Sun Bather Painting

Erika Nicole is a figurative artist, native to the South Seattle region of the PNW. As a child, she spent the majority of her time exploring the lush outdoors and drawing. Art always felt a very natural way to communicate, express and understand not only herself but the world around her. The human figures, animal and plant forms that preoccupied Erika’s early art explorations can be found in her work today. Erika attended the University of Washington’s Fine Art School, majoring in Fine Art - with an emphasis in traditional drawing and painting. It was here she first experienced live models and discovered her interest in the human form. Exploring what it means to be human, Erika’s artworks stem from a desire to communicate love for living and a passionate curiosity to better understand the human spirit. After obtaining her BFA, she relocated to Eastern Washington, where she currently works in a variety of media from mural works, to mixed media oil portraits from her home studio. I am on a mission to create works of art that will positively impact our complicated world for the better. Hinging on the human experience, my work is a raw, responsive interpretation of bold personalities, experiences and truths. In many ways, my art is an extension of my identity. My work explores what it is to be human with the intent of sharing my love for living and passionate curiosity to better understand our experience of spiritual and physical existence. Throughout my life, I have been drawn to the complexity, beauty, and individuality of the human figure. The female form is my main communicator, exploring themes of metamorphosis, transformation, memory, nature, nostalgia, femininity, and identity through vibrant color, expressive gesture, and exaggeration of form. I believe we each have a social responsibility to use our gifts to the best of our abilities, consistently challenging ourselves to dig deeper into our inner core to push beyond limitations. My art centers on the the idea that each of us has something invaluable to contribute to our world; we need only the courage and persistence to realize it. We not only do a disservice to our own humanity but to our fellow man if we keep hidden the love and truth within us. Ultimately motivated by love; I seek to unearth the messy beauty within my soul and that which I find in others.