Meet Dianne Jean Erickson

 

We were lucky to catch up with Dianne Jean Erickson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dianne Jean, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

Within the journey of growth as an artist, there is vulnerability in putting my work out there, and it’s easy to feel like others have a more polished or professional edge. I finally recognized that everyone has different tastes and that not everyone will vibe with my work, such an important lesson. My ability to grow and refine my style as I keep creating is a huge part of the process. I keep working and my work shows progress. I’m in the studio almost every day.

Embracing rejection is tough, but we have to find a way to handle it without letting it affect our sense of worth. It’s not about everyone liking our work but about finding those who do.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

In my working years I was co-owner in a graphic design/comunication company in Palo Alto, California. I have always worked on my personal art, but when I retired I was so happy to be in my studio all day.

Reflecting on my creative process, I have explore many painting mediums including oil, acrylic, encaustic (hot wax), embroidery, sculpture and more. Learning what each medium’s strengths and limitations are helps me decide what to use for a particular idea I have in mind. I allow myself the freedom on indecisions, improvisations and impulsiveness in my work. I create a body of work and while I may revisit it from time to time, I love exploring something new, whether medium, materials or subject.

I just finished a large oil painting series (BLOOM) for an exhibit. The paintings were mostly 30″ x 30.” As I was finishing up I decided to forgo purchasing more materials (I have a lot!) and using or reusing what is already in my studio, and forging for recycled materials. Currently cardboard is my new substrate, I use recycled paint almost exclusively, with found materials including fiber and other items already in my studio. I embrace the journey of discovery in each series, experimenting and pushing my own boundaries.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Mastering materials and techniques, understanding how different mediums behave and their potential, is really important. Once you know their capabilities, you can pick and choose for each particular project.

Composition and color theory is key to creating visually compelling pieces. However I do use odd compositions and colors I don’t particularly like just to keep things fresh and surprising.

Develop a unique voice, a personal perspective, and be willing to accept constructive criticism (choose someone whose work you respect), is helpful for an artist to evolve. It takes time, important to show up and do the work!

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed or anxious, I take my dog for a walk, read an exciting or interesting book, take a friend to lunch, take a nap. It’s good to get away from the studio when things seem overwhelming. One trick I’ve learned is to clean up the studio, focusing on mundane tasks for the most part, but a good way to focus the mind on one thing at a time and feel good about the result.

Always creating or thinking about creating something can be exhausting. I give myself a break, do something to take my mind in other places. A call to an artist friend also helps as they know exactly what I’m talking about, so find a friend that understands.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Photo of artist:
Photo by Brian McDonnell

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