Emily Thing is an abstract painter based in Saugerties, New York. She is a graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn where she received a B.F.A. in 1992. Further studies were completed in painting and mixed media at Cooper Union in New York City. Her paintings have been shown in galleries and juried shows throughout New England and her native Hudson Valley Region. Her work has been published in both local and national publications; American Artist Magazine, Guide Magazine, The Poughkeepsie Journal and The Kingston Times.

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“In addition to paint and collage, in my latest work, I’m exploring the use of plaster mixed with paint to enhance the textural variations on canvas or board, working more with a palette knife and tools other than a brush, and thinking more three-dimensionally about light and shadow.

I let myself be guided by each painting. The work itself exists at the borderline between abstraction and symbolism, sometimes with figurative elements, but also between real and spirit worlds. It allows for magic to have a role in its creation. I want my work to operate as a doorway, to invite the viewer in, to offer an invitation. The work involves finding where to stop making decisions and let accidents happen - feeling my way as I make connections between color, texture and meaning.”

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"…BY LAYERING PAINT AND PAPER, THING CREATES ATMOSPHERIC COLOR COMPOSITIONS, WHOSE SUBTLETY AND TEXTURE MAKE A LYRICAL APPEAL TO THE SENSES. PAPER COLLAGE IS CAREFULLY INTEGRATED INTO MANY OF THE WORKS, A STRUCTURAL ELEMENT THAT SUGGESTS FACTURE. THE PAINTINGS ARE ALL ABOUT PROCESS, YET THE MEANS ARE INVISIBLE; EACH WORK IS THEREFORE A MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENON."

Lynn Woods (The Kingston Times - Jan 7, 2010)