Having grown up near the Lake District in Cumbria, North West England, artist Emma Tilia spends a lot of time outdoors. Nature is central to her artistic practice, with the dramatic scenery of her home region acting as a constant source of inspiration. Her Flow State collection of abstract paintings features striped, multi-colored brushstrokes that evoke the contours and rhythm of the natural world.
Tilia’s unique painting style developed gradually through a lot of experimentation. She explored different ways of layering color until she developed a visual language that felt true to what she wanted to express. “I wanted my work to feel less like a literal depiction of a place and more like an emotional experience of it,” she tells My Modern Met. “Color became central to that process.”
Sport was also a big part of Tilia’s life growing up, but when arthritis unexpectedly stopped her from running, painting became a way to reconnect with that feeling. “I wanted to capture the sense of flow and complete presence that I had experienced while moving through landscapes,” she explains. “Over time, I began simplifying natural forms into flowing bands of color, creating compositions that sit somewhere between abstraction and realism.”
Loading multiple colors onto her brush, Tilia creates striped strokes that seem to flow through the landscape. The artist tells us, “What interested me wasn’t just how a place looked, but how it felt to be there—the sense of freedom, perspective and calm that comes from being immersed in the natural world.”
Each abstract landscape features at least one small hyperrealistic figure that anchors the scene. From a skier among snowy hills to a surfer among the waves, each figure creates a sense of scale that reminds us how small we are in the majestic vastness of nature.
Scroll down to see the artist’s work below and find even more on Emma Tilia’s website.
Emma Tilia’s Flow State collection of abstract paintings feature flowing bands of color that evoke the contours and rhythm of the natural world.
Tilia uses color to explore the sense of freedom and calm found in being surrounded by nature.
Each abstract landscape features at least one figure that anchors the scene and remind us how small we are among nature.
Watch the artist at work.
@emmatiliaart Slow painting >> This was me testing out some new colour palettes and compositions ✨ #abstractlandscapeart #satisfyingart #acrylicpainting #artist #calmingart ♬ her garden – Amory Reel
@emmatiliaart ‘A Quiet Frontier’ Acrylic on Canvas 60 x 40 cm This was a custom painting for the kindest collector – your support means so much ☺️ #satisfyingreels #acrylicpainting #abstractlandscapepainting #cowboy #desertsunset ♬ Palm Breeze – Offthewally
@emmatiliaart The second painting of my ‘Flow State’ collection: ‘Grounded’. This piece includes a palette of earthy tones and rock reds, set against complementary blues that effortlessly fade between sea and sky. ‘Grounded’ communicates the climber’s mental steadiness, a sense of trust over force, and their harmony with the environment even when physically exposed. ‘Grounded’ Acrylic on Canvas 40 x 50 cm #satisfying #abstractart #rockclimber #acrylicpainting #artist ♬ original sound – Emma Tilia
Emma Tilia: Website | Instagram | TikTok
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Emma Tilia.
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