Meet Emeline

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emeline and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emeline, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up on the south coast of England in a quaint little village. My mother is an artist and always encouraged us to be creative. I was always making art and crafts out of nothing, recycling all sort of things to make new art, clothes and other stuff.

After graduating from fashion college, I got a job in fashion as a pattern cutter in London. Then after a few years I became a technical designer and got a fun job for Ted Baker. Even though my job was very creative I had a need to make art for myself. So, in my spare time, I would create fun contemporary art pieces inspired by my childhood memories.

It would be twenty years later that I would discover why I made happy uplifting art. Unfortunately, I had endured a lot of traumatic experiences throughout my life. It became apparent that I was using art as a kind of therapy to help me endure. Today I continue to make fun artwork that is positive. I find it very exciting to realize that not only does my art help me, but it also helps others.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a young creative I wanted to be unique and make something someone hasn’t made before. Which is actually quite difficult to do considering everything has already been made. At school I made art that had a 3D textural feel. I’ve always felt that art shouldn’t be flat. My mother has kept some art pieces I made back then that have buttons, pipe-cleaners and other fun things attached to the artwork.

From a young age I loved writing. A few years ago I made a series of art inspired by stories I wrote when I was 7 yrs old. There is only one piece left and so I guess people liked them enough to put a piece of art in their home unbeknownst that the words were written by a 7yr old.

When I was at art school I loved typography and graphics. So it makes sense that I create textural art that is text based. For over 20yrs I have made art using plaster casts. When I lived in London I started making plaster letters and composing them to make unique artwork. Over the years I have perfected this practice and also made digital art inspired by my physical artwork. I think it’s very important to create digital artwork inspired by art that you have actually made with your own hands.

In 2012 I used companies like Society6 and Threadless to share my art online. I found that it was fun to see my work on different products. Other companies reached out to me and so I started licensing my prints on a wide variety of products. In 2013 I became one of the first artists that worked with Casetify; the phone case company. Then, after winning two print competitions with Printed Village, they invited me to go to New York and film for the TV show The Profit with Marcus Lemonis. This was when a variation of my famous geometric print was picked for a swimsuit collection.

It was this same year that I won the Threadless Accelerator Award. I was given a grant to help boost my art business. It really made me think about my art career and so I invested in an art business coach. She helped me look into why I create and deep down I knew I had a need to make something with my hands. There is something special about having something handmade.

Since moving back to Palm Springs six years ago I have had several successful group art shows at Janssen Artspace, the Palm Springs Art Museum and two fun projects for Palm Springs Public Arts. Two years ago I won a competition for Bounty Paper Towel. I created a print inspired by one of my public art pieces which was picked as a design for paper towel that was sold all over America.

What I have learned over the years is if you are not having fun making your art then you are doing something wrong.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Palm Springs is a small fun little town. If I had my best friend come to town I would have to start in the Design District area on Palm Canyon. I would show them my bench that I created with local poet Alex Gildzen for Palm Springs Public Art. It is located outside Trina Turk’s shop. Trina is known for her bold colorful print lifestyle brand. I’d then pop by to Trevor Wayne to say hi and see what new artwork he has from my friends Aaron and Mandy Dietz, a husband and wife team that create art together. Aaron paints and Mandy stitches on top of his paintings. My friend Betsy Enzensburger shows her fun popsicle-inspired sculptures there too.

I’d then have to hop across the road to see my friend Peri G who has a wonderful art gallery. She has a wide variety of artworks and sculptures that she has made. If you want to meet her in person she is normally in town at the weekends. Next door to her gallery is the Flannery Exchange building which houses a few fun shops and a coffee shop called Cafe La Jefa. You can pick up a snack and a cold brew and chill out in their fun seating area outside. There are two small businesses that are in the same building that I love. My friend Adrienne owns Covet Palm Springs. She sells handcrafted jewelry, gifts, and more. Next door to her is Bobo PS a cute stationary shop. Before I venture downtown I’d have to pop by and say hi to my friend Jason who owns Rubine Red a gallery that represents contemporary art. He always has something fun and new in his gallery.

Picking a place to eat in Palm Springs you are definitely spoiled. The other week I visited Junipa for brunch and my friend enjoyed the French toast while I had an amazing salad. This is located under the Rowan which is on the same street where I show my art – Janssen Art Space. So after here I’d swing by and say hi to Steven who is open Thursday-Sunday. Steven supports a lot of local artists and curates fun-themed shows.

If you are in town on the 4th Friday of the month I’d suggest visiting the art community in the Perez Art District. This is when most of the studios there open from 4-7 pm. I work in my studio that is adjacent to my home, but I have a studio wall at building H15 with Sammy Zelcer and some visiting artists. Artists work in the studios during the week, so just turn up and you may be surprised who might be there. My friend Kippi Leonard looks after the Free Little Art Gallery that is across from the studio I am in. This is a fun project. It’s encouraged for you to drop off a small art piece or you can take a piece or both.

One of my favorite places to go to at dusk is on the roof of The Rowan. You have a choice of the High Bar or All Saints, both of which overlook the San Jacinto Mountains. It just feels wonderful to be so close to the mountains and the desert nature. Palm Springs is a fun cool place to visit. I first came to visit the desert twenty years ago and I just can’t get enough of it.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people on my journey that have helped me in my life and art career. When I first came to live in Palm Springs in 2007, I didn’t know anyone. I had a need to find an art community like the one I had left behind when I lived in London. In 2008 I met Steven Janssen of Janssen Art Space. It was in the winter of that year that I had my first group art show in Palm Springs. Fast forward to the present and I am still represented at Janssen Art Space that is located on Tahquitz Canyon Way.

What I think is amazing in this area is that there is now a wonderful art community. There are so many talented and kind artists that support each other. Once a month there is a salon where we congregate and talk about art and art things. I have been part of Desert Open Studios since it first started in 2020. Over the years the community of artists has gotten bigger and bigger. Last year I volunteered and helped with the social media for Desert Open Studios and got to learn about all the many artists that are in the Coachella Valley.

Website: https://www.emelinetate.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emeline_tate

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emelinetate/