Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Palovick.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Growing up my parents moved our family every couple of years, but we landed just outside Atlanta for the majority of my childhood. I was really quiet in school but loved getting to know people. I began drawing and painting in high school and was so fixed on creating that it led me to continue studying art through college. It was always the easiest way for me to communicate.
Though my foundation is in drawing and painting, I became deeply drawn to performative work thanks to my studies in art history – so much so that my very first project after graduating college was a public performance. Since then, my practice has been a weaving of mediums – from painting on paper to performance, sound and installation.
Please tell us about your art.
Making work is how I process my thoughts and feelings. It’s the best way I know to learn anything and grow as a person. My medium is changing all the time, so I don’t have a particular routine in the way of making a thing. But the feelings of inspiration, longing and curiosity are familiar every time. Whether working alone or with a collaborator, it begins with a spark of an all-consuming, bigger-than-you-and-me force. Then the work is in finding balance to that feeling. Finding harmony. Something like bringing the cosmos down to earth.
My hopes for my work are very poetic and changing all the time. Mostly, I’m hoping to spark the same feelings I began with in others.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
There’s no one definition of an artistic career, so I can’t offer advice that will be true for everyone. It’s just not a linear path.
But yes, there will absolutely be financial struggles. It’s not an easy thing to commit to. The way I’ve moved past this fear is by acknowledging that this actually isn’t a choice for me. Creating isn’t something I can ever or will ever stop doing. So, it will work. Every day looks different, but that’s part of the commitment. There are phases of my career that don’t look how I want them to, but deep down, I know it was just a phase. And in the moments where everything is working according to plan, I know it’s also just a phase. I suspect there is a lesson in gratitude here.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
The best way to find me and keep in touch is through my website and Instagram (erinpalovick.com + @erinpalovick_art.design). I exhibit work several times a year but am also constantly working with individuals one-on-one for commissioned paintings.
I’m a co-founder and co-director of fLoromancy (floromancy.org), which serves as both a platform for artists to explore ideas outside the regular gallery setting and a place for anyone to delve into an art community.
Contact Info:
- Website: erinpalovick.com
- Email: epalovick@gmail.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/erinpalovick_art.design
- Other: floromancy.org
Image Credit:
Photos by Jamie Hopper + Kelly Blackmon
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