Emily Hamilton is a British surfer and artist. Her beautiful sea-themed watercolour paintings and sketches are available on her Etsy.com account, Emily Hamilton Illustrations. She can be found baking, surfing, painting, crafting, or spending time with her little girl. Emily took a moment to share with us her artistic inspirations and some thoughtful advice.
Where in England did you grow up, and what was your childhood like?
I grew up in Yorkshire, in the middle of the countryside. We weren’t that near the sea but as a family we spent loads of time outside - walking, going for bike rides and going on little outdoorsy trips together. When I was eight we moved to Kenya for a few years, which was an amazing place to grow up. We would drive around the game park after school and spend hours spotting animals and running around outside; it was pretty magical. There was no TV so we had to make our own fun; it definitely had a big impact on the person I am now and how I’ve wanted to live my life.
Where does the inspiration for your art come from?
Lots of things! Nature is always a big inspiration for me - there are so many amazing, beautiful things in the natural world. Talking to other artistic, crafty people - I love having a good motivating chat over a cup of tea, it’s such a good way to get a creative boost! Pinterest has also taken over in being a brilliant source of inspiration…but sometimes it can get overwhelming because there’s so much great stuff to look at!
What do you feel is especially unique about capturing the beauty of women’s surfing in art?
You can draw a lot of inspiration from the sea. There are so many different moods and ways to interpret it into art and surfing adds a whole new dimension to that. I think female surfers have a certain grace about them and trying to capture that natural movement and mood is definitely a special thing.
How did you first get involved in art?
I’ve always loved being creative. I used to sit for hours when I was younger, drawing animals and making up poems to go with my pictures. Art was always one of my favorite lessons at school, but I didn’t study it at university because I wasn’t sure what job I would end up getting. You should follow your talent if you enjoy it; don’t worry so much about where it might lead because if you love it, you’ll get there in the end!
What have you taken away from your travels?
I think travel is so important to broaden your mind, meet new people, see amazing things and realize that there are so many ways to live and do things - no one way is the right way.
What other projects have you worked on in the past?
I started out focusing on the writing side of things. I worked for a magazine for a few years, which was good fun, then moved on to copywriting and freelance journalism. I always wanted a job where I could draw though, and after a few random twists of fate, I’ve finally managed it!
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