Statement:

Large boulders claim space on the Massachusetts shoreline, deposited by glaciers fifteen thousand years ago. I’m drawn to their sculptural forms and enduring timelessness. I’m interested in the contrast between the stillness and presence of these boulders, and the ever-moving tides. 

I visit there in the summer, where I swim daily in the open water and become part of the environment. In the water I’m fully present and aware.That desire for immediacy and authenticity is also a focus of my art making practice. I let go — to make marks and gestures that are expressive and connected to the feeling state of being immersed and attuned to the ocean.

Bio:

Emily Shepard was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She attended the California College of the Arts, and received an MFA with distinction in work that integrated printmaking, book arts and sculpture. Shepard was honored with the Barclay Simpson Award, and has shown her work locally and nationally in juried exhibitions, including the Crocker- Kingsley exhibition in Sacramento and on Artsy with Jen Tough’s Artist Alliance. She’s a member of the artist-run gallery, Mercury20 in Oakland, CA. Her work is included in private and corporate collections. Shepard swims year round in the San Francisco Bay without a wetsuit, which focuses her senses, challenges her will and informs her art.