Emeline Hastings

I think being outdoors makes me smarter. My thoughts are clearer and I understand the world better. Painting outdoors makes me humble. Light is constantly changing, clouds are morphing, insects are crawling and my patience is waning. Yet, the process of putting on the canvas all that I can see, smell and hear is one of the most exhilarating and challenging experiences that I have ever found.

In my studio, I have been working on a series of paintings of my hometown, Kingston. These include vignettes of cherished places and neighborhoods from my childhood.

I finished my BFA in Florence, Italy then moved into Manhattan to take a job as an illustrator/designer for a top publishing house. I obtained my MFA in painting at New York University and also enjoyed spending a lot of time in classes at the Art Students League and the School of Visual Arts.

19 years later, returning to the Hudson Valley, I became an art educator in a public high school. It was incredibly exciting to share my knowledge with young creative people and to also learn new things from them.

Emmy Hastings’ home studio is in New Paltz, NY. She has exhibited in many venues in the Hudson Valley and New York City.