Em Thomas

ABOUT THE ARTIST
A woman sits on a large rock near Dead River Falls in Marquette, Michigan.

About Em

With a BA in political science and a master’s in business, it would only be natural that Em became a painter.

Before Barn Cat, Em worked as a paralegal, a shop manager, a sommelier, and a tech copywriter. Clearly, there’s nothing she loves more than mixin’ it up.

She’s always loved the arts. As a little girl, she dreamt of being a fashion designer, and by high school, she was starring in musical theater productions, competing in opera competitions, and painting her face off in art class.

In 2024, Em recovered her passion for painting and discovered oils. Since then, she’s explored across mediums, focusing primarily on florals and still lives in oil and digital mediums.

When she’s not covered in pigment, Em is playing with her cats, gabbing with her sister, or driving her nephews and niece around.

She’s also the co-founder of Barn Cat Collective with her best friend Emma. These two gals used to wear matching outfits on school trips. Now we wear matching outfits on global vacations.

SHOP EM'S STUFF
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EM’S SPECIALTIES

Oil Painting

  • Live event painting

  • Floral portraiture

  • Landscape

  • Prints and greeting cards

  • Pet portraits

Illustration

  • Stickers

  • Prints

  • Beer and wine labels

  • Custom designs

  • Picture books

Work Examples

Illustration of four red tomatoes on the vine with green stems against a white background.
Painting of sunflowers on a teal background.
A painting of a lakeside landscape with calm water, rocks along the shoreline, a sandy beach, and a dense green forest on the right side.
Painting of a gray and white cat laying down and a brown tabby cat standing up with a blue background.
Three ripe strawberries with green leaves on a white background.
Painting of a happy dog with a tan and white coat, black collar, open mouth, tongue out, set against a green background.
An oil painting of a winter landscape with snow-covered ground, evergreen trees, and a sky with clouds and the sun setting.
Painting of blooming pink and white flowers with green leaves.
A painting of white and light green flowers with a dark background.