About Erin Welden
Erin Welden's Background
Erin Welden is best known for her custom impasto paintings and is a full time professional artist living in Austin, Texas. She studied art at Ball State University and glass at Talisman Glass and Chicago Hot Glass Studio . The artist states that she has always had a fascinatio n with tactile materials. Studying mosaic art under Sonia King at the Institute of Mosaic Art in Berkeley inspired her to branch out of blown glass and create multi medium mosaic projects using stone, marble, ceramic, stained glass and other organic materials. Her first love and specialty is large scale custom impasto paintings. She has shown and been featured in galleries and exhibitions.
Medium
Impasto is a technique used in painting, where paint is laid on an area of the surface very thickly, usually thick enough that the painting-knife strokes are visible. This gives the painting a texture and depth that adds life to each piece. This technique combines her love of tactile materials and painting. Each stoke laid is like a building block in creating a unique piece of art. She rarely uses paint brushes when creating her impasto paintings, they are mainly done using pallet knives.
Inspiration
Einstein: “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”
From The Artist:
Recently in my art, I decided to launch a series that was much more feminine than my more industrial Impasto designs. Each one of the trees in this new Tree of Life series is in the shape of a woman's body. The trees represent the female as the foundation that supports her family and all the beauty in her life.
Through my journey in this series, I realized each tree also reflects how I am feeling at a time in my life about my body image. Some trees are skeletal, sparse and only the flowers that bloom are beautiful; as if all I'm doing is holding other beautiful things that I've helped create (my children, my relationships with my family and friends). This mirrors my journey through anorexia and body image. This is the first time I'm coming out about my struggle with body image but I think it is a very important as it relates to my art, my life and the struggles so many girls and women face.