Erica Hawkes nearly went into fashion design, but chose instead to turn her back on the big city in favour of a painter害羞草研究所檚 life.

The contemporary landscape artist is known for paintings that create a sense of atmospheric movement above idyllic panoramas. Erica says painting landscapes is her 害羞草研究所渢ruest love.害羞草研究所�

The artist earned a degree in fashion design, studying in Colorado and Vancouver, but didn害羞草研究所檛 want to settle in a large city centre like New York or Toronto where haute couture thrives.

害羞草研究所淚 love fashion, but it was more about where you needed to live to be a good fashion designer,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not a big-city girl. I find I害羞草研究所檓 more of a smaller city type of person.害羞草研究所�

Erica grew up in Prince George, and nature has been a defining part of her life since childhood. She became accustomed to long walks along a gravel road near her home with her family.

害羞草研究所淲e weren害羞草研究所檛 city mice. We had a lot of northern lights, we had moose and bear; it was just really nice, peaceful and quiet,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淲e weren害羞草研究所檛 allowed to watch TV very much, so I read and I drew. That害羞草研究所檚 all I did with my time. I had a lot of time to practice.害羞草研究所�

After getting her degree, Erica settled with her husband and two children in West Kelowna, where she works in a bright and spacious studio on the lower level of her home. There, she害羞草研究所檚 surrounded by works in progress. When she gets bored with a colour scheme or has a certain mix of colours left on her palette, Erica says, she害羞草研究所檒l switch to work on a different painting.

害羞草研究所淪ometimes I害羞草研究所檒l put something aside, maybe I害羞草研究所檓 not sure which direction it害羞草研究所檚 going. It could sit in my studio for a couple of months looking at me,害羞草研究所� she says with a laugh.

Calling herself a 害羞草研究所渨orker bee,害羞草研究所� Erica often paints 10 to 12 hours a day, finishing about 100 paintings a year.

She estimates that over the past decade she害羞草研究所檚 completed about 1,000 works.

害羞草研究所淚 think everyone has a gift to create something in some way,害羞草研究所� she says.

As a 20-something, her art-with-a-conscience led to a starving-artist phase. She paid her bills with a variety of jobs, working as a nanny, teacher, photographer and book illustrator. Erica kept her hand in the arts, selling portraits of people and their pets.

Eventually, she transitioned into landscapes.

害羞草研究所淚 started with this style that I called cubist impressionism害羞草研究所攊t was all angles and sharp lines. It was beautiful and it was fun but it wasn害羞草研究所檛 all me. It didn害羞草研究所檛 feel like it had flow for me.害羞草研究所�

Her style has evolved into something she describes as 害羞草研究所淣ouveau 7,害羞草研究所� inspired by iconic Canadian artists in The Group of Seven, who pushed the boundaries of landscape art. She also blends in elements from the Art Nouveau movement.

害羞草研究所淚t permeated the world in the 1900s. It was such a beautiful movement. I don害羞草研究所檛 think anything quite matched it for me in my mind,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淭hey broke from the traditional style. They were the leaders in this impressionistic style. It害羞草研究所檚 got colour and movement, but it害羞草研究所檚 not perfect and that害羞草研究所檚 what I love about it. It has its own voice and it feels fresh and new.害羞草研究所�

Many of Erica害羞草研究所檚 paintings start as photographs. She melds pictures of scenery with different pictures of skies to make her own images.

害羞草研究所淚 take way too many photos. I have a phone full of photos, and my computer is full of photos,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 have enough space to put my images from my phone onto my computer害羞草研究所攖hat害羞草研究所檚 how bad it is.害羞草研究所�

Over the years, Erica has worked with numerous materials, including graphite, acrylic, water colour, India ink and oil.

Erica notes her style is continuing to evolve. She害羞草研究所檚 taken a keen interest in depicting trees through her Nouveau 7 style.

害羞草研究所淭rees have personalities and a feel to them,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淭rees are my challenge. They are the thing I probably will keep learning my whole life.害羞草研究所�

She adds: 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 exciting to get better, but sometimes I害羞草研究所檒l look back on something and go, 害羞草研究所業 wish I had taken that out.害羞草研究所� There害羞草研究所檚 always room to improve. That害羞草研究所檚 something that is human.害羞草研究所�

Erica害羞草研究所檚 paintings are showing in seven galleries. In the Okanagan, her works can be seen in Tutt Street Art Gallery in Kelowna and The Lloyd Gallery in Penticton.

害羞草研究所淭he tricky part about being a gallery artist is that people will buy what they love specifically, but then if you do something different that害羞草研究所檚 maybe outside of the box a little bit, it害羞草研究所檚 a harder sell. I害羞草研究所檓 walking a fine line trying to figure it out.害羞草研究所�

She says, 害羞草研究所淭he sunset on the lake is such a popular theme that I can paint it almost from memory now.害羞草研究所�

Erica hopes some of her works will become so beloved that they will live on.

害羞草研究所淚 hope that my art can survive in someone害羞草研究所檚 home for long periods, that it害羞草研究所檚 good enough that it becomes part of the family for generations,害羞草研究所� she says.

To learn more about the artist, visit .

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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