commissions
under construction
Anthony Hollyhead, music journalist for Rock N Load
Born in Reading, England in 1988, Emma has lived a wonderful array of experiences, experiences which have forged together to produce a talented musician who is in touch with the world around her. From a young age she displayed her musical talents and loves, firstly picking up the saxophone before moving on to learn the guitar, bass and drums; early proof of her ‘can do’ D.I.Y. attitude and ethos.
This innate ability within Emma is founded within a solid educational background and that “je ne sais quoi” factor that only the best musicians possess. At University she studied Environmental Science and really honed her awareness and consideration of the world around her – ideals she still holds dear to her every passing day. Whilst learning about local and global environmental issues Emma lived on her own 23" sailing boat for a year; an experience which she says helped her feel more connected to the natural world and gave her the freedom to explore her creativity.
This infectious ‘can do’ attitude was helped formed by her early years playing football. From the age of five, little Emma cut it with the boys and was suitably eye-catching to go on to represent Shropshire County and Centre of Excellence. She developed a keen competitive edge and a wonderful ‘anything is possible’ attitude thanks to these early footballing experiences and was rewarded with a stint at Fulham FC. Her passion for The Beautiful Game remains as strong as ever.
After leaving University, Emma went touring around south-east Asia and Australasia opened up her mind and soul to a vast mixture of different cultures and ways of life than her own. She taught English and Art in a Cambodian orphanage, she studied climate change in the rainforests of Malaysia, Emma did it all! And all the while, these experiences were stock-piling inside her, just ready and waiting to be unleashed on the world through her music. Returning to Europe, Emma was offered the opportunity to work with London-based band 'The Zarrs' as their saxophonist. Here, under the mentoring of frontman Eddie Lee ,Emma fell in love with the world of live performing; playing her first gig at London club 'Punk Soho' and sharing gig nights with the likes of Bastille.
After her travelling experiences Emma enrolled on a teaching course which then took her to France, a country she had loved from a young age spending school holidays at her Grandparents house near Toulouse. The culture, the countryside, the “esprit libre” all gave their influence to Emma and she settled in the vibrant city of Montpellier, on the south coast of the country.
It was here that she once again threw herself in to musical creativity. Launching and fronting two local rock bands with both ventures proving highly successful and garnering great support and critical acclaim. Emma wrote her first album in just 6 weeks and recorded over 2 days whilst still recovering from an illness that left her lungs working at 60% capacity. Emma says this wake up call to our mortality made her even more determined to 'just go for it' and work hard to strengthen her voice for future compositions. Her last band 'Midnight Waves' was named after Emma's affinity with the ocean; an environment which she says "has an ethereal, meditiative yet energising quality which is somehow just even more magical at night".
Acoustic guitar in hand, Emma will while away her time writing melodies, hooks, riffs and lyrics and it is her determination and aforementioned ‘anything is possible’ outlook on life which breeds simply breathtaking results.
'Escaping the Heat'
£1100
dimension
Acrylic on canvas
Original, signed.
Currently under construction. Please check back soon
commissions
Custom Commissions
I regularly work on custom paintings, portraits and illustrations and am available to discuss any ideas you may have.
How can I commission a painting?
You can either email or phone me to discuss the piece you'd like. From there we'll decide on the style, size, colours, and arrange the pricing, timescale and payment options. Click here to go to the contact page.
What do you receive with a commission?
You'll receive the original art work, sent first class, with a signed Certificate of Authenticity, a digital Certificate of Authenticity, and a 10% discount off any future commissions.
You'll also receive an 'In Progress' photo book of photos taken as the piece is being completed. You can choose between a digital version for free or a printed copy on recycled paper for £25. If the commission is a gift for someone we can add in personalised messages to the photo book. Please contact me to arrange this.
What is the payment process?
You can either pay the full cost upfront, for which you'll receive the receipt and digital Certificate of Authenticity immediately. Alternatively you can pay a non-refundable down payment of 50% to cover the material costs and as a deposit, for which you'll receive a receipt, and then the full receipt and digital Certificate of Authenticity after the remaining 50% is paid, once the commission is completed.
Do you do returns?
Unfortunately not, but fortunately this has never been an issue to date.
How long does a commission take?
This obviously depends on the commission, but generally an A4/A3 drawing will arrive at your door within 10 days, and a painting will usually take a minimum of two weeks. I will always give you a maximum completion date based on current work and projects I have going on at that time. If you need a commission completed urgently there's the possibility of a fast-track option for a premium fee.
How much does a commission cost?
Again, this varies according to the commission. I base cost on the time it'll take rather than size, and prices include first class postage and packaging, and insurance. Please contact me for a quote.
Do I own the rights to the commission?
You will own the original artwork, but the rights of all original work, commissioned or otherwise remain the property of Emma Hames. For large scale projects - such as book illustrations or designs used for businesses there is some flexibility with the use of purchased images, which will be agreed upon in the form of a licensing partnership and drawn up as a formal contract. You are more than welcome to share the work on your websites and social media pages with credit included.