Emmy Dudley

Emmy was born in Richmond, Virginia on October 1, 1970.  She grew up around Washington  D.C, in Marietta, Georgia and in Brentwood, Tennessee.  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; it also taught her what  she didn’t want to do when she got home and worked on her own artwork.  She diligently worked nights and weekends on her own paintings and developing a unique style.  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 ten years now.

Exhibiting work throughout the United States, she currently shows exclusively in the South.  Emmy lives in Atlanta with her five fabulous feline friends.