signed, numbered and beautifully embellished
by the artist

Emmy Dudley was born in Richmond, Virginia and grew up in the south. As a child, she was always drawn to creative endeavors. Emmy loved drawing, writing, sculpting with play-doh and making silly audio and video tapes. She fondly recalls watching her mother paint beautiful landscapes and the distinct smell of oil paint and paint thinner.

At the University of Georgia, Emmy studied journalism and photography, receiving a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts & Journalism in 1992. Throughout her studies, she worked at the school newspaper- The Red and Black, first as a copy-editor, then as an entertainment writer and photographer. She especially enjoyed working in the darkroom. As an art minor, Emmy took as many art classes as she could during her senior year and began to realize once again her passion for creating.

When Emmy’s dream of landing a job with National Geographic or one of the other major magazines that she was interested in working for didn’t come to fruition, she worked many odd jobs, continuously asking the universe for an answer as to what she was truly supposed to be doing. The answer came to her in the form of a new passion- painting. Even though she barely knew “the rules” or techniques, she was simply intrigued with this new love of hers. She spent all her money on paint and brushes and began painting on everything she could find.

Soon after, Emmy answered an ad for an artist’s assistant and to her delight, got the job. The 9 to 5 job taught her the basics of painting and the discipline to create work every day. She diligently worked nights and weekends on her own paintings and developing a unique style of her own. After three years, she began showing in galleries and successfully selling her work. Emmy has continued this success as a full-time, self-employed artist for over ten years now.

Emmy currently shows exclusively in the South and lives in Atlanta with her five fabulous feline friends.

Artist Statement:

Quite often an image or idea simply intrigues me and I’m challenged to mix it up and make it my own in a painting. While a finished piece may look nothing like what I started with, I was inspired and given a focus, something to elaborate on and have fun with.

Many of my paintings seem to take on a life of their own. Most of the time I give myself full freedom by not having a specific end product in mind. I try to let my intuition guide me as much as possible and let the work unfold without too many limits.

Much of the time I find painting very meditative. I try to be an open channel for creative inspiration to freely flow through. I simply love the process of creating art.

Inspired by Dr. Seuss, it’s fulfilling for me to create a painting that will make someone smile and feel good. I try to capture and portray life in a positive light. I’m a dreamer and an optimist. I believe in the good in people and this world.

Most of the characters in my work are full of life and hope. . . hope for a brighter day; a day that I know can exist. They are constantly changing and growing as I myself am. They are, I’m sure in some way, a reflection of myself.

We’re both searching for all the answers and really enjoying the journey.