Art medium(s): Oil painting, previously acrylic.
How do you describe your art? Previously post-impressionist, now contemporary realism/symbolic narrative.
Were you always interested in following a creative path? I’ve always felt an instinct to create, to turn ideas into something tangible. Over the years that’s taken many forms: illustration, 3D design, painting and even developing tabletop role-playing games. Creativity has always been my constant, no matter the medium.
What does your “day-in-the-life” look like? Espresso, hot tub, painting, lunch, art biz, painting again, making dinner, then settling in for the evening with my wife Annie. Painting is usually working on a series, but I do selective commissions from time to time. In the summer, I add show-prep, art-show weekends and post-show activities to my week.
Where do you get your creative inspiration? My early work was inspired by the places I’ve traveled, especially Tuscany and Venice. I’ve always felt a deep connection to the old world and a desire to spend as much time there as I can. The textures, the light and the sense of history in those places make me excited and in awe. I feel alive there, like an adventurer uncovering past mysteries.
Now that I can see clearly with scleral lenses, my work has evolved into contemporary realism with a symbolic narrative focus. I’m drawn to glass, water, and reflective surfaces because they mirror that tension between distortion and clarity. Each painting becomes both a reflection of how I once saw and a metaphor for connection, showing how perception can divide us and how seeing differently can also bring us closer.
Why do you love what you do? I’ve always been happiest working for myself, but painting full-time has taken that to another level. Now my work is entirely my own—creating the pieces I’m drawn to, for reasons that fulfill me first. There’s a real freedom in that.
I love everything about the process: mixing color, experimenting with light, and pushing myself creatively with every new painting. Each piece becomes a new challenge, both technically and emotionally.
One thing most people don’t know about being an artist, in your opinion: It’s scary to trust yourself and risk everything, but it’s also unavoidable. Artists don’t really choose this path—it chooses us. Creating from within isn’t optional; it’s how we make sense of the world and find fulfillment.
Early bird or night owl? First the latter, now the former.
Last movie you watched or book you read: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
Is the glass half full or half empty? I like to think that a half glass of wine is still a full serving. We need the air in the glass to enjoy the bouquet experience.
What makes you happiest: I want to say “being in the flow” but I think part of that state is not knowing, just doing. Consciously, I’d say it’s when someone falls in love with a painting of mine that I’m also in love with. Also, rainy-day-couch-n-comfort-food.
Find Erin on Instagram: @quicklaughlin.art, Facebook: quicklaughlin.art and on X: erinql