Emily+McPhie

Emily Christensen McPhie was born in Utah in 1978 into the highly-artistic Christensen family. As a child, she toured the museums of the United States and Europe with her family. At each museum, Emily and her brothers and sisters were told they could choose a postcard as a souvenir, and young Emily's postcard collection quickly filled with early American portraits and Degas' studies of young dancers. The influence of these museum trips is apparent in Emily's portfolio of paintings.

Growing up, the pursuit of art was second-nature for McPhie, who went on to win awards for art in high school and beyond. Emily graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in painting.

Emily currently resides in Chandler, Arizona with her husband Gavin and daughters Cordelia Lavender, Clover Iona and Ezra Petunia. "Motherhood has brought out some pretty strong emotions and ideas," says McPhie. "Translating those thoughts and emotions into images gives me clarity, and I find I want to document them before my perception changes." Her daughters show every sign of following in their mother's footsteps. "Half my studio is theirs," she laughs. "They have their table and their easel and all their supplies. I find that they're in here even when I'm not. They just love it - they're very creative."



"A visual artist speaks her own language. This language is read in symbols. There are a few that are common, even universal, but an artist's alphabet is crafted out of experience and imagination and is identifiably unique. Everyone uses symbols, think bumper stickers and jewelry. The flip flop, for example. Put it on a tote and I will read you as one who loves vacation, sea breezes, and wearing pastels. One of the main purposes of my blog is to teach you my language. Not an easy task, putting visual symbols into words. I'll be honest, I don't even know what my symbols mean sometimes. I paint them and know they mean something. Of course, writing about my paintings helps me define and decipher the meanings." -Emily Mcphie



1. http://www.emilymcphie.com/bio.htm 2. http://www.greenwichworkshop.com/mcphie/ 3. http://tendernessandtoil.blogspot.com/

(Starr Crow)