Emma McMullen was brought up in Strathaven in Lanarkshire and started painting at an early age under the tuition of her artist grandpa.  Having always wanted to go to art school, Emma ended up taking a different route and studied an arts masters degree including geography and history of art at the University of Glasgow, graduating in 1999, before going on to study an M.Phil in urban policy in 2000-2001.  After a career in regeneration, project management and policy, Emma returned to painting in 2022 with private and college tuition, and she now balances work and art. 

Combining geography with art, Emma is drawn to depicting places that have meaning to her and others, considering human interaction with the natural environment. with a focus on Glasgow and the West of Scotland.  In particular, Emma focuses on capturing the play of light on her subject matter or the contrast of colour in everyday scenes, usually working in oil paint.