Dwell, Yogiga Gallery, Seoul, KOR, 2014
See Me Take Over, New York City, USA, 2014
AppropriateD, Golmok Gallery, Seoul, KOR, 2014
Rock, Scissor, Paper, Gallery I, Seoul, KOR, 2014
Have a Heart, Flow, Seoul, KOR, 2014
Small Format, Peter Street Fine Art Gallery, Orillia, CA, 2014
SCOPE, Miami Beach, Miami, USA, 2013
Square Foot, The Edge Gallery, Barrie, CA, 2013
Charity Art Night, Cottage Gallery, Barrie, CA, 2013
Art Ce Soir, Lakeshore Mews, Barrie, CA 2013
Summer Show, Adelaide Gallery, Barrie, CA, 2013
Aesthetic Experiences, CAEI Gallery, Ottawa, CA 2013
Bedtime Stories, Alumni Hall, Ottawa, CA, 2013
Publications
Ottawa Arts Review, Cover Page, Issue 7.1
Imminent Quarterly, Cover Page, Issue III
Viz Art, International Watercolor Biennale, 2015
Blue, Art Ascent and Literature Journal, Vol. 6, Page 29
Animal Collection, Louvre Exhibition, Page 37
Snapd Magazine, November 2013
Day Time, Rogers TV, October 10th 2013
Buff Catalogue, Art and Art History Program at Sheridan College, 2010
Buff DVD, Art and Art History Program at Sheridan College, 2010
Buff Catalogue, Art and Art History Program at Sheridan College, 2009
Education
University of Toronto, Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2010
Sheridan College, Diploma of Fine Arts with Honours, 2010
University of Ottawa, Honours Bachelor of Education, 2013
Online Features
ArtBomb, Juried Online Art Auction, April 10th, 2015
Imminent Quarterly, Home Page Feature, 2014
Human Earth Exhibitions, Online Exhibition, 2014
ArtBomb, Juried Online Art Auction, August 28th, 2013
ArtBomb, Juried Online Art Auction, August 1st, 2013
A Singular Art Creation, Sky is the Limit, May 2013
Awards
Top Ten Small Scale Murals in Montreal, C’est Toi Ma Ville, Dec 2018
2nd Place National Prize, International Watercolour Society Canada, competition '150 Ways to Celebrate', 2017
Honorable Mention, International Juried Art Competition, Contemporary Art Gallery Online, February 2015
Honorable Mention, International Juried Watercolour Competition, Art Competition. net, CA, 2015
Honorable Mention, International Juried Art Competition for ‘Blue’, Art Ascent Magazine, April 2014
1st Runner up, International Art Competition ‘Sky is the Limit’, A Singular Creation Art Showdown 2013
Supplemental Award, Excellence in Print Media , University of Toronto, 2010
Art Gallery of Mississauga Award, Volunteer Involvement, Art Gallery of Mississauga, 2009
Paper Place Award, Outstanding Print Media Skills, The Paper Place, 2008
Grants
Market Strategy Grant, Canada Arts Council, 2020
Marketing Grant, CALQ, Government of Québec, 2020
Travel Grant, CALQ, Government of Québec, 2018
Travel Grant, City of Tolosa, Basque Country, Spain, 2018
Murals
Pangolin, Stay at Home Mural Festival, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2020
Spotted Owl, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2020
Moose, Mimmitt Peintta International Mural Festival, Barrie, Ontario, Canada, 2020
White-Tailed Eagle, Helsinki, Finland, 2019
Saimaa Seal, Vantaa, Finland, 2019
Lynx, Mural Festival, Montreal, Canada, 2019
Spanish Brown Bear, Plaza del Ayintamiento, Tolosa, Spain, 2018
Egyptian Vulture, Parc de Les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona, Spain, 2018
Grizzly Bear, Victoria Market, Melbourne, Australia, 2018
Pangolin, Stay at Home Mural Festival, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2020
Spotted Owl, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2020
Moose, Mimmitt Peintta International Mural Festival, Barrie, Ontario, Canada, 2020Alpine Ibex, Elio Pizzeria, corner of rue Drolet / Bellechasse, Montreal, Canada, 2018
Peregrine Falcon, Corner of rue Drolet / Beaubien, Montreal, Canada, 2018
Exhibitions
Solo / Monographie
Mother vs. Nature, Glassdoor Gallery, Montreal, QC, CA 2016
Rooted, Cottage Canoe, Barrie, ON, 2015
Evolvement, Color of Money Gallery, Seoul, KOR, 2014
Group / Exposition Collectif
On Board, Gallery Marc Gosselin, Montreal, Canada, 2019
Nature, Power, and Beauty, Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki, Finland, 2019
Lights of the World, International Watercolour Society of Bolivia, 2019
Symphony of Watercolour, International Watercolour Society of Canada Exhibition, Boynton House, Richmond Hill, Canada, Sept. - Oct. 2018
First Budapest International Watercolour Society Exhibition, Stephanie Palace Gallery, Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 2018
Childhood, Gko Gallery, Tolosa, Spain, June. 2018
Boundaries, GlassDoor Gallery, Montreal, Canada, 2018
Traveling Home, Lulu Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2017
3rd Year Celebration, The Laneway Art Space, Melbourne, Australia, 2017
Hit the Road, Fotofestiwal, Ludz, Poland, 2016
Identité(s), Accès Public #2, Montreal, CA, 2016
MTL en Arts, Rue Sainte Catherine, Montreal, CA, 2016
MTL Exposed, Galerie 203, Montreal, CA, 2016
Fresh Paint Market #11, Théâtre Ste-Catherine, Montreal, CA, 2016
REversion, Super Wonder Gallery, Toronto, CA, 2016
Fresh Paint Market #10, Fresh Paint Gallery, Montreal, CA, 2016
D’arts Visuels, l’Ecomusée du Fier Monde, Montreal, CA, 2016
Comps, Espace Cercle Carré, Montreal, CA, 2016
Under the Snow, Église Sainte Denis, Montreal, CA, 2016
International Watercolor Exhibition, National Historical Museum, Tirana, Albania, 2015
Under the Covers, Glass Door Gallery, Montreal, CA, 2015
Salon of Inclusiveness II, Black Cat Artspace, Toronto, CA, 2015
Group Exhibit, Ben Navaee Gallery, Toronto, CA, 2015
Global Art League, Le Canal Gallery, Montreal, CA, 2015
Solace, Glass Door Gallery, Montreal, CA, 2015
Exposure Award, Musee du Louvre, Paris, FR, 2015
Lets Get Xeroxing, Book and Job Gallery, SanFrancisco, USA, 2015
Mtl en Arts, Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, CA, 2015
Salonesque, MAI Gallery, Montreal, CA, 2015
Small is Beautiful, Ben Navaee Gallery, Toronto, CA, 2015
Fresh Paint Marché, Fresh Paint Gallery, Montreal, CA 2015
Ma Plaza, Plaza St-Hubert, Montreal, CA, 2015
One Hundred or Less, The Front Room Gallery, Barrie, CA, 2014
Dwell, Yogiga Gallery, Seoul, KOR, 2014
See Me Take Over, New York City, USA, 2014
AppropriateD, Golmok Gallery, Seoul, KOR, 2014
Rock, Scissor, Paper, Gallery I, Seoul, KOR, 2014
Have a Heart, Flow, Seoul, KOR, 2014
Small Format, Peter Street Fine Art Gallery, Orillia, CA, 2014
SCOPE, Miami Beach, Miami, USA, 2013
Square Foot, The Edge Gallery, Barrie, CA, 2013
Charity Art Night, Cottage Gallery, Barrie, CA, 2013
Art Ce Soir, Lakeshore Mews, Barrie, CA 2013
Summer Show, Adelaide Gallery, Barrie, CA, 2013
Aesthetic Experiences, CAEI Gallery, Ottawa, CA 2013
Bedtime Stories, Alumni Hall, Ottawa, CA, 2013
Publications
Ottawa Arts Review, Cover Page, Issue 7.1
Imminent Quarterly, Cover Page, Issue III
Viz Art, International Watercolor Biennale, 2015
Blue, Art Ascent and Literature Journal, Vol. 6, Page 29
Animal Collection, Louvre Exhibition, Page 37
Snapd Magazine, November 2013
Day Time, Rogers TV, October 10th 2013
Buff Catalogue, Art and Art History Program at Sheridan College, 2010
Buff DVD, Art and Art History Program at Sheridan College, 2010
Buff Catalogue, Art and Art History Program at Sheridan College, 2009
Education
University of Toronto, Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2010
Sheridan College, Diploma of Fine Arts with Honours, 2010
University of Ottawa, Honours Bachelor of Education, 2013
Online Features
ArtBomb, Juried Online Art Auction, April 10th, 2015
Imminent Quarterly, Home Page Feature, 2014
Human Earth Exhibitions, Online Exhibition, 2014
ArtBomb, Juried Online Art Auction, August 28th, 2013
ArtBomb, Juried Online Art Auction, August 1st, 2013
A Singular Art Creation, Sky is the Limit, May 2013