#sparkchamber 071822 — Emma FitzGerald
In the TV series Anne with an E [loosely adapted from Anne of Green Gables] Aunt Josephine says, “Life is short and the world is wide.” A kindred spirit nourishes #sparkchamber today as we welcome author and artist, Emma FitzGerald.
Emma was born to Irish parents when they lived in Lesotho — a small mountainous kingdom in Southern Africa — although, despite her documentation showing otherwise, she actually came into this world in South Africa, just over the border.
The family moved to Canada when Emma was young, and she spent most of her childhood in Vancouver, BC, though her early travels absolutely instilled a keen interest in people and places. “I have always travelled — even while in utero when my parents moved from Ireland to Lesotho. These crossing of geographic and cultural space have influenced me right from the beginning, and I think is why I see all my many interests within the arts — fine art, architecture, illustration, writing, dance [note: she earned a BFA in Visual Art from the University of British Columbia in 2004, and a Masters in Architecture from Dalhousie University in 2008] as well as other loves — herbalism, embodiment — as just natural progressions of my creativity, and are all intrinsic.”
Her studies and work have taken her to several countries in Europe and Africa, across Canada, and to Brazil and to New Mexico. The love of place is forefront in her work — her art practice is characterized by on-site drawing, place-based research, and a sense of the poetic. This is particularly evident in her “Hand Drawn” book series, starting in 2015 with Hand Drawn Halifax [also available as a coloring book!], following with Hand Drawn Vancouver in 2020, and, coming in 2024, Hand Drawn Victoria. Part journal, part sketchbook, Emma sketches on location, gathering stories while she goes.
That same connection to place is revealed in City Streets are for People, a hardcover picture book published this spring with author Andrea Curtis. Also in the works, a children’s book Two Crows with words by Susan Vande Griek, due this fall and available for pre-order now.
Emma makes her home in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, but she is probably comfortable anywhere in the whole wide world.
1.] Where do ideas come from?
Ideas come from time spent outside in the world, walking, drawing, thinking, talking, listening. Ideas come from dreams, sleeping, rest, setting intentions on paper. Ideas come from dancing, sweating, swimming.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
I see how one idea leads to the next, it takes great faith, but the process is enlivening and is its own reward.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
I now treat creativity more like a 9-5 Monday-Friday job than ever before, that is when I sit down and work. However, what I do outside of that time is equally important. Getting up with the sun to make tea, rock in my hammock, go to the beach to gather rose petals, taking time to camp or go thrifting with friends on the weekend, learning to garden ... it all nourishes that work time. I really value sleep and rest, and could never do all-nighters anymore, like I used to in architecture school!
4.] How do you know when you are done?
It is a combination of there only being so much time [often I am working to a deadline with publishers] and the practice of looking, walking away, and then looking again.
