Another defining trait of Erica’s work, the one that unites the diverse styles and materials, is her use of color. In some of her figurative work, bold colors give her images a flowing, kinetic quality reminiscent of Van Gogh. In her abstract work, color is an important compositional element whose intensity conveys strong emotion and something unmistakably joyous.

Erica, a self-taught artist, grew up in Minnesota and now lives in Wisconsin. As early as first grade she was drawing flowers, using her love of nature as means of discovering her talent. Her passion for drawing grew along with her proficiency and soon she was working on her art everyday after school, drawing images not just from nature, but from everything around her. She taught herself how to mix colors using K-mart paint on large pieces of butcher paper. (Real art supplies were a luxury her family could ill afford.) She worked on her art constantly, discovering her strengths and different interests through long hours of practice. In high school she took art classes and was later accepted to art school, but was unable to attend due to the cost. She did, however, continue to take classes whenever she could, adding a dimension of formal training to her art education. Essentially, Erica made herself an artist through self-discipline, passion for her work, and a willingness to pursue any opportunity she could find to improve her abilities.

Erica’s work, especially the abstract paintings, has an undeniable universal quality, drawing on the subconscious for its imagery, inspiration, and spontaneous method of composition. “Mostly I let the paint tell me what it wants to do,” says Erica.

In keeping with the eclecticism so integral to her work, though, there are other aspects to Erica’s art—particularly in the figurative and decorative work—that connect it solidly to distinct cultural traditions and a specific location. Erica’s Scandinavian heritage, for example, led her to study the Norwegian folk art known as Rosemaling or rose painting, a form of decorative flower painting done on wood or canvas.

Erica also draws on her Great Lakes milieu to create images that are as precise in their execution as they are engaging in their affect.  Her placid scenes of lakeside rose gardens and conservatories have a specificity and wistfulness that underscore the evocative power endemic to figurative painting. 

To speak of Erica Eberspacher’s artistic journey is to conjure a long road with many stops, as she discovered one form of expression after another, marshaling them all to create a distinct personal style that, while eclectic, is consistent but never static.