Vendor Spotlight: ERS Creative
How would you describe your style? Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to?
I love the work of Dali, Mark Ryden and Faberge. It's fantasy meets reality. Surrealism meets everyday life. I think of my animals and my floral work as my own enchanted forest, where the creatures might talk to me and fit in my hand.
What sort of things inspire you? Where do you look for inspiration?
I love nature and animals. It sounds a bit cliche, but it is truly where I get my energy from. On a bad day, there is nothing better than coming home to my dogs: Denzel Washington and Niles. I look at their smiling, loving faces, and everything is ok! Growing up, my family went camping in the woods a lot and my father would tell us stories of magical tree nymphs with flowing hair and hard working dwarves looking for colorful stones. Today, when I see a plant, I can see the nymph that might play on it or the fairy building her home in a nearby flower. When I see a gemstone, I feel like a gnome that discovered a treasure. And when I see a squirrel, I wonder what it is thinking and doing and what it would be like to befriend it.
When do you feel the most creative?
I am a night owl. Morning time means lots of caffeine and traffic and sleepy people that should really be in bed but are running around pointlessly instead. But at night, everyone is calm, nature is a little quieter, phone is not ringing and I can make some tea, turn of some 90s music and work in my studio. Some of the best ideas come around at midnight and next thing I know, the sun is coming up and my husband is getting up to go to the office!
What is your creative process like?
When making new animals, I look at a lot of pictures. If I can get my hands on the actual animal, that's the best thing. Like when I was making the English Bulldog, I had my sister's bully Winston, around and he was a great model, I could poke and prod and figure out where all the wrinkles should go! But it's harder to get my hands on a Unicorn or an Angler Fish... That's where photos, drawings, sculptures and even children's toys come in. Seeing how other artists have interpreted the animal and comparing it to images of the real thing, helps me capture the essence of it, the look and the personality alike.
Where can we learn more about you?
You can always follow ERS Creative on Instagram where I post my thoughts and inspiration about art but mostly just what I'm doing at the time. You will see a lot of pictures of my dogs and my gardening efforts!
