Born in Britain in 1980, Emilie Houssart is a Dutch painter who grew up in Norfolk. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in Modern Languages she spent three years at the Charles Cecil Studios in Florence studying Old Master painting techniques and philosophies. As part of a scholarship she taught drawing at the school while progressing with her own painting studies. Emilie divides her time between the UK, Holland and North America, and currently works from her studio in the Pump Project in Austin, Texas.

All of Emilie's work is done from life under natural light. Her landscapes are painted on location with some studio reworking and the portraits are done directly from models in the studio where the high, north-facing window provides beautiful, constant light and shadows. She paints with layers of oils, exploring the potential of the medium to harness light so that a painting can appear to glow from within. She is currently working on a new series of landscapes and learning to etch.

Work by Emilie Houssart is held in private collections across Europe and the States. Previous exhibitions include the Belgravia Gallery in London; the Greenacres Gallery in Wexford, Ireland; St. John’s Cathedral and Norwich Fringe as guest artist for the Art Now group in Norwich, UK; and the Art Alliance Austin Show and EAST tour in Austin, Texas. In 2003 she was awarded the American Society of Classical Realism Prize.

Artist's Work