Even if you haven't heard of Emily Hamilton by name, it's more than likely you've seen her work. She's designed board graphics, snowboarding apparel, and perhaps most notably an illustration that featured on a pair of custom house Union bindings for The Uninvited. Based out of Revelstoke in BC, Emily's style is unmistakable: intricate drawings, bold colours, captivating scenes — and we absolutely love it. Read on for our chat with Emily about her artistic process, that collaboration, and more.
So Emily, when did you find your passion for art?
I think I always had an interest in art from a pretty young age. I never went to school to study it, nor really had any interest in doing that. I think I really picked it up and found a passion for it in my early 20's when I was just killing time. I really sucked at it at first. It's crazy how much you can hone any craft. I have come a long way in the last few years, but there's always room for improvement.
How would you describe your style of art and what has influenced it to become what it is?
I would describe my art as a loose take on traditional style, I suppose? I honestly don't even know, hah! I kinda just draw and paint whatever — it's pretty random, but I draw heavily from a mix of neo-traditional tattoo style and a bit of realism.
Do you also do tattoos?
I use tattoo ink to paint, I find the vibrancy and pigment so nice. I figured if you can ink wash with pen ink, why not use tattoo ink? I don't do any tattooing, though I am heavily inspired by many, many tattoo artists. It's always something I have always wanted to get into, but I don't believe I'm there yet. It's laborious work and there is so much that goes into it, mentally and physically.
When did snowboarding become entangled with your art?
I think that snowboarding and art have been two hobbies that I'm just really passionate about! I've certainly been boarding longer than I've been doing art and they sort of eventually coincided, especially when I started working at a board shop. Some really cool opportunities to translate my art into the snowboard world developed from there.
What is something snowboarding has taught you?
Snowboarding has taught me to just have fun. That's all it's really been for me. Growing up in the prairies where there isn't much to do in the winter other than freeze your ass off or play hockey, snowboarding was a fun escape. I spent all of my time at my local hill and I truly think it was a saving grace that kept me out of trouble. When I moved out west, it was to pursue my love for that. I wasn't talented enough at it to take it anywhere, I had no intentions of doing that, but damn I love it and here I am, living in Revy 7 years later!
There's no doubt Revelstoke is an amazing place to be — How's the female snow and skate scene is out there?
Revy is so great, for sure! The woman's skate scene is big here. Shout out to Louise On Wheels (@louiseonwheels), they do a really amazing job at getting ladies of all ages and abilities involved. I think COVID has kind of put a stopper on any organized shred camps or anything from happening this year, but I know there's a few girls that have put together some fun, socially-distanced groups to inspire ladies to get out there, shred with, and support their fellow ladies! The skate gang just kind of formed on it's own with some really amazing women spearheading it. Once things go back to "normal" I think the same will go for the shred scene. There was talk of Society (@societysnowandskate) collaborating with some neighbouring town's shops and putting on a women's shred camp, which I would love to see come to fruition next season!
You’ve done some amazing collaborations with Society Snow & Skate as well as Wired Snowboards — can we expect any more collaborations with anyone in the future?
The Wired collabs have been another super surreal thing for me. It's so wild to see your own art on a snowboard, there's really nothing quite like it! I also work at Society, so it's pretty fun throwing that tid-bit in when you're slangin' the Wired boards. I think there are plans for another shop graphic with them coming down the line, so we'll see what I can pull off! They're a really cool Canadian company, so it's majorly humbling to be involved with them in some way!
You stated on your interview with Snowboarder that you were lacking confidence in your art just before your collab with The Uninvited (the union binding are sick btw!) How did this collaboration materialize? It still blows my mind that that Union collab even happened. I struggle with self confidence big time and that's something I certainly have to work on. It's come a long way though and I think that's ultimately a result of time and practice. Jess gave me the kick in the ass I needed though, to really have some confidence in my art and think, "yeah, maybe it is alright, maybe I can make something out of it." She totally spurred that whole thing. She was staying with us while she was filming in Revy and saw my art laying out on the kitchen table. She was super hyped on it and was looking for someone to do a few graphics for her upcoming movie, The Uninvited. The rest sort of played out from there!
How did that collaboration affect your career and confidence?
It was super super cool. Still is! Like I say, I can't really believe that even happened. I still lack confidence in my art, even after all these crazy cool, once in a lifetime opportunities, but doing the Uninvited bindings was certainly the confidence boost that I needed and a very valuable experience to have under my belt.
How was it different working on an all-female project vs. other projects you’ve done (if at all)?
It was so cool working with Jess on the Uninvited project. She has such a fire under her to pull this thing off and really make a statement. I wanted to convey that for her in the graphics and so in that regard, that's how it differed. I wanted to show that we as women as a whole had something worth proving in the snowboard community. Her ideas were really great, sometimes a bit tough to put down on paper in a drawing, but really raw and badass. I remember talking over the phone with her and her saying "and I want there to be crumpled up cigarette cartons and tampons involved somewhere in the graphic!" It was such a good laugh. Those things obviously didn't make the cut, but it was really fun working with her. I have so much respect for that woman. Ultimately, the graphic itself reflects the ideology of waiting around for an invite that's never going to show. It represents the women in snowboarding who never get a handout in a male dominated field, despite their efforts.
What do you feel is the biggest barrier we face as women trying to make it in the snow industry (whether it be as a artist, rider, photographer, builder, writer, etc.)? What radical changes need to happen to fix this?
The tricky thing with women really taking off in the snow industry is being compared to men. That needs to change. People have this perception of like "oh well, she's good, for a girl" — but that's bullshit! Our bodies are built differently, of course we aren't going to be able to always go out there and perform at the exact same level. We need to be appreciated in our own right, in our own abilities, because we still can get out there and put it down with just as much style as the guys.
Preach. What would you tell your younger self, or the next generations of females coming up?
I wish I could breathe more confidence into my younger self, in so many different instances. I know my future self will say the same thing about my current self. It's easier said than done, but I feel like I would have a lot more motivation and ambition if I had a higher level of confidence. Don't be scared to speak up or put your foot down, because unfortunately, people will take advantage of your good nature. Be tough! That's life though, you learn as you go.
3AM Questions
How would your grade five teacher describe you?
Oh man, she would probably say I suck at math. I was the weird horse girl, I dunno, I was/am pretty dorky!
If you were to go to jail, what would be the crime?
If I went to jail... hmm.. probably for petty theft, stealing from the snack aisle or something — though I'm not sure that'd be enough to land you in jail. I'd probs just have to pull a couple hours of community service.
What podcast/book are you enjoying right now?
I'm reading The Subtle Knife, which is part of His Dark Materials series. As far as podcasts go, I listen to lots of weird creepy ghost stories and stuff hah. Tanis is a good one, so is Rabbits. Both are pseudo-documentaries. Good stuff to listen to when I'm working on art.
If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
I think an eagle or any kind of bird would be cool. I always watch them way up there and think it would be so cool to be able to cover so much ground and see what they see.
Something or someone that inspires you?
So cliche, but my mom! She's so cool and has been through lots in her lifetime. Of course my dad too, they're a power couple and have always instilled so many good values in me to get me to where I am currently. I owe them a lot, though they'd never ask for anything.
What’s your go-to beverage?
It will always be coffee. Although, those gin smashes in the tall-boy cans are real good, I've been on to those lately.
What’s an artists worst enemy?
Ink smudges are the bane of my being! There is nothing you can do to fix it, basically a write off. I always smear everything and then have to start from scratch. Secondly, I would have to say being low-balled for your work... It sucks and is pretty disrespectful!
We're so grateful for Emily for her time spent chatting with us and everything she does in the snowboarding culture. It's women like Emily who are creating originality and authenticity in the snow world . Make sure to follow Emily on IG @emilyhamilton to watch her creations.