19th October 2015

In the last of our View Things Differently video series, local Illustrator Emma Nicol joined us to share her favourite view of Spinnaker Tower. You can view the whole series on our website or by heading over to our Facebook page. Read on below to find out more about Emma’s work as an Illustrator and her ideal weekend in Portsmouth…

Describe a typical day in the life of an illustrator

I work from home so most days I wake up and I’m straight to work. Most of my work currently consists of designing and making my own range of custom made homeware, with the odd bits of freelance illustration work in between. I spend a lot of my time at my sewing machine, particularly in the run up to Christmas. My back hates me right now, after sitting at a sewing machine for more than 12 hours.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

I spent six years in a miserable call centre job, so having the freedom to do what I want in my business is a complete dream. I also get to meet lots of interesting creative people.

If you weren’t an illustrator, what do you think you would be?

Something that involves travelling and exploring the world, a travel writer, maybe? No, I’m terrible at writing. Filming documentaries, perhaps?

How long have you lived in Portsmouth?

Born and bred!

Describe your ideal weekend in Portsmouth. Any hidden gems you’d like to share?

I love food, so anything that involves eating is good with me. I also enjoy a good market, we have lots of great markets in Portsmouth. The Southsea Flea Market is one of my favourites. Then I would go to Make and the Craft Kitchen for tea and cake and to buy fabric that I really don’t need (I already have too much). I also enjoy browsing Made with Hartt in Elm Grove, which is a community gift shop run by local charity Community Fusion. It’s an excellent little shop, where everything is made by local artists and designers.