Erin Price has traveled the world documenting with her camera; a post-cancer migration to the Coast, however, reinvigorated her painting and mixed-media process. Though her photography has been published internationally, her fine art painting and mixed-media work are heavily influenced locally by the Pacific and her experiences as a K-12 Public Educator.
The whimsy of children and the beauty of the Pacific serve to evoke expressionistic depictions of sweeping seascapes, spawning salmon, tidepools and ocean depths. These themes reflect the wonder of the coast and celebrate the survival, solitude, and serenity that surround it. Her appreciation for this magnificence is the same sense of awe that inspires work from all sides of the globe and realms of nature.
Erin’s initiative to discover and celebrate beauty in the created world informs her seemingly dichotomous work. Whether developing whimsical nature-inspired pieces from recycled and reconstituted material or highlighting the beauty of mankind and culture through portraiture and ethnography, Erin captures a sense of vibrancy in scenes and places often overlooked.
As an avid researcher, Erin enjoys Art History and appreciates a wide range of movements and styles. Among those she finds particulary inspiring include Thomas Hart Benton and fellow Oregon artist Betty LaDuke, both masters of color that beautifully documented history and culture in their own unique styles.
The acrylics of Price’s recent Mountain Memories series, inspired by her photographs and encounters throughout Asia, offer a glimpse into daily life around the world. These expressionist vignettes, memorializing time spent living in and returning to Asia, pay homage to rugged Mountain People and celebrate shared culture, tradition, connection, and hope.