Emma Rose Reichert - Owner & Creative Director

With 20 years of experience as a Graphic Designer and Art Director in the global medical device and pharmaceutical industry, I've always had a passion for fine art, architecture and beautiful paper. Lafayette Paperie brings these passions together to create bespoke paper suites with original watercolor paintings for clients seeking something truly unique.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Emma credits her love of art and design to encouragement from her family as a child. “I remember sitting at the kitchen table and painting with my grandmother – and then we took painting classes together. My mother is an interior designer and I was encouraged to help with selections for clients. We had original oil paintings in our home. I took every art class in high school and continued studying art, graphic and advertising design in college. I’m very fortunate to have grown up with art and design as a central part of my life” 

After graduating from the Rochester Institute of Technology in graphic design and while working in the corporate medical device world for a few years, Emma missed the simplicity of paint on paper – and in 2001 enrolled in classes at the Ridgewood Art Institute, studying under Joel Popadics. “In addition to refining techniques, Joel taught me to 'really see' and understand how to paint the atmosphere... what is the temperature, how does that effect the light.” In 2008, Emma worked from the company’s corporate European headquarters in LaCiotat, France for one year. “This was truly a dream come true – for a designer/artist to live and work in Provence. I managed graphic design and the corporate brand in the office all week and weekends were spent exploring the countryside. I saw and felt the light that the old Impressionist Masters painted.” Working in design for a global company, allowed for business travel throughout Europe and Scandinavia - which then sparked many paintings back in the studio.

Emma’s paintings have been seen at numerous art shows at the Ridgewood Art Institute, The Ridgewood Library, The Belskie Gallery in conjunction with the Closter Library, West Side Presbyterian Gallery in Ridgewood, NJ, Old Tappan, NY Library, Woodcliff Lake’s Pottery Barn pop-up show, St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church “After the Grace” cookbook, community outreach live and silent auctions, winner of the 2003 Hudson Valley Art Association scholarship and the 2018 Cover Winner for PM360 magazine - Greatest Creators Edition. 

Today, Emma is an Art Supervisor at Maven Communications and owner of Lafayette Paperie. Emma and her husband, Steve enjoy renovating their 1926 bungalow in Westwood, NJ, gardening and taking their rescue dog, Betsy out for hikes. 

“I have a sensitivity to relationships of light... and watercolor is all about finding that perfect balance in the light-effect.”