In a spare room with lime green and hot pink walls, a love and passion for art was cultivated for young Chloe Emmerling, a graduate student from UCA. 

Emmerling always felt drawn towards art but it wasn’t until later in life when that love turned into a career. 

She now has an art studio where she is able to create pieces on her own to sell but also for commission work. 

“Over the past couple of years I’ve been continuing to do commission work, but also getting to kind of find my style and what really inspires me which has been the cool part,” Emmerling said. 

She explained how the process of commission work has shifted with time as she found herself and her own style more and more through the years.

“It was honestly challenging for me at first because I oftentimes would make something that I didn’t feel like was true to my style…and whenever people will commission me to do pieces with specific things of course you want to honor their desires.

“But it’s also cool because people are invested in you and want to see the way you create what they want so you have to stay authentic to who you are as an artist,” Emmerling said. 

Growing up Emmerling’s parents always encouraged her desire to create, and when she realized that’s what she wanted to study in college — they were extremely supportive, which allowed Emmerling to prosper into where she is today.

“My family is really who helped to ignite this passion in me and create confidence and show me love and support at a really young age,” said Emmerling. 

She also discussed the passion she has for the Lord and how his creation is what moves her to paint what she does. 

Emmerling said, “I get to create art like the Lord has created all of us and he’s given all of us a purpose here on earth.”

She has a large range of painting abilities but takes inspiration from natural scenes, flowy florals and enjoys expressing the joy that springtime brings through artwork. 

One of her favorite verses, John 15:4, gives an environmental metaphor to the Lord’s followers, and she has taken inspiration from it in her own pieces when painting nature. 

“I get to come into the studio early in the morning and just spend time in worship while painting and it’s such a sweet gift that I get to share with other people,” said Emmerling. 

She is currently working on a commission of 36 canvases featuring acrylic paintings that will go in the hallways of a Texarkana retirement home. 

“It’s so fun getting to create work that I’ll get to share with friends and family, but it’s also sweet to know that the work I’m doing right now helps people and they’re enjoying it,” said Emmerling.

She explained how important art can be for people, “There can be a lot of heaviness and I’ve always enjoyed using art as an escape to find the good things that the Lord has bestowed to us.”

She mentioned that there’s always feelings of new things to do that could grow her business and sometimes, “I’ll [Emmerling] consider kind of jumping ahead of steps but I have to remember that I’m in an in-between season.”

Emmerling’s determination, trust in the Lord and true passion for her craft has helped develop her career and allowed her to be where she is today. 

Emmerling’s completed projects and works she has for sale can be found on Instagram @emmerlingart.