Erika Husselmann

Profile

I live and work in Auckland, New Zealand. My medium of choice and main focus is oil painting although I also work in other mediums including acrylic, mixed media, polymer sculpture and collage.

My works are contemporary, sometimes stylised, subtle, free and colourful, but can also be whimsical, quirky, playful and naive. I love a good laugh.

Where does it all come from? I always say ‘my head’ – I paint what I am, I paint my dreams, everyday life, my family, my hopes and my history – I paint from the heart, that which is ingrained in my being. Over time images of the human figure, faces and elongated creatures have found themselves a permanent place in many of the paintings – and boats and birds have become symbols of journeys that souls travel. Fruit has become a symbol for food for the soul, flowers a symbol for love.

Techniques I use include alla primo, impasto and sgraffito, also layering through glazing – these are often combined but regularly employed according to what the specific work may demand in a heuristic way. I often allow the painting to take off in a different direction by letting it flow rather than follow my initial design to the letter.

Artists I admire and whom have influenced my work include Botero, Modigliani, Rita Angus, Colin McCahon, June Jolly – china painter, and Karl Amundsen. My work is held in private collections in Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden.

See my website for original oil paintings.

See my blog for all other works of fun.

Thanks for reading this! e^)

© Erika Husselmann 2009
Copyright of my images belongs to me. Please do not copy my work without my written permission, ta.