TINY ART

Artist Bio 

 

    Erica Lynne Graves is an emerging artist who was born and raised in the Big Apple in 1989. Since birth, her family road trip, to Indiana’s Dunes Lakeshore was a tradition she looked forward to each summer. 

 

   It was there and on the road that her thirst and curiosity for nature could be quenched. A much different life from the city's concrete jungle. In her paintings you will see reflections of nature with her use of free flowing forms, vibrant colors and organic shapes. 

 

    As a 4-year-old, her love for painting bloomed as she created abstract masterpieces on her red, plastic easel.  Fast forward 20 years… some of her current influences are Flora Bowley, Alisa Burke ,Georgina Vinsun as well as Chicago-based artists and family members Kim and Derric Clemmons.

 

She never leaves the house without her sketchbook and watercolor set.  Unwilling to miss the opportunity to capture a transitory moment of beauty, her daily goal is to continuously develop her artistic eye.

 

   The world is her life’s big adventure.  Her vision may be altered by her determination to see beauty beyond the concrete and asphalt outside her bedroom window.  Yet, she placed her rose colored glasses deliberately on her nose as the lens through which she translates harsh images into vibrant, bold, fresh new paintings. Her art, like her world is full of possibilities. 

 

Artist Statement

 

   Each time I press my hands into creamy cool paint and smear that rich pigment over fresh canvas, I am liberated from all the expectations life has for me. A constant demand for focus, perfection and results go against the grain of my true nature. Life should be experienced, not just lived through!

 

    So when it comes to painting, having a plan is against the rules. It’s all about being in the moment yet finding balance. Nature is one of my biggest inspirations. I strive to translate this spirited, care-free energy in my work by using vibrant colors, fluid acrylic paints and whimsical strokes.

 

Physical contact with my canvas is essential when connecting to each piece. It’s like having a conversation with my subconscious. An ongoing call and response. I never know what will become of the exchange. Nevertheless, these mistakes and miscommunications have lead to the most interesting formations.