Emily Dwan’s artistic mission is to spread positivity and a connection with nature through her emotional compositions. After one glance at her work, there is no denying she has accomplished this goal with each painting providing an adventure for the eyes. In addition to her luminous paintings, Emily mosaics guitars and wall hangings just as vibrant and entrancing.
While now happily nestled in the mountains of the foothills, Emily is a city girl at heart. She grew up in the Chicagoland area and was inspired from a young age by the vast Impressionist collection at the Art Institute in Chicago. Her style pulls inspiration from classic artists like Monet and Van Gogh, but her work takes on a more psychedelic and modern approach.
“Emily knew from an early age she wanted to become an artist.”
She attributes her affinity with nature to her father, an engineer with a green thumb. “My dad loved landscaping and we’d garden together in the backyard often. He created an oasis for us with a Koi pond, waterfalls, and lots of flowers,” Emily recalls. Emily continues to garden today and was actually known as the “Iris lady” while living in Denver. She cultivated an Iris wonderland around her house and would often gift neighbors with their beauty.
Emily knew from an early age she wanted to become an artist. Her parents supported her passion with a variety of art classes and supplies. But it was her Grandma Lucille, an artist herself, who would scoop young Emily up on weekends for trips to the many museums and art exhibits Chicago has to offer. Every experience deepened her passion for creating art that inspires others.
Emily was a child who didn’t color within the lines, both literally and metaphorically. She always had a different perspective “and beat to her own drum.” It wasn’t until a little later in life that she learned to embrace her uniqueness and harness its power “through her art.”
In 2009, Emily attended Indiana University where she attained her B.A. in Fine Art and minor in Art History. During that time, she spent a life-changing semester in Florence, Italy ensconced in the nuances of watercolor painting—a “complete dream” that filled her soul and love for art history.
After college, Emily took on a few graphic design jobs to “pay for her art habit.” She would work by day and paint by night from her window overlooking the Chicago skyline. In 2011, she took a leap and moved to Denver to live with her sister in search of inspiration. Soon after, she met her husband and continued her freelance graphic design work, but art continued to be a primary focus.
From 2013-2023, Emily was actively involved in Denver’s RiNo Arts District. She created daily in her art studio in the historic Dry Ice Factory building. The more time she spent in Colorado, the more her primary focus shifted from city skylines to nature-inspired landscapes.
In 2020, Emily and her husband welcomed a baby girl into the world. Unfortunately, she experienced post-delivery complications which required two abdominal surgeries and long stretches of bed rest while recovering. “Sometimes you just need to have the rug pulled out from under you to put things back into perspective,” she reflects. Emily made the bold, life-changing decision to focus on her art full time. Instead of lamenting her situation, she used the recovery time to write a business plan and committed to eight art festivals. She was determined to make her dream of sharing her art with the world a reality.
In 2023, Emily and her family left Denver for the mountains She now has her own studio on the property with a door that opens to wildflowers, Evergreens, and gentle breezes. “I am so excited to be a part of the mountain community. I hike my dogs every morning and there is so much peace and inspiration surrounding me,” she says.
The saturated urban inspired colors that surrounded her in Chicago still bleed into her naturescapes today creating an unexpected color pallet. Emily’s work has been exhibited at the Boulder Museum and numerous juried art festivals throughout Colorado. She has created public art in both Denver and Golden and is most well-known for her depictions of Red Rocks Amphitheatre; therefore, it’s fitting that she has moved her studio to the foothills of Morrison.
To view and purchase Emily Dwan’s artwork, visit her website, emilydwan.com or Instagram at @emilydwanart. She welcomes commissioned work and will be showing her art at the following festivals this summer: Art on the Rockies, Lake Dillon Art Festival, Golden Fine Arts Festival, and Evergreen Fine Arts Festival.
