Son of an artist, Emms took up the life and focused on painting the horses and hounds of his foxhunting friends in Lyndhurst. Exuberant by nature, he tended to spend a commission check immediately when it arrived. When he fell ill and could not paint, he and his family became nearly destitute. He died at 71 in Lyndhurst and is buried there. He created many paintings, mostly in oil, brimming with life and authenticity.