Puffins Galore! – Interview With ‘Puffins Galore Artist’ Emma Garness

Much to her delight, Beverley-based artist, Emma Garness was commissioned by Amy Johnson Arts Trust, for their puffin design – inspired by an excerpt from Midge Gillies’ biography; Amy, Queen of the Air.

Emma explains:

“The excerpt describes Amy Johnson’s forced landing at Spurn Point. On a foggy, freezing, November evening in 1930. Amy is on a journey to Hedon airfield, flying her de Havilland Puss Moth in terrible conditions, a situation made worse by forgetting her compass. Amy makes preparations to crash land into the sea and swim towards a ship she has spotted, but at the last minute, the lighthouse flashes in the distance and she recognises it to be Spurn. Like a moth attracted to the light, Amy redirects to the shore, where she is rescued by the lighthouse crew.”

Enthralled by Amy’s story and adventurous spirit, Emma’s sketch book was full of ideas and questions on how to approach her design. She continues:

“The front of the puffin shows Spurn Lighthouse and a puss moth, along with the wild water which surrounds Spurn Point. On the back of the puffin, Amy Johnson takes centre stage in a high collar coat (also part of the story), and from her heart space flows the puss moth plane, as well as the missing compass, the rolling ocean, a Brent Goose and sea rocket — two items that I wanted to include, from the array of flora and fauna at Spurn.

“I wanted to give just enough information to spark an interest for people to find out more about the derring-do attitude of Amy Johnson and the natural beauty of Spurn Point. Yet at the same time, I hope that the design will be strong enough to tell a story on its own.”

Amy’s story has captivated Emma. “Amy was an inspiring woman who’d set her sights to do something, then just go ahead and do it.”

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust team at Spurn Point also influenced Emma’s design, telling her about the area’s constantly changing environment, space and the abundance of nature.

Amy’s Light will be decorated with paint supplied by Brewers in Hull. An All Coat paint which she uses to paint murals for Network Rail onto their steel bridges. Having worked with this paint previously, Emma is confident the colour can withstand the extreme weather conditions that will surround Amy’s puffin at Kilnsea.

About the Artist

Emma Garness feels fortunate to have made a living as an artist throughout her life.

“At the start of my career, I was painting bouncy castles which taught me how to ‘go big’. This was followed by theatre work where I painted pantomime sets. All of this experience provides lots of knowledge which has helped my art to evolve.”

Key themes throughout Emma’s work include; nurture, family, stories and nature. She paints large street art and murals as well as, smaller studio work where she uses acrylics and spray paint.

Research for each artwork is just as enjoyable for Emma as the creation. “The Amy Johnson Arts Trust commission has given me a really lovely opportunity – it made my heart sing!”

The sponsor: Amy Johnson Arts Trust

The Amy Johnson Arts Trust is a charity which champions Hull’s aviation heroine Amy Johnson, through creative arts and cultural programmes and aims to ensure that future generations of young people know about her remarkable story. They do this by devising, commissioning and promoting events, and by providing information and educational resources about Amy.

In 2016, the Trust marked the 75th anniversary of Amy’s death with an ambitious two-month Festival of the Arts & Engineering, re-telling Amy’s story for contemporary audiences and celebrating her life and achievements.

One of the highlights of the 2016 Festival was the very popular public art project, A Moth for Amy. Many of these brightly coloured, artist-designed, giant moths can still be seen around Hull and East Yorkshire.

Trust Director, Rick Welton, is delighted to make the link between Amy’s Moths and Puffins Galore!

“We love the way that Emma has incorporated the puss moth and Amy’s Puss Moth plane into the design, and managed to include so many evocative elements of the story and the environment of the Spurn area.”