Artist Statement • Bio
Artist Statement
I am fascinated by the patterns of nature, the soft curves, shapes, lines, and their relationships. You can see it in flowers, succulents and the branches of trees. You can see it in the galaxy, animals and people. It’s these natural lines and shapes that I am drawn to. When you get the curve of a plant right you can feel it’s nature. It reminds me that I am part of something bigger, beautiful, it gives me a sense of pride. I associate nature with love. My favorite elements in art are color and line, which is why I am inspired to paint flowers. Some of the most colorful examples in nature come from the beautiful blooms of earths plant life.
I was raised in the beautiful Sonoran Desert in Arizona. As a young child I found my love for nature and art there, and I’m still very inspired by the dramatic desert plant life of my native Southwest. My inspiration comes from being out in nature, walking along its path’s, photographing and documenting plants, cactus blooms and trees, mountains and landscapes.
I paint in oils on canvas, in layers with extra paint toward the centers of the flowers. I layer the paint with dry times in between and also use various colors for glazing. I block in my shapes and then add another layer blending colors on top, then use a dry or wet brush for additional blending. I will often sketch my subject then create a drawing before transferring it to the canvas. I like to employ high contrast between the lights and darks to show strong shadows and capture illumination through the pedals of the flowers that come from the sun’s light. I often choose a composition with blooms large enough to show the detail of the flowers. My art is described as contemporary realism.
I hope my paintings of desert blooms and tropical flowers inspire others to experience the joy that comes from the natural beauty that is all around, to feel the same sense of pride as I do, to be a part of something extraordinary and beautiful.
Biography
To Erynn Knowles a flower, and its fleeting beauty, is a representation of life itself, a reminder to live in the moment every day. Erynn’s art, described as contemporary realistic, reflects this simple truth, bold and colorful flowers illuminated with the sun’s light. “My passion is to bring that vibrant life to the canvas to create paintings that are inspiring and also create joy.”
It was clear from an early age that Erynn was a natural artist. Her parents always gave her art supplies as a young child and she easily entertained herself with her art happily spending hours working on her creations. Her teachers all noticed her artistic talents and would often ask If they could keep assignments for examples to show future students.
At the age of 2 her father and mother packed the family up and drove from Ohio to sunny Arizona where she grew up in Phoenix. Dad loved to take them to the desert to 4-wheel drive and explore the back country and mountains. Camping was their favorite family pastime and how she developed a respect and love for nature and the outdoors. It is there that she first started painting and drawing. “My fondest memories are of being outdoors with my dad, and even then, I was trying to capture that in art.”
“Art is very much a part of my family.” Her grandmother Margret was an art teacher. Her Aunt Kate, a stained-glass artist, used to make handmade gifts for her when she was a child, and created wonderful illustrative fantasy drawings of nature. Her Uncle Jim was a Graphic Designer and figurative painter, and her father Bill was an industrial designer and an architect, with a keen sense of style and design. They all inspired her to pursue art at an early age.
Erynn always knew that her talent was in the artistic field so decided that becoming a graphic designer would be a practical way to use her talent. She received a certification in graphic design from Phoenix Community College in 1994 and went to work right away in marketing and designing ads for magazines in Phoenix, Arizona.
She married in 2004 and moved to the Cave Creek area of Arizona. It didn’t take long before Erynn decided to participate in the local art community. She joined the Sonoran Arts League, learned more about the art world, and participated in the vibrant local art show scene of Cave Creek and Carefree. She fell in love with the energy of the artists and the inspiration of the beautiful Sonoran Desert. Erynn began to show her work locally and was juried into several local art festivals.
Her husband Glen received an offer for a position in Salt Lake City, Utah. After much consideration they moved to Utah, leaving their beloved southwest, but excited about the change and opportunity to try something different and experience the four seasons for the first time. It was in Utah that Erynn decided to fulfill her lifelong dream of earning a degree in art. Erynn enjoyed the challenge of going back to college later in life, and achieved her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art in 2015 from the University of Utah. “It was a lot of hard work and a challenge to be a student again, but it was all worth it, the people I met and the friendships I made helped be grow immensely, I’m so grateful for that time.” Erynn began to exhibit her work at Alderwood Gallery in Salt Lake City and received much recognition for her landscape paintings.
Another change was soon to happen shortly after graduation, when Erynn and Glen moved to Ventura, California and then Las Vegas, Nevada for yet another business opportunity. Erynn immediately immersed herself in the local art community, joining the Boulder City Art Guild and showing her work at several local galleries. Being back “home” again in her native southwest brought out her passion for painting oils of desert botanicals, renewing her sense of connection to the cacti and other plants that she grew up with. “There is so much beauty in the desert, but it can go unnoticed; I love being able to capture it in my paintings.”
When Erynn is not painting the beautiful flowers of her native southwest, she loves to paint the tropical flowers she has captured in her many travels to places such as Belize, Mexico, Hawaii, Bora Bora, and Aruba. “My creative ideas almost always come from being out in nature, hiking the beautiful trails, photographing and documenting the plants of the desert, mountain and tropical landscapes.”
Her current series includes colorful botanical paintings of cactus flowers and other beautiful native plants. She hopes the paintings of botanicals, desert blooms and tropical flowers inspire others to experience the joy that comes from the natural beauty that is all around us. Erynn’s collectors say the vibrant colors gives them energy, enriches their homes, and gives them much joy that they love to share with their friends and families. “I just love seeing people light up when they see my work. I’m usually the brightest booth at the show, and proud of it!”
Erynn lives with her husband Glen and 2 Yorkies Maxine and Mr.B. They enjoy the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts, with their beautiful desert plant life, and love to travel all over United States and the globe finding new inspiration from our amazing natural world. Erynn is a member of the Oil Painters of America and the Boulder City Art Guild, and can be seen currently in the Boulder City Art Gallery in Boulder City Nevada, in the Charleston Heights Arts Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and at art festivals throughout the southwest.
Resume available upon request.