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Biography


Erika has found mixed media to be the most exciting medium to work in. All those rules that each medium imposes on one are out the window! Anything goes! That's the whole idea - to find and work toward new horizons. It's a series of experiments: finding out what happens when unexpected things are mixed. That discovery can lead one down a path of more exploration and new finds.

Erika's abstract work has a strong focus on design, texture and color. She likes working on panel because the shape of the surface can be altered from the traditional rectangle, as well as allowing for additions to be nailed or stapled on. She is always experimenting with different combinations of mediums and sometimes adds found objects. Abstract work allows for the viewer to find his/her own meaning in the work, thus participating in the journey. Each viewer may find a different story - and all stories are valid!

Erika has shown her work at numerous prestigious juried outdoor art festivals across the country. Her work can be found in public collections that include Amoco Oil, Phoenix International, Chemical Personnel Search and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Her work is included in private collections in twenty-eight states, as well as England, Germany, Japan, Australia and Ontario, Canada. Collaborative works are in the permanent collection of The Tweed Art Museum, University of Minnesota, Duluth.

Erika started her art education with St. Louis artist Elaine Small. She attended Kansas University Summer Art and Music Camp on scholarship. She attended Drake University as an art major.

Erika was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. She has also lived in Norfolk, Virginia, the Chicago suburbs and rural Minnesota. Now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, she is involved in the arts community and shows her work locally.