Erica Hawkes nearly went into fashion design, but chose instead to turn her back on the big city in favour of a painter香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渢ruest love.香蕉视频直播�

The artist earned a degree in fashion design, studying in Colorado and Vancouver, but didn香蕉视频直播檛 want to settle in a large city centre like New York or Toronto where haute couture thrives.

香蕉视频直播淚 love fashion, but it was more about where you needed to live to be a good fashion designer,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 not a big-city girl. I find I香蕉视频直播檓 more of a smaller city type of person.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淲e weren香蕉视频直播檛 city mice. We had a lot of northern lights, we had moose and bear; it was just really nice, peaceful and quiet,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淲e weren香蕉视频直播檛 allowed to watch TV very much, so I read and I drew. That香蕉视频直播檚 all I did with my time. I had a lot of time to practice.香蕉视频直播�

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香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檒l switch to work on a different painting.

香蕉视频直播淪ometimes I香蕉视频直播檒l put something aside, maybe I香蕉视频直播檓 not sure which direction it香蕉视频直播檚 going. It could sit in my studio for a couple of months looking at me,香蕉视频直播� she says with a laugh.

Calling herself a 香蕉视频直播渨orker bee,香蕉视频直播� Erica often paints 10 to 12 hours a day, finishing about 100 paintings a year.

She estimates that over the past decade she香蕉视频直播檚 completed about 1,000 works.

香蕉视频直播淚 think everyone has a gift to create something in some way,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淚 started with this style that I called cubist impressionism香蕉视频直播攊t was all angles and sharp lines. It was beautiful and it was fun but it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 all me. It didn香蕉视频直播檛 feel like it had flow for me.香蕉视频直播�

Her style has evolved into something she describes as 香蕉视频直播淣ouveau 7,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淚t permeated the world in the 1900s. It was such a beautiful movement. I don香蕉视频直播檛 think anything quite matched it for me in my mind,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淭hey broke from the traditional style. They were the leaders in this impressionistic style. It香蕉视频直播檚 got colour and movement, but it香蕉视频直播檚 not perfect and that香蕉视频直播檚 what I love about it. It has its own voice and it feels fresh and new.香蕉视频直播�

Many of Erica香蕉视频直播檚 paintings start as photographs. She melds pictures of scenery with different pictures of skies to make her own images.

香蕉视频直播淚 take way too many photos. I have a phone full of photos, and my computer is full of photos,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 have enough space to put my images from my phone onto my computer香蕉视频直播攖hat香蕉视频直播檚 how bad it is.香蕉视频直播�

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香蕉视频直播檚 taken a keen interest in depicting trees through her Nouveau 7 style.

香蕉视频直播淭rees have personalities and a feel to them,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淭rees are my challenge. They are the thing I probably will keep learning my whole life.香蕉视频直播�

She adds: 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 exciting to get better, but sometimes I香蕉视频直播檒l look back on something and go, 香蕉视频直播業 wish I had taken that out.香蕉视频直播� There香蕉视频直播檚 always room to improve. That香蕉视频直播檚 something that is human.香蕉视频直播�

Erica香蕉视频直播檚 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.

香蕉视频直播淭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香蕉视频直播檚 maybe outside of the box a little bit, it香蕉视频直播檚 a harder sell. I香蕉视频直播檓 walking a fine line trying to figure it out.香蕉视频直播�

She says, 香蕉视频直播淭he sunset on the lake is such a popular theme that I can paint it almost from memory now.香蕉视频直播�

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

香蕉视频直播淚 hope that my art can survive in someone香蕉视频直播檚 home for long periods, that it香蕉视频直播檚 good enough that it becomes part of the family for generations,香蕉视频直播� she says.

To learn more about the artist, visit .

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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