Cynthia Emerlye lives in a quaint 18th century farmhouse nestled in the rolling hills of central Vermont where she writes, teaches, paints, and builds wearable art. Her muses are her six children and the abundant beauty of nature surrounding her.
*
Cynthia
Emerlye was born in Rhode Island, USA, in the baby boom after World War
II. Growing up in a creative, travelling family, she was introduced to
homey and fine crafts at a young age. Sewing, knitting, crochet,
painting & drawing, carving, building, cooking, baking &
canning... were all taught to her by her grandparents and parents.
Along with music lessons, Cynthia was given art lessons throughout her
childhood. She continued this interest into High School, where she won
local and state art contests. At Mount Holyoke College , while a
communications major, Cynthia persued her art interests, taking many
classes and producing a large series of watercolor paintings which
showed and sold in a Barrington, Rhode Island gallery.
After college, Cynthia married and became the mother to six beautiful children. This was her primary career for the next quarter-century. In 1990 she and the children moved to a small farm in Pomfret, Vermont, where she lives today. The children are grown now, so she has more time for her art. Currently Cynthia sells two lines of greeting cards as well as commissioned artwork and individual paintings from her home studio in Vermont.
Cynthia has developed a distinctive style that is all her own. Her work is detailed and elegant, convoluted and richly feminine in nature, recalling the richly illuminated manuscripts of the Renaissance and the detail of William Morris. Her black and white florals are highly distinctive and have been adapted to many decorative and commercial uses. Her paintings and illustrations, utilizing a soft rainbow palette, incorporate symbols and mythic iconography into their dreamscapes.
Please feel free to peruse the images on this site to get a feel for Cynthia's unique style.
