20 x 20 cm
Oil and acrylic on canvas board.
 
This small work is painted like a simple sign, direct and unapologetic. A lemon yellow sun sits at the centre, with thick, raised paint forming a wide grin and uneven teeth. The background is split into two pink tones, one warmer, one softer, both dotted with quick marks that read like heat, confetti, or passing light. Short sun rays push outwards in blunt strokes, giving the image a steady pulse.
 
The piece keeps the language of drawing. Lines stay visible, edges are not corrected, and the surface holds the hand that made it. The word “HAPPY” sits along the bottom like a caption, turning the painting into a note left for yourself, or a reminder placed on a wall.
 
It returns to a recurring idea in Emily’s practice, that joy can be plain, immediate, and physical. The sun is not symbolic in a distant way here, it is the simplest cause and effect. Light arrives, the body responds, and happiness becomes something you can name.