Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Latham.
Hi Emily, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always loved working with my hands. Gardening, baking, and fiber arts were some of my earliest hobbies. As a young adult, I started a business on Etsy selling engraved wooden kitchen gifts such as cutting boards and utensils. My shop still specializes in personalized gifts for weddings and Mother’s Day.
Around 2020 I wanted to expand my offering and began to learn block printing and created hand printed tea towels for my shop. I fell in love with the art of hand-carving rubber and linoleum stamps and I started to learn everything I could about the world of Printmaking. I followed many amazing artists on Instagram, watched countless YouTube video tutorials, and bought books on the subject. I explored gelli plate printing, relief printing, collagraphy, textile printing, and drypoint etching.
After learning so much and loving each of these processes, I began teaching printmaking classes at my local art center in Georgetown, Texas. I also created a full collection of artwork that features my favorite small businesses and restaurants in town. The collection has been featured in exhibits at the Georgetown Public Library and City Hall.
I am continuing to grow in my practice of drawing and creating fine art pieces as often as possible.
I have recently gotten back to baking for my community each week. I bake cinnamon rolls and specialty breads and sell them in my self-serve farmstand called “The Cupboard” on Saturday mornings. I often partner with local farmers and other micro-bakeries to offer eggs and other baked goods in The Cupboard. It’s a lovely place of community where you can get a sweet treat, some farm fresh eggs, local artwork, homegrown veggies, and maybe even meet a new neighbor.
I love how creativity and beauty can bring people together. That’s what I aspire to do through all of my creative ventures. Whether that’s through a personalized gift that brings joy each day, friends taking my art classes together, an art piece full of sweet memories, or sharing something delicious with someone you love!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Small business is definitely not easy. You have to learn to ride the unpredictable waves. The past two years have been very difficult and different for my online engraving business. I’ve lost suppliers for my materials, sales have been down, production costs are all up – I’ve had to constantly pivot. But the drop in business has given me more time to invest my creativity into other interests such as printmaking and my home bakery. So I try to see the challenges as opportunities and just see where they might take me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My artistic focus for the past few years has been on relief printmaking, specifically linocut. A linocut print is a 100% handmade piece of art. You start by hand-carving a sheet of linoleum to create a relief – basically a large stamp. Then ink is rolled onto that surface and paper is pressed into the ink to create the print. It’s a very satisfying process. The carving has to be done in reverse so the image will print the right way, so it’s great fun when you have letters and numbers to add to your design. It is unlike other types of artwork, since you are removing material rather than adding. It’s a bit of a brain puzzle and I find it very fun and fascinating!
I’m best known for my collection of linocut artwork that features many of the small businesses, restaurants, and historic buildings around Georgetown. I created each piece as a celebration of these places that hold a lot of memories for us. Restaurants that see first dates, family dinners, engagements, and anniversaries. Small businesses that are always first on the must-shop list. Historic buildings that remember times and places as they were before you arrived. I hope my collection honors the history, hard work, and joyful times that each of these buildings represents.
One of the pieces in my collection has won two local awards. It is a multi-colored reduction print of a red poppy. Each year, Georgetown hosts a Red Poppy Festival and a contest is held for poster artwork for the festival. My piece won the contest for 2024 and also won best in show at our local art center the same year!
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I have seen so many opportunities come from being connected in my local community. Vending at local festivals, selling work in local shops, partnering with an art center to offer classes, joining a local art guild, and knowing my own neighbors are where all of my best opportunities have come from!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://emilylatham.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hearthandtableco and instagram.com/thecupboardtx
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/hearthandtableco and facebook.com/thecupboardtx
