Erin Hughes
Artist, Film photographer, Mother of three….
my heart is full.
Artist statement
The intention behind my work is to grasp the sense of beauty and wonder that accompanies a child’s view of the world. My art is a constant pursuit to maintain our connection to beauty and wonder while also acknowledging our separation from them. I choose each photograph as the base for an encaustic piece because there is some element of the image that resonates with this feeling of separation or acknowledgment of beauty. Encaustic medium is the physical representation of it in my work. However, my goal with photo encaustic is to reach the point where the wax begins to blend into the photograph and one is drawn into the scene rather than away from it. The boundary between the viewer and the image becomes fluid and translucent. Alternatively, using oil and cold wax, I free myself from the constraints of an image and try to reach the same connections and emotions by employing complementary elements of color, shape and line. I will often connect the two mediums of encaustic and oil via diptychs that initiate a conversation between the two ideas.
exhibitions
2018 Fauna, Southeast Center for Photography
2018 The Art Gallery on Pendleton Square
2018 43rd Annual Juried Show, Anderson Arts Center
2017 42st Annual Juried Show, Anderson Arts Center
2016 41st Annual Juried Show, Anderson Arts Center
2015 40th Annual Juried Show, Anderson Arts Center
2015 Wildlife Shoot: Photographers on Assignment, Anderson Arts Center
2014 39th Annual Juried Show, Anderson Arts Center
representation
Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, California
collections
Anderson Arts Center Permanent Collection
awards
2018 Mark Hoyle Merit Award, Floral Arts Purchase Award
2017 Callie Stringer Rainey Award
2016 Bruce Campbell Merit Award
website publications
2017 “16 Timeless Photos of the Sea that will Inspire You”, Feature Shoot, 2017. http://www.featureshoot.com/2017/07/16-timeless-photos-sea-will-inspire/
2014 “Sailing the Chesapeake Bay with Erin Hughes”, Let the Kids, 2014. http://letthekids.com/erin-hughes-sailing-day/