Emma Hurley

I was born on the ridgetop above the community of Point Arena. Growing up barefoot and tangle-haired, I spent every possible moment exploring the wilds of beach, river, and woods. Art projects were dragged outside and I used the natural world as my muse; a trend that continues today. In 2014, bridging work as a fisheries biologist and environmental educator, I created a line of ocean art apparel: NorthCoast Brine. My original pen and ink drawings are screen printed by a friend onto a carefully selected garment line. Inspired by the life and environment of the cold brine waters off of Northern California, my goal with the line is to encourage ocean stewardship and provide advice on sustainable seafood. Many of the species I depict have a long history as human food. Most of us are now removed from the process of catching our seafood and only know halibut, lingcod, or rockfish as square fillets; my wearable artwork puts an image to these common food species that are beautiful amazing animals in their own right. BRINE \ˈbrīn\ water saturated or impregnated with salt; the water of the sea.

     My pad and pen studio is ever-changing: the salmon boat I deckhand on, the bluffs, the beach, the local wild riverbank. My ocean inspiration extends to the art of functional pottery. My wheel-thrown pieces are richly decorated with waves, fish, and kelp. Each piece is lovingly hand-carved, a process that can take hours and hours and makes each unique. Every chunk of clay is handled and handled: from wedging to throwing to trimming to carving to glazing.