For our seventh interview of the 2021 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to artist Erin Erskine about her past Delaware Fun-A-Day experiences, her senior exhibition, her morbid curiosity and how it plays into her artwork, life post-college, and her sculptural work. Thanks, Erin!
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We like to know how people are connected to Delaware - are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found here?
I am born and raised in Wilmington Delaware. I first heard of Delaware Fun- a- day my sophomore year of college while attending the University of Delaware. Being in the exhibit for the first time back in 2016 I had sold my first few paintings, and I had enjoyed painting every day. That it inspired me to change my major to Fine Arts the following year. Since then I’ve found fun-a-day, a fun way to explore themes and experimenting with different mediums such as Acrylic, Watercolor, ink, and digital. Every year I enjoy being able to meet a numerous number of artists and see what we all created that year.
You’ve participated in Delaware Fun a Day for several years. Can you describe your favorite past Fun-A-Day project to us?
My favorite past fun-a-day must have been my 2017 series of Tie Die. A series of paintings with Watercolor and Ink depicting very colorful saturated skulls in different patterns and sizes. This was a study of skulls and was a fun experiment with watercolors.
Looking back at your portfolio, you tend to have many projects constantly going on. What’s the newest project other than Delaware Fun a Day that you’ve been working on?
I’ve found beauty in the constant change that I have been experiencing throughout the past year and a half. I feel as though in that time my work has come to represent that.
My newest project does actually come from the drawings for this year’s fun-a-day.
This year as my experiment for Fun-a-day has been a series of work that I’ve done digitally and would like to transform my drawings into sculptures.
You’ve participated in several exhibitions as an artist, but we wanted you to tell us about your Senior BFA Exhibition known as FLUX. From the pictures we’ve been able to view, it looks amazing, and just wanted to see the event through your eyes.
My senior exhibition was a challenge that I was able to experience with the other seniors in my class. I was fortunate to have three of my sculptures in the show. Perception, Glimpse, and Preservation. All three of the pieces being in the show with each piece representing a different theme that I investigated largely during my time in school. It was a perfect way for me to wrap up my time at the University of Delaware art department.
As a well-seasoned Delaware Fun-A-Day participant, what advice can you give our newcomers? Is there any peice of advice that you believe would be a top priority for rookies to take a hold of?
My first fun-a-day theme was Ultra Violet. A series of paintings that had nothing to do with each other, other than everything was painted with different shades of purples, because purple is my favorite color.
Have FUN! It is after all in the name. Find something you want to explore or like and have fun with it. Whether it's cats in famous paintings, your favorite anime character, or finger painting. I think that's the best part about Delaware fun-a-day the fact that anyone can join and can draw, paint, take pictures, make jewelry, do a makeup look everyday, etc. Make something for yourself that you are going to enjoy making.
Looking through your online portfolio website, we’ve been able to view the many vivid canvases that involve skeletons and what feels to be a balance of humans, life, and death. Can you go into detail about this collection of work and explain the method behind the work and the story you are trying to convey?
For what started as studies of the human figure, a morbid side of me became fascinated by skeletons and their connection to death. Death is what all us mortals have to face at some point in our lives. It is after all the great equalizer. A part of my work has been me looking at my own life and coming to terms with my own mortality.
As a young child, I remember my first thoughts of death were people only die when they reach old age. Growing up there has been many classmates of mine that have died at a very young age due to many terrible situations.
With that said I look to death as a reminder to always live my life to the fullest I can. Knowing that tomorrow isn’t promised. My hope is that when my time has come I’m able to look at my life and see the beauty and have no regrets.
Throughout Delaware Fun A Day, there haven’t been many times we’ve seen sculpture work, but we got a chance to view the lovely sculptures you created. Can you tell us the vision and process you take in order to create a well-polished and finished sculpture?
All my sculptures were at one point sketches. None of them have turned out how I’ve originally drawn them. I’ve allowed myself to start with the general idea of what I want to create and I would pick the best materials I believe would create the best results. Whether that being in Metal, glass, ceramic, hair, wood, etc.
While my sculpture work still relates to death, a lot has to deal with one's awareness of their inner reflections and surroundings. In my sculpture Geode, as the viewer is looking within the center of the mirrors, they find them-selves broken up into fragments and become one with the nature around them. They become part of the beauty of the piece and the beauty of nature.
The COVID Pandemic has been a hard hit towards the art community. Can you describe to us the trials and tribulations you’ve had to work through during this time?
After graduating in 2019 I started my life post-college. I started applying for jobs and getting into shows, building my portfolio, and traveling more. I was starting to taking better care of myself. I felt like life was looking up for me. Then within a few months, the world just stopped. I lost one job and wasn’t able to work the other. I was stuck at home luckily with my family, but with both parents working from home and my brother still attending classes online I was in my own world in my bedroom/ studio. Trying to do what I can to build my portfolio. However, I felt stuck in my creative ideas. I was still grieving for a loved one and then found myself grieving for the world. I felt broken with so much uncertainty and change, that I found my drawings had taken a different form. I started allowing myself to be more fluid in my drawings and exploring this feeling of being broken and things constantly changing. With the trials I faced, I was able to have good things come out of 2020. Out of all things a new relationship, new job opportunities came up. I started going back to school for Art Conservation, and a new series of art that I’m excited to explore more.
Where can people see more of your work?
I always post what I’m working on, on my Instagram account under @erinlersk_art and on my website at https://erinersk.wixsite.com/ersk.