about erin
I create paintings in oil from direct observation. It was my time spent studying at the Art Students League of New York that inspired my love for this approach. My work generally focuses on the figure– the nude and the portrait– and on still-life of personal objects.
I find subjects for my still life paintings in my immediate surroundings. The mundane objects of our lives often have surprising significance, beauty and humor. Likewise, our bodies- our postures and adornments- can be revealing.
While painting, it seems I have two main goals. One is to capture the materiality/ physicality of what I am painting. Skin is especially satisfying. I agree with De Kooning who said, “Flesh is the reason why oil painting was invented”. Painting it is like a wonderful world of its own. The second goal is to encourage the more ethereal qualities of the paint. I respond to the emotional energy of a stroke or the vibration of a color.
Erin offers art lessons for kids, teens, and adults through Atelyay, a small business she owns and runs.
