emma wickens FINE ART

09/23/2026

🌻 Leather earring additions 🌻

09/21/2026

07/02/2026

"Living Brushstroke"
Mixed Mediums
This little painting is really special to me as I started it 26 years ago as a senior in high school. My mentor/teacher Dave Studebaker had us take a watercolor panel paint the sky and water to reflect each other and the middle space would be painted in acrylic. It was a fun project and I remember struggling with the rocks. Mr. Studebaker showed me a couple strokes with his paintbrush and sent me to my desk. His help was always to the point, not over thought and usually perfect.
Mr. Studebaker retired not long after that and sadly passed from an unexpected brain tumor. My four years of art in his class inspired me to be the artist I am today. He always had a way of bringing a canvas to life and it was magical.
I finally got this framed 26 years later and it feels quite special to know that in a few of the brush strokes he is alive within it.

06/30/2026

🌺Sometimes I sit down and have a practice of picking a photo in 60 seconds and giving myself a short deadline to finish, like one day of work in the studio. I had a lot of fun with this colorful and striking painting of poppy blooms and pods. This oil painting was done with a palette knife which allowed me to keep it soft, flowing and a touch abstract. I found a beautiful frame, so once it dries I'll post a follow up photo. 🙂
"Where the Wild Things Grow"
16x20 Oil on Canvas

06/17/2026

"Presumptuous by Nature"
24x24 Oil on gallery canvas
👩‍🎨I've started working on a side project that highlights indicator and keystone species so when I had couple reach out for a commission request for a Sage Grouse, I was excited as it was on my list of species to highlight. Thank you! to my art collectors!
🪶Sage-grouse populations have been in decline, primarily due to habitat loss as roads, fossil fuel development, powerline/ infrastructure expansion, and residential subdivisions degrade and dissect intact sagebrush ecosystems.
📍A recent report from the U.S. Geological Survey found that just 14% of sagebrush ecosystems in the U.S. remain intact and face a variety of threats, including oil and gas drilling and invasive weeds. Every year, the West loses 1.3 million acres of its iconic sagebrush steppe. Sage-grouse now occupy only 56% of its historical habitat. The decline of the sage-grouse underscores the urgent need for strong conservation measures.

06/01/2026

05/29/2026

🙏THANK YOU Lewistown Town and Country Foods for allowing me to be apart of the rotating local artist wall for so long. It's been a wonderful experience working with the whole staff; they are all so helpful and kind. What a great Crew(Bridget, Michelle, Whitney and more)! Thank you for all you do to serve Lewistown and the surrounding communities of central Montana.
I love the new art up, go check it out 🤩

05/29/2026

Shout out to my fans! Thank you so much Kendall for your recent purchase of this oil pallet knife original of 3 sandhill cranes! This one holds a special meaning to the trio we close to us for years. Thank you to Mary CB for hosting this wonderful event. The Good Enough: Annual Fine Art and Craft Exhibition was a wonderful way to show the arts are alive and well in central Montana!!

05/15/2026

My recent “buffalo” painting will be on display tonight and tomorrow at the Good Enough: Annual Fine Art and Craft
Exhibition.
Along with so many hand crafted furniture pieces made with all sorts of different specialty woods. The central Montana art displays are absolutely stunning!

🍷Come out and enjoy the beautiful evening and weekend soaking up some creative vibes!

OIL ORIGINAL 36x48 "The Great Plains Tatanga"

The American bison, often called the “buffalo” has long been a defining presence of the Great Plains. For thousands of years, vast herds moved in rhythm with the land, shaping ecosystems and sustaining life. For many Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains, the buffalo was never just a resource, but a relative, central to culture, spirituality, food systems, and ways of living in balance with the earth.

In the 19th century, buffalo populations were driven nearly to extinction through mass slaughter, tied to westward expansion and deliberate efforts to disrupt Indigenous lifeways. Yet, through resilience, changing paradigms, the buffalo endured. Conservation efforts, tribal stewardship, and regenerative land practices have helped restore small but growing herds across parts of their native range.

The story of the northern plains buffalo is not one of ownership, but of relationship. No one person or group can claim the buffalo, just as no one can claim the wind, the grass, or the sky. They exist as their own sovereign beings, carrying wisdom, memory, and presence that invites us to remember our place within, not above, the natural world. A healthy relationship.

Recently here in Montana I was a bit put off seeing the front page of local news using the American Bison as the new mascot and symbol for the “American Prairie Reserve”. The APR is a private entity, and IS NOT bound by the same public accountability or democratic processes as state or federal agencies. A small board of directors, often composed of wealthy donors or out-of-state interests can make sweeping decisions about land use that override the collective will of the people who actually live there. This creates a "pay-to-play" environment where financial power replaces local consensus. We need rural American life to thrive!

I want my painting of the great buffalo to stand as a reflection of this truth; “ that all life is an expression from the Creator”. Like the buffalo, each of us is a unique and authentic expression of that same creative force. When we honor their autonomy and presence, we are reminded to live with greater humility, rather than trying to possess it.