He studied animation at the Art Institute of California and went on to work for a few visual effects studios including Method Studios in LA, as well as Ab5trax in Hollywood. He worked on commercials for Nike, Visa, Pepsi, and HBO as well as animated scenes for Pirates of the Caribbean 3. In 2007, Emilio moved to San Francisco to pursue a career in painting. He studied at the Academy of Art under Mark Tennant and John Wentz. In his final year of school he won the Directors Choice Award for best oil painting and started teaching art at a college level. He currently lives in San Francisco and continues to paint. He has had 2 solo shows in the past year and is represented by 3 galleries in the country.