About Us
“Adumbration Arts is a small business with the simple idea of helping others to make art. 6 years and growing and it is heartening to see the difference made by providing affordability and encouragment. When I see a studio artist going on to have a viable career or a nervous student proudly sharing their work, it really makes me proud about what we do.”
Emma Souter ( Director )
How it began
Emma’s past experiences as an arts practitioner culminated in core beliefs in the significance of reflective practice, creative and life long learning mindsets; as well as a desire to improve Artists working lives. In 2017 she set up Adumbration Arts to fulfill this, by providing opportunities for people to collaborate, create and connect and to continue reasearch within the arts utilising the adumbration principle as the primary method of enquiry.
Emma originally studied art at Central Saint Martins and continued study at Buckinghamshire University and Oxford Brooks University. She has over 24 years experience working in the arts in various roles; as an artist, art tutor, facilitator, assessor, studio manger, learning co ordinator and curator. Working at The Manchester College, Milton Keynes College, Mind, Daler Rowney, Artsmart, Commercial Square Studios, British School of Upholstered Furniture, Bucks Adult Learning and now Ayres House Studios. She has taught art in leisure, educational, family learning, staff training, SEN, and offender learning settings.
Future projects
Alongside managing our established projects we work on proposals on a ‘project by project’ basis. We are currently looking to take on another studio site and are putting together funding proposals for a selection of outreach programmes. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss a project you have in mind; or would like us to deliver, facilitate or collaborate on.
E: adumbrationarts@gmail.com
Sharing creativity
We promote the positive effects of artistic enquiry in all its forms, whether its for occupation or recreation, reflection or relaxation. As well as sharing and appreciating the works of the artists, makers and practitioners we work with, we like to advocate everyone creating work of their own; both at our own Studios, Gallery and Education Room and through outreach programmes for arts education.The benefits of creativity sustains our cognitive and mental wellbeing by means of expressing ourselves, observing in new ways, interpreting the world and sharing that with others through our art.
Whats an Adumbration?
Adumbrations are a series of multiple perspectives or viewpoints that build or reveal something hard to fully realise without them. This gives us a truer understanding of what we are studying or where we are. It is like creating a drawing studying negative space, when the form of a subject / object is revealed by the areas which surround it.
In our work, the adumbration principle has become both a philosophy and methodology for creating works, projects and spaces to encourage reflection, learning and growth.