Figurative paintings by Emily Flint Hall

Throughout my life, I have been drawn to the natural world. My fascination with insects, snakes, frogs, and every other critter started in the woods behind my house, with my dad as my field guide. A few memorable moments were finding a rough green snake with her clutch of eggs, delivering a distressed red bat found in the hot sun to the wildlife veterinarian, and catching huge moths and tiger beetles at night with my Entomology class from Nature Camp. I draw on my love of nature to depict themes of growth, decay, fears, and life cycles. 

When I feel overwhelmed, I come back into the present by closely looking at natural objects– a torn moth wing, an opossum skull, or a snakeskin shed. Likewise, when I feel stuck in a painting, it helps to master one small detail. I may then regain my confidence and sense of direction. I frequently zoom in and out of my work to find what needs my attention. 

My paintings are how I process where I belong in this world, and how I translate my internal struggles into a visual narrative. There is a bittersweet tension between attraction and repulsion; beauty and decay. In my work, I explore anxiety and fears, attempt to harness mental illness, and overcome apathy and hopelessness. While developing my subject matter, I think about psychology, myth, and symbolism. Flora and fauna become physical representations of emotions or thoughts. The outside world reflects the interior. 

I am lost without creative work. When I am unable to make things, I feel a heaviness and deadening. I look to the natural world for inner peace; an interest in the connection of birth, death, and renewal; and a sense of being part of something much bigger than myself. Art making is how I prune the excess that accumulates from daily living.