Erika Richert

Recently somebody called me the most unusual portrait artist she’d ever seen.  I like that.  My work has a special quality- it reaches out and grabs you.  My portrait on a wall has a presence in the room as though it were a real person.  When you look into these faces, they often appear to be regarding you at the same time—kind of like a “stare down”.  

Obviously my images are not photo real.  My style is expressionistic.  My work is forceful and it brings the individual’s character to the forefront—you see that person, you get that person. . As an artist I earn money mostly from commission work which in my case means being paid to paint a portrait of a client.  I feel that my own individuality and style will always emerge. The client is paying to be seen through my eyes. 

I have always been extremely sensitive to colors and to my surroundings.  I am very attracted to bright colors and prefer warm colors over cold. Each piece evolves in the back-and-forth struggle between ”resolving” the image or the colors. I work by overlaying many thin layers which I like to call “building an onion”.

Galleries and Exibition Events: 

          Oh LaLa, Stockton, California                                 2011 to present

          Studio Seven Galleries, Pleasanton, California          2002 to 2010

          Jungle Galleries, Palo Alto CA                                 2003 to 2010 (they closed)

          IMG Gallery, Sunnyvale (one woman show)              2001

          Artwalk  Livermore, CA  (participating all years)        2002 through 2012

          Garre Winery  (one woman show)                            2005

          San Ramon Regional Arts Center                            2012

                                        (one woman exibition)

          Eukphrasis TriValley (poetry and Art)                       2007

          Bankhead Theatre Exibition, Livermore                    2009