“Working on a piece of this size was both exhilarating and demanding.” Emma O’Connell in GIGANTIC

Emma O’Connell is one of the amazing artists in GIGANTIC at Tyger.

Tyger is thrilled to welcome back the brilliant Emma O’Connell for GIGANTIC - our upcoming show of artists working on a grand scale.

Join us to celebrate the opening of this spectacular show on Saturday 26 April, 1-3pm. Register now to secure your spot at this FREE event.

You’ll be first to see all the works in GIGANTIC, and you’ll get to meet the artists involved.

Emma’s superb abstract landscapes vibrantly capture the vast beauty of the outback through rich earthy tones and dynamic brushwork.

We absolutely LOVE her paintings, and are so delighted to welcome her back for GIGANTIC.

Her work in the show is Aurora - a breathtaking 183x92cm acrylic and oil pastel sticks on canvas work. We can’t wait to share it with you.

Ahead of the show opening, Emma talked to us about being inspired by the rhythms of nature, seeing the big picture, and having room to explore movement, texture, and energy.

Tell us the story of this work. What inspired it? What does it mean to you?

“Aurora is a celebration of the unseen energy that pulses through the Australian landscape.”

“From a distance, you might catch the broad composition and shifting colours, but it’s when you step closer that the story truly begins to unfold. Layers of texture, mark-making, and bursts of colour start to reveal themselves—each one holding movement, memory, and momentum.”

“This piece was inspired by the ever-changing rhythms of nature—the way light moves across land, how colours shift through seasons, and how the earth holds energy that often goes unnoticed. It invites the viewer to slow down, to look again, and to discover something new with each moment of presence.”

“To me, Aurora is about perspective and presence. It transforms the way we see, reminding us that beauty and life aren’t just found in the obvious, but in the layers beneath the surface. It’s a wholehearted embrace of nature’s vibrancy, mystery, and the magic that lives within the land.”

Tell us about how you created your work.

“Aurora was created through a deeply intuitive and layered process. I worked in acrylics, building up the surface with sweeping brushstrokes, gestural movements, and moments of stillness to echo the natural rhythm of the landscape.”

“Each layer informed the next—sometimes veiling earlier marks, other times allowing them to shine through, creating a sense of depth and time. To bring vibrancy, texture, and a sense of energy to the work, I incorporated oil pastel sticks throughout the process. These were used for expressive mark-making, highlighting the pulses of energy within the landscape.”

“I moved between close, detailed work and stepping back to see the painting as a whole, letting intuition guide me more than any set plan.”

“The process was just as much about feeling as it was about painting—trusting instinct over plan, and allowing the artwork to become what it needed to be. Aurora was layered, reworked, and refined until it felt alive—like the land it represents.”

What particular challenges came from working on a piece of this size?

“Working on a piece of this size was both exhilarating and demanding.”

“The physical scale meant I had to constantly move—stepping back to see the full composition, then getting up close to work on the intricate details. It required a lot of time, energy, and space (especially since I work from home), and staying connected to the work’s overall rhythm while focusing on individual sections was a real balancing act.”

“There were moments where it felt overwhelming, where I questioned if it was coming together or if I'd lost my way in the layers. But I’ve learned to embrace that part of the process.”

“Large-scale work challenges me to trust my instincts more deeply, and there’s so much room to explore movement, texture, and energy on a bigger scale.”

What do you hope people feel when they see your work?

“I hope people feel something stir—whether it's a sense of connection to the land, a moment of stillness, or even just curiosity to look a little closer. My work is layered and full of movement, so I love the idea that someone might discover something new each time they see it.”

“If it makes someone pause, breathe, and feel a little more grounded or inspired, then that means everything to me.”

Register now for the opening of GIGANTIC on Saturday 26 April, 1-3pm.