Emma McCartney was born in the Foothills of California in a small town called Tuolumne, fairly close to Yosemite National Park. She studied textile design and oil painting at a local community college before going on to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandise. Of her work, Emma has this to say "Art has a lot of meaning to me. It’s a way of communicating, expressing myself, and connecting myself to my thoughts and to others. I find inspiration mainly from nature and emotions".