Spotlight on our new watercolor moth print created by artist Emilie Simpson. We asked Emilie about her creative process, what inspires her and more. Read the full Q&A below!
1. Where did you grow up? And where do you live now? I was born in Toronto and grew up on the outskirts, about an hour from the city. I currently live in the same area, a small suburban town called Bowmanville.
2. How did you know you wanted to be an artist? I don’t think there was ever a moment that I decided to be an artist, I just always loved to make art, from a young age. When I went to college to pursue art, I struggled with the idea of making it a career and found the art world intimidating. I switched my focus to graphic design but I always missed the hands-on of art making and knew I would eventually come back to it. I can’t imagine doing anything else and I feel really lucky that I’m able to make a living doing what I love.
3. Where/how do you find your inspiration? It always comes back to nature, animals and plants. Sometimes just taking a walk in my backyard, through our gardens is enough to spark an idea. My kids are a constant source of inspiration also - I love their wild imaginations and their enthusiasm for art making, it’s really refreshing.
4. How would you describe your personal style? How does this affect your work? My personal style is likely a mix of a few things - vintage, classic, earthy, natural and minimal are a few words I would use. I think my work is likely a mix of all these things, if you’re drawn to something then it inevitably comes out in your art. Like the color green for me, I just can’t get enough of it, emerald and sage especially. I imagine if you looked at my scope of work you would see a lot of green, lol.
5. Describe your most memorable moment as an artist so far? There’s so many moments, good and bad, it’s hard to pick one. I think the moment I’m in right now is feeling pretty good! I have somewhat of a clear vision of where I want to be with my art and I’m really excited for what’s ahead.
6. What has been your biggest struggle as an artist so far? For me, I think just being able to call myself an artist and feeling legitimate about it. I second guess myself all the time. The work isn’t always consistent, so it’s easy to get discouraged and doubt my decisions. It’s a constant battle of being practical vs following my heart and just going for it.
7. What were your thoughts when PC reached out to collaborate on this beautiful moth print? Pinch me... so incredibly grateful and excited!
8. Have you ever seen your prints on clothing before? No, this is a first and what an amazing brand to be collaborating with!
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Any sneak peeks or hints on upcoming works? I have a few exciting things happening in the next while. I have been working on my personal website and online shop, which will launch very soon and I’m so excited to share my collection of Art Prints and Greeting Cards featuring my illustrations.
