Creative Of The Month: February 2026
- Tim Parks
- Apr 3
- 3 min read
Emily Bishop
Location:
Palette in the Pines
Idyllwild Village Lane
54200 North Circle Drive
Idyllwild, CA 92549
Creative Vocation: Oil Painting
-How did you become interested in becoming a creative person?
For as long as I can remember my answer to the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” was the same. I wanted to be an artist. I was, of course as children tend to be, a little vague on the details. I couldn’t have told you what kind of artist, or what medium, or what subject matter, only that art was what I wanted to do.
-How would you describe your work?
My main medium is oil painting. I spent most of the past year painting landscapes with vivid colors and lots of movement. Clouds and water are some of my favorite things to paint because of the freedom that comes with them.
I like being able to show visually the invisible movement of the wind in the sky through the patterns of the clouds. Through my paintings, I want the viewer to feel like they are taken somewhere beautiful and safe. I love to paint things that spark feelings of wonder, peace, and joy within me.
Recently, I’ve started branching out in my subject matter. I’m trying my hand at paintings of animals, surrealism, and abstract art. It has been a fun challenge to learn different techniques and continue to push myself to grow artistically.
-Who, or even what, would you say is your main influence in an artistic sense?
My main artistic influences are the impressionists and post-impressionists. I love artists like Van Gogh, Monet, and Seurat.
I admire the technical skill required to make a hyper-realistic painting, but I think there is something special about taking what I see in the world and making itlook different and new.
Monet’s almost scientific approach to capturing color, Van Gogh’s expressive brush strokes, and Seurat’s unique approach are all inspirations to me in my ownwork. One of my favorite paintings is Van Gogh’s “The Sower” 1888.
As a Christian myself, I love the religious imagery of this piece, as well as the beautiful colors of the limited palette that Van Gogh chose.
-What inspires you and brings you the most satisfaction in doing your creative endeavors?
I find a lot of my inspiration in nature. God is a much better artist than me, and I am inspired by the creations I see around me. I enjoy painting big dramatic scenic vistas, but also little less noticeable things like ripples on the water or tiny flowers.
I also get satisfaction knowing that the art I make will be chosen by someone to brighten up their life and hopefully make their home have the same peace and joy that I work to capture in my paintings.
Upcoming Events or Store Info: I would love for you to come visit my studio-store, Palette in the Pines, in the Idyllwild Village Lane. To get there, walk through the cute little alley past the Atomic Cow, then past Taryn’s place until you see my store on the left. So long as the weather permits, I am usually
working on a painting or art project outside of the store, so you can take a peek at my works in progress!
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