Painter, illustrator and mapmaker Emily Yates is best known for her colorful, joyous artworks in acrylic, watercolor and mixed media - paintings and maps celebrating the magic and mystery of the natural world, botanicals and reverence for the great outdoors. Emily spends lots of time making things and continues to go back to art and creating as a comfort. Observing nature and its creatures - seeing the language of a universe that is alive - is a constant inspiration. 

She also creates an ongoing series of watercolor maps as a tribute to the wonderful public lands (and the plants and animals they support) explored in her 20-year career as an ecologist, geographer & conservationist. Revisiting the beauty of these places with watercolor and calligraphy promotes reverence and noticing, allowing others to be inspired, to enjoy, and to take action for the preservation of natural places and the life around them. 

Emily makes her home in Illinois and has recently shown work at Piper’s Tea & Coffee in Paducah, Kentucky; ArtSpace 304 in Carbondale, Illinois; 276 Art Exchange in Equality, Illinois; The 505 Coffeehouse in Paducah, Kentucky and has 2 large-scale paintings in permanent installation in the SIH Cancer Institute in Carterville, Illinois.

As part of a mission to support local art retailers, woman-owned small business, and biodiversity conservation & public lands, Emily collaborates with & donates a portion of specific sales to the following organizations:

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, Riverwoods, Illinois (art, nature & veterans programs)

276 Art Exchange, Equality, Illinois (cultivating art, cultural heritage and rural economies)

Shop304, Carbondale, Illinois (made in southern Illinois, local art)

Muddy Roots Collective, Murphysboro, Illinois

The 505 Coffeehouse, Paducah, Kentucky

 ** More info on Shows & Exhibitions, Events and where to find art locally!

In addition to fine art prints and original works, I also offer custom, commissioned artwork! You can learn more about that process on this page.