Erica Fairhurst

Born and raised in the green hills and valleys of Dorset undulating in their unique patterns over chalk and clay, Erica has always been curious about the landscape around her. At school she painted and found peace in the process of painting and discovered a talent for colour and tone. After years of dipping in and out of artistic pursuits, in 2006 she came back to painting having returned to Dorset a few years previously. Her first solo exhibition was a sell out, confirming to her this was a direction to follow. She paints mainly with a palette knife on vibrant backgrounds, covering the bright ground in more neutral tones. She is expressive in her work, conveying the feeling of the place, the light and the atmosphere in her energetic and varied marks. Her paintings are set in place, or of recognisable still life objects, yet are moving towards abstraction and simplification as she experiments more with form and time. She is interested in the practise of observation and what that brings to the whole person, mentally, physically and spiritually.