New to Artclectic
“I want my artwork to pull people in and invite them to linger,” says Erin Scobey. “The bold colors and repetition are meant to create a world that feels both familiar and imagined like a place viewers could almost live inside. I hope each person finds their own emotional connection to the work, whether they experience joy, curiosity, nostalgia, loneliness, or a sense of belonging.
As an art teacher and practicing artist, Erin is deeply committed to the creative process as a means of personal and collective exploration. “I guide my students in using art to respond thoughtfully to the world around them, while my own work serves as a reflective outlet for my journey through motherhood and healing.”
I am a maximalist at heart. My mind is constantly generating new ideas, colors, patterns, and details, which makes it difficult to edit myself. I often find myself wanting to add just one more thing. Learning when a piece is complete is one of my greatest artistic challenges. I've always said that a painting is finished when I stop seeing things that need to be fixed. Until then, I keep listening to the work and responding to what it asks for.
My dad's house has been one of the most inspirational places in my life. As a child, it felt like a refuge. There were always plants everywhere. I remember falling asleep to the sounds of whip-poor-wills and crickets and feeling connected to the natural world around me while having giant banana plant leaves creating a canopy over my bed. I've been painting foliage, tangled growth, and lush landscapes without realizing what they represented. It wasn't until recently that I understood these environments were emerging from memory as symbols of safety and comfort while I processed my childhood. Recognizing this connection has transformed the way I think about my work and has inspired me to embrace plant life even more deeply in my paintings and textile pieces.
"Presence and Withdrawal" is one of my favorite titles because it means something different to everyone. It describes a feeling many of us have experienced, like the tension between showing up and pulling away. For me, it relates to the idea of "faking normal", appearing present on the outside while carrying a completely different experience internally. I am drawn to titles that invite personal interpretation, and this one continues to resonate with me because of its emotional complexity and universality.
