Emberly was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the great cultural shift of the 1970's. As personal liberation and rebellion against authority became key themes of the decade, so were they key themes in Emberly's upbringing. Proud feminism, anti-violence and the cultivation of perceptual curiosity were the norms in her kids books and conversation.  In 1983, her family moved to the small town of Moab, in the Canyonlands area of Utah.

Growing up in a community of Mormon homesteaders, Dinéh peoples, Miners and Environmentalists made for an early, and intense education in post colonialism, racism, displacement and ecological value. A childhood in the great expanse of the Southwest gave the gift of the deepest love and respect for The Land.

Emberly seeks to investigate environmental response to human stressors, migration, and the reach towards human enlightenment and evolution.

Emberly Modine attended the San Francisco Art Institute. She lives and works in Los Angeles.