Conversations with strangers in Spanish
Reflecting on day 1 of our Granada Sketching Retreat
Hi, I'm Emma
I’m a watercolour and gouache artist living in Granada, Spain.
I love creating lasting memories from everyday moments with bright colours and dynamic textures. I hope my sketches bring you some of the joy I experience while creating them!
I also write Sketches from Granada, a newsletter which celebrates moments of connection with strangers, friends and ourselves.
Reading Sketches from Granada brings a sense of calm. It’s something I read over and think on when I want a break. It manages to convey the joy of small pleasures and how difficult it can be at times with work / life to fully appreciate them. Emma is actively living an engaged life and it’s a pleasure to follow that via her newsletter.
Louise Johnston
Sketches from Granada is all about contemplating joy and beauty in life - the big ideas and the everyday little joys that we often forget to take the time to notice. Following Emma’s journey invites pause and reflection, I'll always save reading Sketches from Granada until I have a moment of quiet to savour it completely.
Meredith H
Latest posts
Nov 26
Starling House
A review of Alix E. Harrow's 2023 gothic fantasy novel
3 min read
Nov 06
Conversations with strangers in Spanish
Reflecting on day 1 of our Granada Sketching Retreat
6 min read
Oct 22
Montserrat
Painting the monastery and monoliths at one of Catalonia's most iconic sites.
3 min read
Sep 29
Mirador de San Nicolás
Painting Granada's most iconic view of the Alhambra
4 min read
Sep 18
Painting Parc Güell
Getting inspired by Gaudí's architecture in Barcelona
3 min read
Aug 20
Women who burn: reading my first novel in Spanish
What I learned from reading Mujeres que arden by María Esclapez.
4 min read
Aug 04
An ode to home
Connection to place isn't something I actively realised I was missing until it bloomed in this house in Granada. So here is my ode to this home, constructed of hundreds of moments of repeating yet shifting experiences.
4 min read
Jul 21
How to start travel sketching
Key things to consider before, during and after your trip to help you start to develop your own travel sketching practice. Plus, download your travel sketching kit.
4 min read
Jul 06
The point of travel
What I want to do when I visit you in your city
3 min read
Jun 22
Painting the Court of the Myrtles
As soon as I finished painting the Comares Palace at the Alhambra, I knew I had to paint the view from the other side of the Court of the Pool. When you enter the courtyard, you're drawn to the reflections in the enormous central pool, which is framed by thirty-metre-long myrtle bushes.
2 min read
Jun 15
Granada Sketching Retreat l 23-27 October 2025
Julia Henze and I are hosting a Sketching Retreat in Granada from 23 to 27 October 2025. We'd love you to join us as we immerse ourselves in the beauty of this city with a community of like-minded sketchers.
1 min read
Jun 09
Why I make art
I started painting as a form of self-care when I was burnt out during the acute phase of the pandemic. Since art is a passion I've developed as an adult, it's fascinating to consider why it's become so important to me. So, here are the key reasons I keep picking up a paintbrush.
4 min read