Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erin Alice Gray. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Erin Alice, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

For me, the best investment is always in myself. Believing in myself, taking care of myself, overcoming the mental challenges that seem to pop up.

The first and biggest investment was when I was just starting out trying to find myself as a painter. Making that initial investment of precious time in myself was a huge obstacle. I was working part-time as a Graphic Designer, and I had 2 small children and a husband to take care of. Giving myself permission to buy the art supplies, to leave the laundry, do the dishes later…all so i could spend a few hours after the kids went to bed painting. To believe in myself enough to know it was ok to carve a small space out in the already overcrowded house just for me. That was a big mental struggle, overcoming the mom guilt of not having everything done perfectly all the time because I was focusing some time on myself. I felt very selfish. But after awhile, as I started to gain some traction as a painter it got easier and easier to spend that time on my art.

Another constant investment I have to continually revisit, is the investment in failure. No one ever wants to fail, or make something ugly. But it is so important to feel the freedom to do just that! Make a hideous painting where all of the colors clash, just for the mental freedom to play and experiment with new techniques. I’m very conscious of the cost of my supplies, and I hate wasting anything. So, I have to give myself permission to waste gallons and tubes and tubes of paint just for that purpose. To invest in my growth as an artist requires me to make that an ok thing to do…if I play with new ideas and hate them at the end, that’s ok because I’ve learned something and that will take me to the next great idea.

I’m over a decade past those first years of painting in the corner, and I am so thankful for the investment in myself I made back then. I am now a full-time artist, and have a large studio in our home. None of that would have happened without those first steps.

As an artist, the largest part of our time is spent alone creating. Alone with your thoughts and doubts and self critiques. Everyone may not struggle as much as I do with mental aspect of creating, but it is a constant for me. To overcome the mental aspect, I have to make creating a habit, not a matter of inspiration. So I invest in my studio time. I keep my schedule clear for those hours and I make it a priority. I go to into my studio every day of the work week, for at least 4 hours each day. I really feel like inspiration is often disguised as hard work. or maybe constant work? Just the consistent act of painting every day, whether I feel like it or not, leads to the greatest flow of inspiration. Some days everything feels ugly, and I’m definitely not at all feeling inspired, so those days I prep new canvases, or paint some backgrounds, or even clean. It gets me through to the days when I am feeling inspired and things start to flow again.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My family is the most important thing in my life. I am a mother of 2 amazing teenagers who amaze me every day with the people they are and who they are becoming. I was also blessed with the most incredible and supportive husband you could ever think of, who I am madly in love with, even after 23 years together!

Color has always drawn me in and seems to speak to my soul. Color is obviously everywhere…but certain colors, flowers, a sunset, fallen leaves, runway fashion, interior decor magazines…catch my eye and just absolutely make my heart sing. I can’t explain it, but flipping through a magazine, or walking into a store…when i see certain colors I have an immediate and visceral reaction to certain color combinations.

My artwork is all about exploring this interplay between colors and textures and trying to create those feelings for others. My process is all about finding the joy in unexpected combinations. Each 3-dimensional color is hand-mixed with a unique combination of acrylic paint and medium to get the exact hue and consistency for that part of the painting. Then I use palette knives, cake piping tools and other random objects to apply super thick amounts of that mixture, in an extreme impasto style, which takes my paintings into the realm of sculpture. Paper, fabric and other random elements add a bit of mixed-media flair.

Most of my work is very abstract and plays to the movement of the ocean and natural motifs. Sometimes I do more realistic type work with wings or florals. No mater what the subject matter the most important thing to me is the way the colors interact with the textures.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I find most non-creative people just have no idea that being a creative is a legitimate job and requires just as much work, if not more, than a regular 9-5. You are not only creating, and pouring your heart out into your work, but then you also have to be a small business entrepreneur, website builder and marketing guru.

Most of my sales come from in-person art shows that are usually multiple day events. These are big events that I travel for and am away from home for a lot of weekends through out the year. Most people when they hear I’m heading to an art show, make comments like “oh have fun!” or “must be nice to be gone so much”. When in reality, outdoor art shows are a tremendous amount of work. You pack up all of your art, and an entire portable 10’x10′ store and haul it all into the middle of a park and set it all up, do your best to be a good salesperson all weekend, then take it all back down and do it over again the next weekend. Of course there are many enjoyable parts of the process, but it would be nice for people to understand it is still a job, not pleasure.

My studio is in my home, so I have a very flexible schedule. But I try to keep my “business hours” as a priority. I think it helps to tell people “I have to work” at that time instead of “I’m need to paint” as a tool to lend more legitimacy to what I do when people want to schedule things during my studio time.

It’s such a niche business and so very unique in the way the work flows. I totally understand that most people have never interacted with real life artists or have the chance to see behind the art to see what really happens behind the scenes. It’s up to us, as artists, to legitimize our own work.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

My favorite thing to see at art shows is parents with their children walking through the booths and discussing the art they see, asking them which is their favorite piece, encouraging the kids to ask the artist any questions they may have. I think that is the best way to grow a culture of people that place a higher value on handmade art as opposed to the mass produced items available at big box stores.

I feel like the more society is exposed to handmade art, and can better understand the passion and talent and dedication that goes into each piece, the more people will come to choose original handmade items.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.erinaliceart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinaliceart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinAliceArt3
• Other: linktr.ee/erinaliceart

Image Credits
John Locus for the image of me in an apron with a piping bag.