(Emma)
(Emma’s) original collection in the Archive spans nine years, 1976-1985, ages 5 to almost 14. The full collection contains 1588 items, which are reproduced on microfiche in the Reference Edition. (Emma's) work is colorful; characteristically these colors are lush rather than primary and the color combinations can be offbeat. Small imaginary worlds, landscapes, and, from her third year of school on, abstract designs (symmetric early on, later more syncopated), are favorite subjects. A charged atmosphere is sometimes created through such means as scribbled lines or transparency. “Light shining through” recurs. Her style includes fine but quick detail and qualities of lyricism and rhythm along with humor. The consistency across the collection is part of the evidence of persistence, of sustained effort. Each year shows increasing technical command of a widening range of media, with an explosion of productivity and emotional power in the later years. The later years include many drawings from life. (Emma’s) unassigned writing throughout the file is often in the style of a fairy tale in which (Emma) is the storyteller describing small worlds, magical transformations. There are also reports of historical events retold in quick, conversational style. Poetry and fictional work often rely on a strong sense of animation, sometimes making subjects out of colors or mundane objects, often in the context of family-like relationships. Some of the later writing shows a more self-reflective side. Throughout the file there is a breathless vivaciousness.