An interview with illustrator, Emma Simmons

Emma's upcoming exhibition, The Sun Set in the West, is on at Sweets Workshop from the 9th April – 6th May 2011.
She will be present for the official opening at 2pm 9/4/11.

What can viewers expect from your exhibition 'The Sun Sets In The West', at Sweets Workshop?
They can expect to see a collection of artworks capturing some of the Inner West’s colourful scenes in fabric, watercolour and pencil. Some of the suburbs I've included are Summer Hill, Petersham, Newtown, Enmore, Ashfield, Balmain and Marrickville.

How do you describe your illustrations style?
My work is collage based. I relish being away from the computer, making and collecting textures, shapes, colours and patterns. As a collector of fabrics, I find it hard to cut them up and shape them into something, for fear of making a big mistake and ruining the item. This has taken me back to the computer, which allows me to build my illustrations through scans, and photos of my fabrics, textures and the things that I create.

When did you start drawing? What first attracted you to illustrating landscapes?
I began drawing recently, lets say in the last 5 years. I started on landscapes as a favour to a friend; she was leaving Australia and wanted something to remember it by. I enjoyed the process of searching for a scene that was typically Sydney and a little nostalgic. I liked the contrast between the built up city and the old cottages, and the way the change in seasons and light could alter the scene.

What is your favorite thing about being an illustrator?
I like illustration, it gives me the opportunity to look at ordinary things in detail. I find it a challenge to converting what is physcally in front of me, into shapes and colours that reflect what I am seeing or feeling. I love a brief, and I love being able to find a way to communicate a message through a graphic or illustration.

Can you describe the processes and mediums you use to illustrate a landscape?
I search for a location, in this case, a familiar location with which I have a connection. I then sketch it in pencil, and work out which fabrics from my collection represent the textures that I am seeing. I then create shapes in watercolour and overlay it onto the fabric to soften the lines and add a different element.

When selecting a landscape to draw do you have certain fabric textures already in mind or is it more a process of trial and error?
Sometimes I will have a fabric in mind, other times I will dive into the fabric box, duck to the shop, or raid the wardrobe for something suitable.

Could you describe your fascination with the affect that time and light have on the appearance of a landscape?
At different times of the day, the light can change the shapes and details of what you are seeing. It can make something ordinary, extra-ordinary and can go from drama to tranquility within a few hours. I was initially drawn to this after seeing Monet's interest in lighting affects on the landscape, with his series 'haystacks'. I was wondering if I could capture the lighting affects of a scene that I saw most days with my fabric and water colour collages.

What do you like most about the Inner West landscape and why did you decide to use it as the foundation of an exhibition?
I have spent a long time living in the Inner West. I think choosing to do this exhibition on the Inner West allowed me to focus on what I enjoy about the places that I use and pass everyday. The Inner West retains a lot of charm by maintaining the quaint, the small, the decorative, the questionable colour choices, the gardens, the architecture and the shapes of it's history.