Emily has had a deep love for drawing and creating since she was a child. She had her first experience working professionally in art in high school, when she got her first job as an intern at a local community art studio. She worked and volunteered there for two years, helping prepare classes and working gallery events, before going on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art on a full scholarship.

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Emily went on to work as a caricature artist at Darien Lake. She still loves to do caricatures of her friends and loved ones for fun. She then spent a semester working for a painter and former professor of hers. He had suffered an injury that heavily impacted his mobility, so her job was to help him in the classroom as well as his personal art studio, assisting him with his paintings and organization. This was a profound experience for her, as she not only learned from watching him teach his students and helping him paint, but also from observing his positive attitude and determination to always keep creating. She carries what she learned from him into her personal life and professional philosophy as an artist today.

After working and studying in the Buffalo art community for many years, Emily was finally able to get a tattoo apprenticeship in 2021. In an uncanny turn of fate, she met her first mentor through her physical therapist after breaking her arm and recovering from surgery. Since then, Emily has worked hard to develop proficiency in a wide range of styles, but with a special interest in black and grey, illustrative, and neotraditional tattoos.

Emily finds inspiration in all of the things she loves. When she’s not tattooing, Emily is an avid reader and a lover of horror. She will talk your ear off about what she is currently reading and her favorite horror movies, as well as Adventure Time, ghost hunting, and true crime. All of her interests heavily influence her artwork, and she is constantly looking to the people and things around her for inspiration.

check out her work on instagram @emilyquartley