Issue 2 Artist Spotlight | Erica Jackson
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Erica!
EJ: In my spare time I like to read mysteries and crime thrillers. My favorite authors combine intriguing characters (both the main characters and the criminals) with a complex setting that feels like you are stepping into the book’s world and are trying to solve the crime or mystery as well.
Besides reading I also enjoy embroidery and other crafts. I grew up in a very creative family, and was introduced to various forms of arts and crafts as I grew up, so it isn’t surprising to me that as an adult I enjoy taking a break from painting once in a while to embroider something or do some crafts that can decorate my home. I’m currently working on an embroidery I designed of my previous cat who passed away as well as my current cat with floral motifs, and I intend on framing and hanging it in my house when I'm done. In the crafting realm I’m working on some small clay ornaments, which is a new craft form for me, but one I’m finding fun to try out.
As far as what inspires me goes, I am inspired by artists like John Singer Sargent, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Manet, Cezanne and Andrew Wyeth. There are a number of contemporary artists who I follow and am inspired by their visions, but personally I find myself drawn to those classic artists from art history who focused on people, nature and the towns and cities they lived in. Portraits of people who look like they have stories to tell and paintings of towns with people living their lives really draw me in because you’re getting to see the world from the perspective of the artist and see what their daily lives may be like. I also enjoy seeing the artist’s personal touch on what they literally see. For example, Gustav Klimt painted a lot of portraits of people, and although they were clearly made to satisfy a patron, they were never simple portraits. They combined the likeness of the sitter with his own personal style and the motifs that made his art unique and special. In the case of the Dutch artists like Vermeer and Rembrandt I am inspired by their ability to paint such amazing portraits that have such an attention to detail, but I am also inspired by the attention to the sitter’s surroundings, whether it’s a room in a house or a city street. From the light to the details the artist chooses to include, each painting has its own mood and feeling. When I visit an art museum with these artist’s paintings in them I love taking my time looking at them and absorbing the feelings I get from them and the mastery I see.
C+B: Describe your work in three words.
EJ: Quiet, Calm, Introspective
C+B: What is your long term goal for creating?
EJ: My long term goal for my painting is to be self-employed and have my art be my sole career. I currently have a full time day job in an office and have to fit painting in after work and on the weekends. My goal is to be able to transition from working at a separate job to being my own boss and being able to focus full time on my art.
Find and support Erica here:
(Waiting for the Bus, acrylic on paper, 12.5625”x11.5” ©Erica Jackson)
Ideal creative retreat: I think my ideal creative retreat would be to either a cabin in a secluded wooded area or a house near a secluded beach. In either location I could enjoy the surrounding nature while being able to focus on my art without interruptions.
Ideal collaboration: I have mostly been focusing on getting my work into exhibitions, but other than my work being featured in a gallery or museum I think my ideal collaboration would be with a person or organization that shared my common ideals, whether it involved my dedication to a sustainable life creating as little negative impact on the environment as possible, or my interest in depicting the landscape around me. I could see myself working with a local organization to create a painting that featured an inspiring person or location with the goal of bringing visibility and knowledge to that person or place to the local community.
Currently inspired by: Robin F. Williams @robinfrancescawilliams, Jocelyn Hobbie @jocelynhobbie, Dina Brodsky @dinabrodsky, Eliza Ivanova @eleeza, Miru Brugmann @mirubrugmann, Jenny Saville @jenny_saville_art, Tillie Walden @tilliewalden, Katarzyna E. Sosonowska @kesosnowska, Olga Esther @olgaesther.pinturas, Jenna Gribbon @jennagribbon, Yuting Huang @yutinguhaha, Seth Armstrong @armstrongseth
Erica Jackson
