Are artists born or made? Emily Randolph says she wasn’t born with a brush in her hand. It was only after decades working in marketing and communications that she rediscovered her childhood love for photography. A switch flipped and she knew her calling was mixed media.

Like her career, Emily’s art is layered and nuanced. Unconstrained by rules, she embraces the unexpected by utilizing luxurious materials like dibond aluminum and acrylic, and hand finishing pieces with natural elements like grass and rocks.

“There’s no limit to what I can explore, and find and use to bring something beautiful to life,” Emily said. “I want my joy to come through my artwork and bring happiness to other people.”

Emily is an artist unafraid to embrace color. And while her pieces capture different moods, more often than not, Emily turns to vivid, lively colors to influence and connect with people.

“Sometimes what I’m doing is planned and other times there’s quite a lot of serendipity,” Emily said. “There’s a bit of mystery to the process. Usually I have a master plan and follow that, and then I let the creative spirits take me away.”

Certainly, the creativity flows at the Celebration of Fine Art. It’s one reason Emily describes being in the show as a dream come true.

“I have been a visitor of the Celebration of Fine Art for many years,” Emily smiled. “I would come with my parents and would walk up and down the aisles for hours at a time. A couple of years ago I got up the courage to apply and now here I am.”

See more of Emily’s story below: