About the Artist

Artist Statement - I am constantly stunned by the beauty that surrounds us whether that is a landscape, a child's face at play, or the light bouncing off of the water at sunset. My goal is to capture that feeling and express it the only way I know how, by drawing or painting it. Each time I stare at the blank canvas, my mind whirls with activity and the restless energy of creation. The joy for me is in the artistic journey....the problem solving and losing myself in the process, not always in the finished product.

Emily grew up in a home that valued creativity. Her father helped start the St. George Art Festival and was in charge of all the art programs for the city of St. George. This provided her the opportunity to take many art classes from community artists including cartooning, drawing, painting and ceramic classes.  After moving to American Fork her senior year, Emily continued taking art classes and was lucky enough to have Mary Ann Judd Johnson as her high school art teacher. Mary Ann encouraged her as she developed artistically and helped her get an art scholarship to Snow College in Ephraim, Utah.  She attended Snow College for a year and had two more amazing teachers in Osral Allred and Carl Purcell. She eventually transferred to the University of Utah and graduated with a degree in graphic design. A few years later she went back and earned her Art/English Education degree from Utah Valley University and began teaching English, Creative Writing and Art. She has taught  Art for the past 22 years and although she enjoys her students and teaching, she also loves creating her own art. She painted exclusively with watercolor for ten years and loves the vibrancy and fluidity of watercolor but has recently began painting with oils as well.  She is a member of the Utah Watercolor Association  and Oil Painters of Utah and travels and paints as often as she can.  

AWARDS AND EXHIBITS

2025 Juried into the Fletcher Booth Traveling Show with "Sunday Afternoon." This piece will be in a private traveling collection for 2025.

2025 Juried into the Utah Watercolor Spring Open with "Sunday Afternoon" and  "Back Roads in Beaver."

2024 Juried into the 38th Annual Sears Show with "Up, Up and Away"

2024 Juried into the Freedom Festival Art Exhibit at the Covey Center with "Up, Up and Away"

2024 Won Grand Prize in the Logan Summer Small Works Show with "Midway Morning"

2022 Won First Place in the Highland Art Show professional oil division with "Uintah Runoff."

2022 Won First Place in the professional watercolor division with "Laundry Day" in the annual Steel Days Art Show

2021 Won the Mayor's Award at the Steel Days Art Show with "Roller Mills at Night"

2021 Juried into the Traces of the American West Show with "Still Standing" and "Take Me to Church"

2021 Took 2nd place in the Driggs Plein Air Quick Paint with "One Man's Junk"

2021 Took first place in the Ogden Plein Air Event

2021 Juried into the UWS Spring Show with "Destination Unknown"

2020 Juried into the UWS Fall Show and took third place with "Salty Winds and Old Glory"

2019 Selected to be in the Fletcher Booth Traveling Show with "Parisian Spring"

2019 Juried into the UWS Spring Open with "Paris in Rain"

2019 First Place Award with "Rainy Day Reflections" in Timpanogas Art Show

2018 "Rainy Day Reflections" selected to be in the Fletcher Booth Traveling Exhibit

2018 "Rainy Day Reflections" juried into the UWS Spring Open

2018 Won Merchant Award with "Weathered and Red" at the Midway Plein Air Competition

2018 Won Honorable Mention in the Driggs Digs Plein Air Event with "Sticks and Stones"

UAEA Art Show selected to exhibit at the Utah County Health Building for four months "Park City Main" and "The Sun Will Come Up"

"Park City Main" took First Place in Exhibit

2018 Selected as a Bold Brush finalist with "Parisian Spring" in Bold Brush Competition

2018 American Fork First Place Watercolor "Market in Greece"

2018 Lehi Art Show First Place with "Gone but Not Forgotten"

2o17  Selected for the Fletcher Booth Traveling Exhibit with "Parisian Spring"

2017 Utah State Fair Professional Division Plein Air Paint Out 2nd Place for "Morning at the Fair"

2017 Spanish Fork Utah: First Place Watercolor for "Park City Main"

2017 Utah Valley Fair: First Place for "Spring Runoff"

2017 Highland Art Show: Art Council Art Award for "Park City Main"

2017 Steel Days Art Show: Timpanogas Art Foundation Award for "The Sun Will Come Up"

2017 Steel Days Art Show: First Place for "Park City Main"

2017 UWS Spring Salon: "Market Street" Selected for Fletcher Booth State Traveling Show 

2016 Utah County Art Show: Best of Show for "Lehi Roller Mills"

2016 Utah County Art Show: First Place for "Sunlit Bottles"

2016 Steel Days Art Show: First Place for "Lehi Roller Mills"

2016 Lehi Art Show: First Place for "Grandpa's Farm"