Emily Day is an Australian painter focused on mindful, floral scenes.
Her work draws inspiration from the colours and textures of the Aussie bush, striking a balance between freedom and detail. We spoke to her about tapping into creativity and making magic on the canvas.
What are the biggest inspirations for your art?
I am constantly inspired by interesting landscapes, florals, tangled foliage, and warm, earthy colours. Essentially, I try to paint something that shows both ‘aliveness’ and a sense of calm for the viewer – it’s a fine line! I find the whole painting process very meditative, including foraging florals and foliage, arranging them in an interesting composition, mixing beautiful colours and slowly layering brushstrokes until a piece is done.
When did you realise you wanted to become an artist?
When I was young, I was incredibly lucky because my parents saw my passion for art and sent me to weekly art classes. That was such a formative time and the class became a space where I was able to tap into my imagination.
Becoming an artist was a childhood dream, but I never entertained it as a reality. In high school, there was a narrative that creative pursuits don’t make for good careers, so I studied architecture instead. Luckily for me, quitting my job to go travelling coincided with Covid, so I jumped headfirst into full-time painting and I haven’t looked back since.
How would you describe your artistic style?
I would describe my style as undercurrents of movement and expression layered with loose brush strokes. I’m constantly trying to toe the line between expressive and intricate, and I try to apply every brushstroke with intention. If you were to see a photo of one of my complete paintings, it would look quite detailed, so sometimes people are surprised by how unstructured they are to begin with!
How does the Australian landscape inspire your work?
Our Australian landscape has this very unique and incredible balance of earthy yet vibrant colours that I am constantly inspired by. When I travelled around Australia for six months a few years ago, I would (temporarily!) collect leaves, bark, shells and rocks and work out how to mix those colours; I filled up a little sketchbook of colour swatches to bring home with me that I’ve still got in the studio.
What is your creative process?
I usually start with sketches and ideas jotted down in notebooks to create a body of work with a central theme. Then, I use watered-down layers of paint to develop the composition before adding to this outline with thicker, more intentional brushstrokes.
Typically, I work on about six paintings at once. If I ever get stuck on one painting, I can always jump to another one to continue my flow. If something isn’t working, I turn it around for a week. Once I look at it again with fresh eyes, the missing piece becomes clear.
How do your design skills and time in architecture inform your work now?
Studying and working in architecture trained my brain to look for harmonious balance in a composition and think about the end user’s experience. I believe that collecting art should be slow and intentional, and like good architecture, good art should enrich the lives of everyone who interacts with it. Additionally, because I spent so much time dreaming and imagining spatial elements, I’ve been able to translate that into my art by routinely creating scenes in my mind and then painting them.
What has been your proudest career moment so far?
I created a body of work – 26 paintings in total – for a week-long group show in 2023 that we fully curated and staffed, as well as organising community events and hosting the opening night. On top of that, my youngest daughter was only four weeks old at the time, so looking back, it really was such a feat!
What has been your most challenging career moment?
The most challenging thing has been learning how to find a work/life balance. The actual creating and painting side is one thing, but then there is a mountain of admin, marketing, social media and organisation that comes with running a small business. Add that in with parenting two really young kids, and it’s a lovely, chaotic mess. I’m getting better at saying ‘no’ to possible opportunities, with the trust that it will all come back around eventually.
What’s next for your art?
For the rest of this year, I’m focusing on some exciting commissions including big floral and still life pieces, as well as landscapes. I’ve also got a studio release called Monthly Muse, where I create a small body of work based on a different theme each month – it’s been an incredible way to challenge my practice and experiment with new styles. However, the most exciting thing coming up is a three day art retreat in remote Tasmania that I am co-hosting in January with my friend and fellow artist Kate Quinn. We often run one-day painting workshops in beautiful Australian locations as a side gig to our studio work, so I cannot wait for this next adventure – it’s a really special thing to be able to travel and teach alongside running my own studio practice.
Where is your favourite place to travel?
Definitely Western Australia. My husband and I spent a bit of time driving between Perth and Esperance and I fell in love with the rugged landscape, colours and coastline. A lot of my early work was inspired by the wild and tangled florals and foliage that I discovered on that trip. We are always talking about how we can’t wait to go back and see the rest of the state!
To read our interview with Kate Small, a bespoke furniture designer, click here.
