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Emma Mitchell is an architect, designer and artist who lives in the bush in the Anglesea/Aireys Inlet area. We are delighted to have some of her work at Boom Gallery.

Your creative output is quite varied – what does a typical day involve?

A typical day starts with feeding all of our animals. I am fortunate to be able to live on a large bush block and regularly enjoy walks through the bush and caring for wildlife. I currently volunteer as a registered foster carer for wildlife. At the moment my time is spent juggling architectural work and practicing art as well as family life. During the day I will either find time to design or make art works on paper. In the evening I will be basket making.

I grew up spending all my free time in Anglesea. I have a strong affinity for the our natural environment in this area. I studied to become an Architect at Deakin and completed my degree in Sydney at the University of NSW. I have worked in Sydney and in Melbourne in small architectural practices specialising in residential architecture. I have completed a visual arts degree and my honours years at the University of RMIT. I have always had a love of making space and I guess this started with the multitudes of cubbies I would build whilst growing up. In the visual arts I have always loved drawing and when I went to study art I discovered a connecting interest in a dialogue between pictorial space, imagined time and real space, real time.

It is a fine balance being able to give over time to both architecture and art making. Both practices involve problem solving but they also require getting to the spirit of what it is you are trying to make. For me I need the practice of art making to make architecture and vice versa.

The woven pieces we have at the gallery are beautiful and interesting in the use of materials. How did you learn to weave? What are your preferred materials, approaches...

I learnt to weave from Joy Beeby in Aireys Inlet. I met Joy at a market stall at Angair and she invited me to her house to join in her weekly get together of other weavers. I am part of a group of weavers whom get together on a weekly basis to share and learn from each other. My materials are always changing and I am constantly exploring different approaches and medium.

What inspires you?

I am constantly inspired by our landscape here on the Surfcoast.

What would be your dream creative project?

I would love to do a small piece of public architecture. I would very much love to have an exhibition maybe next year combining works made on paper with woven objects.