Meet Erin Drakeford

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Drakeford.

Erin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
High school art class is where I really fell in love with art. I knew then that art would be life for me. I went to the University of Georgia and graduated with a degree in painting in drawing and studied abroad in Italy and it forever changed me. I had a great exit show and had a few shows around downtown Athens after graduation. I had an amazing time at college and I learned lots of things, but was I fully prepared for the real art world? There were no classes then that taught you how to actually brand yourself or make a living as an artist. How does one become a successful artist? Please someone tell me. I left college feeling a little duped. So I just fell back on waiting tables. Then I became a real estate agent. Then a hairstylist. Then an international flight attendant. Then I had some kids. They are legit the most demanding job to date. I felt like I was in a vortex of diapers and housework and struggling to find what was left of myself.

We moved back to Atlanta after five years in New York City only recently did I began painting again. I made some great art friends here in Atlanta including a small gallery owner and had my first art show in over ten years. I had no studio at this time, my kids were 4 and 2 and I painted an entire cohesive show on my front porch. I even sold a bunch of them at my show which inspired me to push forward. I got a studio where I could really focus and make a giant mess and not have to worry if a toddler was going to guzzle turpentine. At my show, I think the most asked question was “where do you find the time to paint?” Well friends, I don’t really. I leave the house and go paint twice a week. If kids have taught me anything they have taught me to value my time. I can be more productive in 4 hours at the studio now than a month at my studio when I was in college. But to be painting again! It’s Everything. I feel more alive and awake than I ever have and so excited to be creating.

Has it been a smooth road?
Trying to make a living doing art is a challenge many artists struggle with and one I am definitely still working on . For so long it seemed like making art had to be put on the shelf because I needed money for rent and life. After waiting tables for years, I was 25 years old and no longer painting at all which was pretty depressing. I needed to get out of that restaurant lifestyle and still make money and I still wanted to do something creative so I decided on cosmetology school. I thought that was a good compromise to satisfy the art/money complex but that was silly. I need the painting in my life. The real challenge though is the emotional struggles. Like that blank canvas…so scary. Fear and lack of confidence can be paralyzing. I’m shy and introverted which makes self-promotion challenging.

Saying it out loud seems silly, but I used to feel that I was waaaay to normal to be an artist. Normalcy is the least of my worries now. Now I have kids and work and budgets and all sorts of boring grown up stuff to take care of. At least now that blank canvas isn’t so scary. I crossed a threshold and I have found that if I just put paint on that canvas even if it’s just to clean off some brushes it leads to an idea and an image and then a painting. It’s a bit unfortunate that when I was younger and had boat loads of time, I was stifled by fear and now I’m not as scared and have tons of ideas but have such limited time to paint.

Please tell us more about your art.
I like to create large abstract figurative works on canvas. Or sometimes just big messy landscapes. I get to create things that I love to make. Right now, most of my work explores themes of depression, introversion and the oppressive obligations of femininity. Much of this stemming from the motherhood experience. To me, my paintings have so much to say and I can look at it and know all the feelings I was going through when I created it. But that is what I see. The beauty of abstract art is that people can see it differently. I do love to create something I think is beautiful and perhaps my work could be described as ethereal, abstract figurative landscapes. Many times I try to use an unusual material. I sew thread into canvas because to me, embroidery is a symbol of traditional female roles…the thread weaving through the canvas in a haphazard but binding pattern.

I also use a lot of gold foil that speaks to opulence and our cultural obsession with material objects. I use it as a light and beacon that is distracting and fascinating. Maybe this comes across in my work, maybe it doesn’t. Either way, I like to look at it. I love to be a contradiction and a bit of a mystery. Like using bright bold colors and shallow depth of field when painting about darker emotional themes. I enjoy putting little pop culture references and some irony and dark humor in my work. I hope people see some of these things but I also love hearing what others see in my paintings even if it is vastly different for the vision I had when it was created. You can find me painting in my studio over in at Mutiny Artwrx in the MET on the westside of Atlanta and every third Thursday you can stroll the whole gallery and studio complex and meet me and 100 other artists who would love to tell you their story!

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think that art creation and appreciation will always be in our world and now it is even more accessible than it was when I graduated college. I make a point to always embrace changes and shifts in career and life to keep myself relevant. The power of social media has made artists more visible and now galleries are no longer the only way to view art or meet artists. Instagram and Facebook have been great platforms to reach people who are interested in art and to showcase your work. New technology in website creation and online storefronts make it possible to completely make and run your own company and sell your work yourself. Co-working spaces have been amazing too. Get a bunch of artists doing so much awesome diverse work in one place it’s almost impossible not to be inspired by everyone around you.

Pricing:

• My artwork ranges in price from $50-$1500 based mostly on the size of the work

Contact Info:

• Website: erindrakeford.com
• Email: edutton28@gmail.com
• Instagram: erindrakefordart
• Facebook: @erindrakefordart

Image Credit:
Photos by Jason Drakeford

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