Featured Artist: Emma Radulski

We’re thrilled to spotlight Emma Radulski! A Tucson-based linocut artist whose illustrations burst with life and movement, Emma masterfully captures a spectrum of personality — through bold colors, expressive forms, dynamic character, and undeniable charm.

Where are you from?

I’m originally from Pennsylvania, born and raised in a small city called Williamsport. In 2019 I earned my BA from the University of Louisville in Kentucky, moved up to Bloomington, Indiana after graduation with my partner David, then headed out to Arizona in 2021 for his PhD program! I was reading Dune at the time, which felt bizarrely appropriate as we drove from green humidity into the hot, dry desert (we arrived in July, oops). I’ve slowly come to appreciate the beauty of Tucson, so different from the other places I’ve lived. We have 3 lovely cats and a dog who fill our home with love and fur. So much fur.

What got you started making art?

I can’t remember not making art! It’s always been my outlet. As a kid I doodled on every scrap of paper, homework included. I read a lot of fantasy novels and watched tons of animation; stories fascinated me and I often drew fanart of my favorite characters or tried my hand at original designs inspired by things like Fern Gully, the Spiderwick Chronicles, Anastasia, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Atlantis….anything with magic. High school art classes made me think more seriously about my art, and I got to try new things like linoleum printing (my first design was a two-block print of a bee and honeycomb). I had no idea that linocut would play such a large part in my life later. I’m forever grateful that my parents indulged my need for art supplies and my teachers encouraged my constant scribbling.

What’s your artistic background? (experience, education, etc.)

Most people assume I have a degree in art, but my Bachelor’s was in Gender Studies and Sociology! I considered the Fine Arts program but was afraid that school would make me fall out of love with creating for its own sake. So I drew, embroidered, and crafted just for myself throughout college. I also applied for and was granted a scholarship to attend the Penland School of Craft for a summer, which was an incredible experience. I worked with an artist named Ruth Miller in a workshop on Embroidered Portraiture, and those memories made amidst the trees of North Carolina will be forever in my heart. I was going to pursue a Master’s in Social Work but accepted an academic administration role at UofL upon graduating and remained there through the COVID lockdowns. When businesses began opening again, I left and moved to be with David in Indiana, where I began making and selling funky shrinky-dink jewelry. And finally, when we moved to Arizona, I rediscovered and fell in love with linocut printmaking. I took a few printmaking classes at Pima Community College under Lauren Steinert to get back in the groove, use the equipment there, and have a community of fellow artists again, which I’d been missing desperately. I showed my work in the Bernal Gallery, a first for me, and was invited to attend and present at the eighth Print, Printed, Printing Conference in Las Vegas, New Mexico. I don’t consider myself a “fine arts” printmaker or a gallery artist, but being recognized for my work and seeing my art on a big white wall was special. I took a break from markets over the summer because I would have melted, but nowadays I’m participating in markets each month and working on new carvings out of my home studio. I just finished setting up an etching studio, which means I can start making new zinc plate prints (like the hermit crab and the hammock pieces pictured)!

Who or what are your biggest artists’ influences?

Oh boy – so much. For a quick overview, everything I mentioned loving as a child plus: The Last Unicorn, Studio Ghibli, Glen and Claire Keane, James Baxter (especially his work on Prince of Egypt), the New York City Ballet, the fairytale illustrations of Sheilah Beckett, Impressionism, Art Nouveau….and more. Alphonse Mucha remains my largest source of artistic awe and inspiration; he’s most known for his advertisements, huge posters made for opera theaters, bicycle companies, absinthe, cigarettes, cookies, and other mundane products that he made magical in his artwork. I had the chance to see some of his sketches and original lithographs (prints made by chemically etching stone) and it was as close to a true religious experience as I’ve ever had. Not everything on display was a perfect finished piece – you could see his smudged fingerprints, the seams in large posters from where they’d been folded or taped together, drawings made in soft graphite that looked so much like my own sketchbook – and that was the beauty. It was intensely human, and I cried a little from the joy and the feeling that we were connected as artists and lovers of beauty, hundreds of years apart. It’s my greatest wish to make someone feel that way through the art that I put out into the world.

Where do you get your inspiration for your art?

I am not a religious person anymore, but I was raised in a Catholic household and have a continued fondness for depictions of angels and saints, the concept of holiness, and the symbolism of hands. I love gold accents and rich colors. The turning of the leaves in autumn, the night sky, the weird growth patterns of prickly pears. The ways queer people have flagged themselves throughout history, with haircuts and handkerchiefs and styles of dress; the language of flowers (lavender and violets, green peonies and pansies). I love Hellenistic and Neoclassical sculpture; marble made flesh by Bernini and Canova. I love how women represent themselves and other women in art, from Artemisia Gentileschi to Mary Cassatt to Miriam Schapiro. My contemporaries are also endlessly talented; Marlowe Lune (digital illustration), Callie Barbas (printmaker), Trung Le Nguyen (graphic novelist), to name only a few. I favor natural, curved lines, a focus on the human body, plenty of tiny details, and the representation of love in little moments. I try to take everything I find beautiful and infuse it into my art. I don’t know that I always hit the mark, but I’ll be creating for the rest of my life and have a lot of time to learn and improve!

Anything else?

A lot of people compliment my art and then tell me that they can’t even draw a stick figure. I appreciate the praise, but c’mon! You CAN draw a stick figure. Everyone starts somewhere – I started with wonky fairies and princesses, and have been working to make them less wonky for over 20 years. You don’t pick up a pencil or paintbrush or carving tool and find yourself an immediate Michelangelo. You practice, and you experiment, and you have fun. You make something with your own two hands, even if it’s messy or strange or bad. That’s art. That’s valuable.

What brought you to BICAS?

I’m a coward on the road and have mostly ridden my bike on safe, paved paths like the Loop. But my friends (who are much more hardcore than me) have always spoken positively about BICAS, so I applied for the artist mart back in August. Before the market I helped clean up the space a bit by learning how to break down bikes, and that was way more fun than I expected – I got to hit things, and get a little greasy, and learn something new!

How has BICAS affected you?

BICAS makes me feel good about the community around me! Everyone at BICAS has been so friendly and helpful. I met a bunch of cool artists and community members at the market, and now I’m writing these words for a newsletter which will further connect me with the best people in Tucson – like you! Also, now I know there’s so much more to a bike than meets the eye. I often marvel at how people have figured out how to make and standardize the build of things like bikes; there’s a whole world of invisible engineering to appreciate.

Why did you work with BICAS at Art Mart?

As before, I had heard so much good about BICAS – community-minded, kind and inclusive, empowering, accessible. Even if I’m not an intense cyclist, I wanted to support BICAS’ mission and it seemed perfect to get involved through the artistic side of BICAS.

Other upcoming events to find you?

I’ll be at the next Makers Market at the Tuxon! It will be held on December 7th and 8th from 1-6pm each day; I’ll be there on the 7th. There will be over 80 local vendors total. It’s a great opportunity to get some holiday shopping done!

Check out her Instagram and website for more of her work, and catch her at the Makers Market at the Tuxon on December 7th!

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