Artwork by Emily Kerr

Artist: Emily Kerr

Titles:

Baby in Blue, Gouache, water soluble graphite, pastels, charcoal on board

This painting is based on a photo of my son and I. I remember he was having a hard time going to sleep. I sat on the edge of my bed holding and rocking and singing to him. He melted into me, relaxed and safe and finally fell asleep. The perspective makes the mother's arms and hands look very large, strong, and safe. Many moments in the first year are in the dark night lit only by nightlights and the light of the moon.

Deeply Woven, Water soluble graphite, charcoal on board

When my babies were small we slept like this almost every night. After 9 or so months in my womb we had a deep need to be near each other. The softness of the water soluble graphite shows what the wakeful nighttime hours looked like in the light of the moon. Baby would stir or make a sound or cry out, I would wake, calm, comfort, latch my baby at my breast, and we would both fall asleep again. A nightly, all night dance.

Learn Again, Gouoache, water soluble graphite, pastels, charcoal on board

My body knows how to grow a baby, birth them, feed and nourish them. Breastfeeding comes naturally and is also something I had to learn. When I had my second child my oldest was two. I remember her watching intently as I helped her baby brother latch and nurse. She would snuggle close and often hold his hand. This painting is based on a photograph of myself breastfeeding my son with my daughter snuggled against his back.

I Will Keep You Safe, Gouache, water soluble graphite, pastels, charcoal on board.

I first painted this pose several months into Covid spreading in our area. My daughter was almost two. Through it all, parents still woke up, made food for their children, played, laughed, loved, tended to, and took care of their children. We didn't pretend like everything was ok, but we protected their innocence and found new spaces for them to play when zoos, aquariums, stores, and even playgrounds were closed.

Latched, Gouoache, water soluble graphite, pastels, charcoal on board.

Nose to Nose, Water soluble graphite, charcoal on board.

By the Light of the Moon, Water soluble graphite, charcoal on board.

In the wintertime the moon shines into my children's bedroom window. This is painted from a photo I took after nursing my son to sleep during a full moon. One of our blinds was missing and the moon shone through perfectly to light up our faces. It was beautiful and sacred.

Mother and Child, Gouache, water soluble graphite, pastels, charcoal on board.

12 Days Old, Water soluble graphite, charcoal on board

The first days are raw. I felt safest in bed with my newborn snuggled next to me. After nine months of pregnancy and being connected together with an umbilical cord there is a biological need to be near each other. I enjoy painting people like landscapes, especially when there is more than one person. In this painting I like the way the figures are layered and connected to each other. The smooth bedsheet beneath them makes the space feel larger while the figures are squished, stacked into each other.

Baby Sling, Water soluble graphite, charcoal on board

I wore my children in slings and carriers on my chest for most of their first years of life. It is where we found healing and safety and a familiarity after nine months of my carrying them in my womb. Baby wearing is more widely accepted and normalized in many cultures across the world. The benefits for both mother and child are astounding.

About the Artist: Emily has two children named after the moon and stars. She attended the University of Utah and graduated in 2016 with a Bachelors in Fine Arts: Painting and Drawing. After graduating she continued to make art and taught at the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah for several years. In 2018 she became a mother. She wore her daughter in a wrap for most of her first year. In 2021 Emily had her son one month before the loss of her close friend's son. It was a dark year, but it was also a healing year. There was deep grief and great joy and love. Through each of those seasons, Emily made art. She makes art so that she can remember exactly what it feels like to have a baby in her womb or on her chest or sleeping beside her. She paints the struggles and dark parts of motherhood as well as the beautiful moments. She wishes to communicate the depth of love one can have for their child. She creates so she can remember exactly how it feels in this season. She paints to capture even just a slice of what this season of motherhood is. She paints to remember.

JKR Gallery

Artwork by Emily Kerr