The bold color of desert dusk saturates this Arizona landscape. The lively brush strokes create an impression of movement and light, capturing the emotional quality of seeing a beautiful sunset in person. This painting was inspired by the landscape near Saguaro National Park, in Arizona.
As I walked past “shelf talkers,” which are book recommendation cards handwritten by employees, and “Edgar Allan Poe-ka dot” socks, I re-immersed myself in this familiar, homey culture. The store, decorated in warm browns and deep reds, seemed to draw everyone from senior citizens to parents with their kids in tow to dating teens.
“I just want people to be happy when they see my paintings” says artist Erin Hanson. In her studio, golden frames surround large panels of dizzying flower fields, jagged red cliffs, rivers trickling over rocky beds, and dense mountain forests. Erin’s art draws inspiration from the great outdoors. Whether she is visiting a new city for a show or touring a national park, she is constantly in search of scenes to paint.
Many of her works are inspired by her experiences rock-climbing and backpacking—she still takes week-long trips once or twice a year for the sheer enjoyment as well as to find more material for her paintings.
Erin has developed a personal style, called “open impressionism” making oil paint her primary medium because she likes the texture and its resemblance to the great Vincent van Gogh.
