YORK artist and teacher Emma Whiting will display a new collection of paintings on the theme of interiors, in Spelman’s Bookshop, Micklegate, York, from tomorrow until July 7.

“This new series began as an experiment in using acrylic underneath oil paint and a wish to play with pattern,” says Emma.

“I grew interested in the chairs I used, their form and texture, as well as the implied human presence. It’s not new, but it has been new to me, as while I’ve often considered the theme of houses in my work, it has always been from the outside.

“I’ve tried to make myself repeat things, as a way of learning, and have also hoped to make pieces that balance the observational study which I value, and on which my work is hinged, with a freer, more imaginative approach to which I am drawn.”

Emma is interested in where painting “sits comfortably” within these parameters. “I hope that these are comforting pictures with an emphasis on rest and domestic pleasure, and that they tell of a true delight in colour, in paint, and in a nice place to sit.”

A preview will be held this evening from 5pm to 7pm.