A monthly theme inspires new conversations and ideas that we otherwise wouldn’t think about. At our virtual events, speakers are invited to share a story around the theme and what it means to them. After a month, we are excited to see the talks and inspiration that are born out of the theme.

Given that these monthly illustrations are at events all around the world, it’s only right that we get to know the illustrator. It is a tradition at CreativeMornings to work with an artist in our community to create an illustration for the monthly theme.

CreativeMornings/Lisbon chose February’s exploration of Touch and Emma Lopes created the accompanying illustration.

We’re excited to share some of our favorite artworks created by Emma!

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About Emma Lopes

Emma Lopes is an artist and illustrator, born in Scotland and brought up in the rolling hills of Somerset, UK. She studied Fine Art at University of the Arts London and at Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Spending time in wild places is her favorite pastime and mother nature is her muse. A core belief which filters into every aspect of her work is that all life is interconnected. A core mission is to support social and environmental justice movements through her work and in making the world a little more beautiful and a little more biophilic! Working in watercolor, gouache, collage, and sometimes even marine debris, she uses detail, pattern and color to focus our attention on the vibrancy and wonder of nature. Her art is both a form of meditation and activism through celebration of a world we must fight to protect. She believes in aesthetic force, the power for change in storytelling and in education through visual media. Emma now lives in Portugal where she makes both large scale paintings and illustrations for organizations with purpose for people and planet.

Artist’s Statement

I cannot remember a time in my life that I wasn’t driven to create; it was my first and greatest passion. It’s my way of exploring, making sense of and reflecting on the world. Allowing myself the time to notice minutiae and a humble realization of the magnificence of nature combined with imagination. Connection to the natural world remains a big feature of my artwork both as a source of awe and beauty and also as a stimulus for the imagination. I am also fascinated by how human beings have tried to make sense of the universe and of our place in it over the millennia, so I draw inspiration from these explorations, from folk tales to scientific research.

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Selected Works

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You can see more of Emma Lopes’s work on her website and Instagram.