Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Tapp.
Erin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As far back as I can remember, I have been drawn to bright colors, patterns, and anything with an element of painterly funk. I used to take my favorite illustrated children’s books off the shelves and spend hours flipping through and studying the vibrant pages where certain color combinations, arrangement of paint strokes, or unique shapes caught my eye. When I was 7, for Christmas I asked my parents if I could turn the unfinished part of our basement into my own art studio.
Dark, insulation and nail-ridden though it may have been, my “lair” (as my family so aptly dubbed it) became my haven from the time I was seven until I got a “real” artist studio only two years ago. So many elements of my style and interests in my work today were born from those formative years spent on my own, converting my space into something exciting by filling it with colorful and joyous work. This process of adding energy, light, and joy to space has become the main goal of my work today.
In high school, I began to really recognize that my passion for art and desire to take it further went beyond just a hobby. In my junior and senior years, I took both AP studio art and AP art history classes, and it was there that I really learned about the creative process. It was groundbreaking to learn about the centuries of artists who borrowed and built upon each other’s work. I learned that a painting could come from the combination of completely different elements.
A sleek pattern from a fashion magazine, a borrowed composition from the shape from ancient Greek sculpture, and a color palette from a mug from Anthropologie could all coexist in the same painting and become something entirely new. I just fell in love with being able to puzzle piece together any, and everything–ancient history, pop culture, and other creative work—things that seemingly had nothing in common and yet could still be brought together cohesively to create something meaningful and unique.
In college, my work moved from answering the question of how do we create great art? To why do we create great art? Every time we were able to work on a project with no parameters, we were required to write out something called a “how, what, why” in which we had to sketch, journal, and create mood boards explaining the ins and outs of why we were going to paint something. This exercise along with class critiques and ultimately my own solo show helped me grow so much as an artist and provided the foundation for me to feel as if I could pursue art for real.
As I entered my senior year, the timing was such that social media platforms were already being used in a huge way by artists. Growing up, becoming an artist for a professional career always seemed like something abstract and unattainable, but in light of the growing exposure that social media allowed young emerging artists, I found myself itching to take the leap.
Upon graduating, I wasn’t entirely ready to set out and do my art full time, so I got a job at an art consulting firm called DAC in my native city of Atlanta. Here, we worked with a range of artists, and I learned such valuable information both on the artist and client side. While working, I got a studio space at the Goat Farm and continued to work on lots of commissions in conjunction to my job. In 2017, after working in art consulting for almost a year, my commissions demand started to increase, and I felt that it was time to take the leap and pursue being an artist full time—which has proved to be the best decision ever!
Has it been a smooth road?
I have a friend that gave me a print by the artist Mari Andrew that on the left side shows a wild and messy squiggle line and says “what it looks like now” and on the right side shows a straight, clean and paved road and says “what it will look like in hindsight” that I think perfectly summarizes the journey.
I think the biggest thing I’ve struggled with is feeling like I have to find my place as an artist and where I best fit in the art world. I take on a range of subjects (from large, involved abstracts, to landscapes and florals, to small dog portraits, and everything in between) both through commissions and in my own work, and at times I struggle with feeling like I’m not creating a recognizable style/body of work.
But, I’ve learned (and am still learning) how to lean into doing such a variety of things, and it’s become one of my favorite parts of what I do! It both keeps it interesting and pushes my skill level as an artist. So, day to day I think that in a nutshell, the biggest struggle is just remembering to enjoy the journey and embrace the uncertainty! I’m so lucky to be able to do what I love, and it’s about keeping that perspective. 🙂
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I have a website where I sell my paintings and prints (hopefully, products in the future as well 😉 ! ), and I do commission work. I think what sets me apart from others is like I mentioned, I rarely ever turn any subject matter or request down. People often ask me what my favorite kind of subject matter to paint is, and honestly, I never really know how to answer that because I really like elements of every kind of subject matter!
I think that being able to work with people to realize their vision–whether its a “musically-inspired” large-scale abstract, an impressionistic landscape that has special meaning to a family, or a quick wedding logo sketch–and being able to be versatile in that way is unique in the art world and keeps it fresh for me. It also allows me to work with a range of people (often on very special/meaningful projects) which is always the best part!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
YES!! I feel like Atlanta has excellent art and design presence already and still a lot of room for more opportunities–making it the ideal place to be in for emerging artists/businesses like mine.
I think that Charleston has created an amazing atmosphere for young artists–there are great studio situations where emerging artists can work in close proximity to each other, lots of reputable galleries, and it has just gained a reputation where designers and other creatives just know to keep an eye on artists who filter in and out of there.
I think that Atlanta has that same potential on a larger scale, and I really think it is heading in that direction, which is super exciting for artists!
Contact Info:
- Address: Studio #8 675 Drewry St. NE Atlanta GA, 30306
- Website: www.erintapp.com
- Email: erintappart@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erintappart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erintappart
Image Credit:
Thu Tran
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