The daughter of one of Seattle’s founding families, Emily Inez Denny (1853 – 1918) was both a painter and writer. Greatly influenced by seeing the drawings of Sarah Willoughby as a student at the Washington Territorial University, she took on painting as a life-long pursuit. Emily’s father, David Denny, supported her artistic aspirations and frequently brought home printing paper from the newspaper office for her use. Denny trained with Miss Parsons, Thomas Harrison, and Harriet Beecher. In 1909, she authored and illustrated "Blazing the Way," a book about Seattle’s early white settlers. A woman who thrived on the creation of art, she constantly traveled with a notebook so she could quickly capture her impressions in sketches and paintings. Emily Inez Denny’s works display a unique vibrancy that conveys her joy in painting and drawing.