Samantha Emery discusses her upcoming installation at the World Music Festival
What is your favourite piece of art that you have ever produced? Why do you feel this piece was successful?
In 2012 I was offered the opportunity to produce a portraiture of Rose Goad, lifetime editor to the British novelist P.D. James. This oil on canvas work was my first attempt at portraiture. I found it particularly challenging to reproduce the detail and quality of human flesh. Once completed the feedback from viewers and peers was astoundingly positive. Through this process I gained an appreciation of the exploration of my ability to capture the human spirit in this form.
Where do your ideas come from for your projects? How and when do you feel the most creative?
Most of the ideas for my projects come through emotional experiences, particularly through my relationship with nature, based on respect and adoration in the rhythm of natural forces. Additionally, I find my experiences in human relationships on a personal and intimate level, as well as through social observations, have a profound effect on my perceptions of the natural world. The synergy between these realities has a direct impact on how I develop my work.
What are your personal artistic professional goals over the next year? What are you hoping to accomplish?
I'm currently working on a very large format printed canvas piece with multiple fabric overlays, to include situational lighting and controlled wind movement for a stage set musical production that will debut at a world music festival in Vancouver this summer.