Karen Erickson is a Metis, Cree artist, currently living in Prince George. In art, she has only known painting and does it with a deft eye, whether it be on canvas, feathers, earrings or anything else she is guided to paint. Karen turned professional, right out of high school, attending craft shows with her twin sister, (artist Carla Joseph), when she got out of high school.

Expressing her thoughts and dreams onto canvas has been her sole life’s work and that work reflects years of discipline, as well as empathy and compassion for nature and the humans that inhabit her world.

“My twin sister and I have been painting since elementary school,” Karen begins, and all throughout “my adult life, it’s what I’ve done.”

Erickson’s mom and dad are from Meadow Lake and Green Lake, Saskatchewan. They moved to BC so Karen’s dad could work and they’ve been in Prince George ever since.

“I am basically just a self-taught artist. My inspiration is nature and animals and people; I love people. I like to draw pictures that make me [forge] a connection,” she explains. “My painting is heartfelt, [and I use painting to] tell stories through my art.”

Describing her process, Erickson explains how she gets her creative ideas.

“Sometimes I go to bed at night and, I swear, I dream some of this stuff up,” she laughs. “I think about it all [evening] and then I end up dreaming about it, it’s so weird.”

This item is reprinted with permission from the Alberta Native News. For the complete article, click HERE

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