Falcon by Emily Tanaka

Jefferson Elementary Redondo Dolphins

Neighborhood Nectar Dale Page Park

Shineon Top Mural

Surf Mural

Surftribe Mural

***Mother Hummingbird with Spring Flowers***

Emily Tanaka Artist Bio

Redondo Beach based artist Emily Tanaka, uses acrylic paints, spray paints and sometimes digital tools, to create her vibrant paintings and murals.“Always feeling the need to create, I spent my childhood exploring the woods outside our rural Indiana home, climbing trees to get a different perspective than I could have on the ground.” Still inspired by nature, her bold colors and rich textures often highlight local natural wonders, flora and fauna, symbolism and sacred geometry.

Specializing in both painting and graphic design, Emily migrated from Indiana to Chicago, working in educational publishing by day and showing her paintings in pop up events, and art shows by night. Eventually, Emily met the person who would later become her husband, while in a cafe in Rome, but he lived across the country in Southern California. In 2001, she made the trek to Los Angeles from Chicago, continuing her design career, and showing her art in TAG gallery in Santa Monica.

Starting a family brought new roles and outlets for her creative drive. After leaving a long career in design, she morphed those skills into scaling up her art and painted her first mural in 2018. Completely enjoying the new challenges and potential for interaction with the community that creating public art offers, she launched her own business called “Have to Create”. Emily now paints commissioned murals and sells her original artwork, digital paintings and prints in various media

Lately, you can catch Emily painting colorful “Surf Portraits”, that have silhouettes of her clients, at their favorite beach or surf spot. “My goal, always with commissions, is to create inspiring art that people enjoy living with, and that makes them feel good.”

Check out Emily in action . . .

Surf Tribe - Torrance, CA

https://vimeo.com/617073708

Spark at Midtown- Long Beach, CA

https://vimeo.com/512712674

Dolphins at Jefferson Elementary - Redondo Beach, CA

https://vimeo.com/555964250

Salas Poolside - West Covina, CA

https://vimeo.com/556667343

Contact Info:

Emily Tanaka - Have to Create

https://www.havetocreate.com/