Emily Christensen McPhie was born in Utah in 1978 into the highly-artistic Christensen family. As a child, she toured the museums of the United States and Europe with her family. At each museum, Emily and her brothers and sisters were told they could choose a postcard as a souvenir, and young Emily's postcard collection quickly filled with early American portraits and Degas' studies of young dancers. The influence of these museum trips is apparent in Emily's portfolio of paintings.

Growing up, the pursuit of art was second-nature for McPhie, who went on to win awards for art in high school and beyond. Emily graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in painting.

Emily currently resides in Chandler, Arizona with her husband Gavin and daughters Cordelia Lavender, Clover Iona and Ezra Petunia. "Motherhood has brought out some pretty strong emotions and ideas," says McPhie. "Translating those thoughts and emotions into images gives me clarity, and I find I want to document them before my perception changes." Her daughters show every sign of following in their mother's footsteps. "Half my studio is theirs," she laughs. "They have their table and their easel and all their supplies. I find that they're in here even when I'm not. They just love it - they're very creative."