Biography
Born in Sun Valley, I've spent most of my life in Bellevue, Idaho. I have the unusual fortune to have parents who were neither determined that I become a wealthy professional nor that I retire my impractical dreams, marry and have a gaggle of squalling country children. They actually support my desire to become an artist, and not just as a hobby, but as a career!
Straight out of high school, I floundered for a couple years at marvelous Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Much more successful were my subsequent three years at the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland. I learned things I never knew a person could be taught; for instance, that there is in fact a method to creating abstract artwork! In 2005, I obtained my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking, graduated with high distinction, and made my parents cry.
After graduation, I returned to Idaho and my dear James Brothwell and, besides my employment at Lynn Toneri's eclectic art gallery, spent several years mainly focused on art, creating the Nature Silhouette woodcuts, the Picture Jasper paintings, and the Sainted Seashell woodcuts.
In early 2008, we moved to Portland and I returned to the workforce, finding a job at the artful letterpress stationery store, Oblation Papers & Press. Full time work left me with little time to create art, but I managed to complete one series, the Plague Dog drawings.
Beginning with the annual Christmas gift exchange at work, I stumbled upon a style that led to the Tiny Scary Portland series, miniature red and black paintings of the flora and architecture of our city. In July of 2009, I had a delightfully successful show at the Talisman Gallery , the Portland art collective I joined at the beginning of summer in 2008.
In September, 2009, I acquired my aunt's letterpress, a 1907 Chandler & Price! In June, 2012, after over four years of selling wedding invitations and learning about the fine printing industry, I left Oblation to pursue my art and fine printing career full time. Find my paintings, drawings, and prints in my first Etsy store, emilyrileyart, and my greeting cards, bookplates, and other treats in my second Etsy store, rxletterpress.