Natalie Erickson

Over the last few years I've seen Natalie's work grow and change. Her work has always been intriguing to me because it's so outside the realm of anything I would ever create, her images are distorted in fantastic ways that I find slightly repulsive and yet beautiful and graceful in the same breath. They have a haunting effect, which makes me want to come back to them. I'm so excited to feature her newest works on the PS. 

Untitled #5

oil on canvas

24x48"


 You titled the series Inner Creatures and each piece definitely has a portrait feel. Tell me more about these inner creatures.

This series of works are self portraits. I am exploring the inner workings of self and capturing the emotions of the different creatures that live within. For me these creatures are very real, they live in the unconscious mind and they embody the core self or true self; that's what I am doing in these paintings, trying to understand myself through the language of images. These creatures don't lie. Each one  represents different parts of self, like relationships, self destruction, sexuality, spirituality, and the list can go on. hahaha.... wow, I am really putting myself out there.

Untitled #12

Oil on Canvas

36 x 48

It sounds like a deeply introspective process, do you have any rituals or routines before you paint in order to discover a creature? Do you approach each painting with a familiarity of the creatures exact form or does it come to you while you're working?


 My routine is usually a cup of coffee and just staring at the canvas for awhile,  some times for an hour or two, haha. But I do have a lot of days where I will write or ground myself, just to clear my thoughts, so I can really connect and concentrate with my paintings. 

My approach to discover these creatures, for the most part is very intuitive, which is the part I really love. 


For me, even though they're familiar, it's like finding a new species that has common attributes as humans. I'm getting to be an explorer and create with images. I also work from sketches and use them from time to time to get started, but of course they alway change, although they do have the same emotional value I am trying to convey. 

Untitled #6

oil on canvas

36x36"

Where do you look for inspiration?

I look at a lot of different artists, especially painters. The work that I look at usually has an intense emotional quality to it. I am always trying to figure out how they are using their language of images. Examining form, color, and composition; that gets me excited. I am also very inspired by movement and the body. I love going to shows, watching circus performances, acrobatics, aerialists, and contortionists. I’m a huge fan of carnival and circus life of the early 1900’s. Even just looking at old photos and reading about them always inspires me to paint. Music is a huge part for me too, I move and dance a lot when I'm painting.

You just graduated from Evergreen State College, congratulations. What were the highlights of your Evergreen experience? What's next?

Thanks! Evergreen was amazing. I took programs with faculty that really pushed me to do more than I thought was possible, haha... it wasn’t the Evergreen experience that people in the NorthWest alway joke about.

 One of the first highlights was I took a program called Consciousness, Art and Matter, we studied theory of consciousness, modern physics and looked at how these subjects and our artwork expanded our understanding of the nature of the mind. It was intensive work and it really opened a new level of painting for me. 

The biggest highlight for me was being awarded senior thesis this last year. I was able to just paint with no distractions, do my own research and let every thing I learned in the past years come together. Getting to work one on one that last year with Susan Aurand and Lisa Sweet, who were like  mentors to me throughout my Evergreen experience, was a gift. They both inspired me to work harder and dive deeper into questioning what I was creating. The best, was the senior thesis art show in the Evergreen gallery, standing there looking at my paintings and getting to share them was amazing. I am hooked.  

Next is a lot of painting, continue working on the series and just keep learning and exploring. And shows!   

If you're interested in the works or want to know more you can contact Natalie at natalieerickson@hotmail.com