Erica Campitelli
Artist member since 2019
Toronto, Ontario
Erica is an abstract artist born in Toronto, Canada. Painting is her way of being present. It allows her to shut out all distractions while she explores colour and motion. In the studio, she gives no consideration to time or its constraints. And, while she never starts with a pre-conceptualized vision, once a painting is complete she can make sense of it and find meaning. With a canvas, she takes something that is blank and creates a personal narrative. Whatever she is wrestling with gets sorted, resolved, alleviated or elevated. Painting is a form of meditation, an escape, and ultimately her therapy.
There is a quote by Thomas Merton that resonates with her. He states that “art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time”. Merton explains how the production of art is a transitional state and is therefore representative of liminality. While painting she feels she reaches this in-between state. It’s trance-like, all-consuming and ultimately a safe space to explore. She believes it’s where her mind, body, and soul are able to connect.
Erica's paintings demonstrate a sense of balance and movement, generating and being a catalyst for emotional awakening. Through the use of blending, dragging and layering the paint, unique textures, shapes and colours form. A complimentary aesthetic is created through the finding of her "flow state" and her ability to work within it. Predominantly, she works with acrylic, chalk paint and oil on canvas or wood panels, wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry. However, she has been known to use paper or cork and dabble with other mediums such as pastels, charcoal, watercolour, alcohol ink and collage.
You can follow her on Instagram @artbyairstudio and see more of her art on her website www.artbyairstudio.wordpress.com. Her contact information is erica.campitelli@gmail.com and if interested in a studio visit, do reach out!
Q+A
Beverage of choice
Water! It's really all we need. Boring answer, I know but it's the truth. I can't seem to go anywhere without my water bottle. It's like my baby blanket, offering security and access. Honestly, it's not the worst thing to be attached to.
When I'm not making art, I'm (a) ...
Hiking! I'm always on the lookout for new trails to devour with my eyes. Either taking day trips to parks or conservation areas, or weekends away camping, I find there's much to be inspired by when immersed in nature.
Favourite medium
Acrylic, although funnily enough I'm in an oil craze right now. I feel like I'm cheating on acrylic but I'm sure it doesn't mind. I'll find my way back to it soon. The second I run out of oils and need to go to the store that is.
What kind of artwork do you have in your home?
My Aunt Susan's abstracts. She was the artist in our family. She could control paint in a way that I could only dream of doing. She never needed a lot but with very little she could accomplish so much. I wish she was alive now so that we could share this passion of ours together.
Why is art important to you?
It's my biggest passion. It's my way of sharing myself with the world; my choice of expression. There would be a void in my life without it.
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Press
2020
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Education
2019
Social
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