Playing and exploring with different techniques and mediums changed and expanded my practice. 

Before I left for Italy, I had intentions of creating massive acrylic paintings. I envisioned myself painting landscapes and portraits just like the masters! I bought a lot of canvas from Curry’s to bring overseas with me because I was told that the quality isn’t as good in Italy as it is in Toronto and it is more expensive. Within the first few days of arriving in Italy my roommates and I went to an art store called Salvini and we bought painting materials. I was so excited to start my creative journey in a place where I had been dreaming of being in since first-year. School started the week after and I had everything set to go. I had my paints, brushes, canvas and a beautiful studio space!

My studio space for Thesis in Florence, Italy before we moved buildings

When it came time to paint I was not producing anything that I liked or felt proud of. As beautiful and dream-like Florence is, I just did not feel inspired to paint. It was so frustrating for me because I knew I was right in the middle of where great painters produced work. I was forcing myself to paint and nothing visually appealing came out of it. I always classified myself as a painter and it came very natural to me, but at that moment it felt the furthest from natural. I could not understand why this was happening to me and I felt a little discouraged, especially when my fellow classmates were well on their way with their work. 

Weeks went by and I was still struggling to produce. Luckily one of my roommates, Alesha, had told me that she found a nearby plastic shop called Il Plastico. I was intrigued because we don’t have such a place in Toronto, well none that I know of. A couple of days later she took our other roommate, Jen, and I to Il Plastico and I found myself purchasing such random materials. I bought crazy glue, long a sheet of reflective square stickers, long plastic rods, all different diameters, and a few sheets of plastic with texture. I had no idea what I was going to do with them! I just wanted them because they looked and felt interesting to me.

I took the new materials to the studio and I ended up chopping up the rods to different lengths and gluing them to the plastic sheets. This was just the start of a new beginning!     

Open Studio - December 12, 2014

Over the months my Thesis had evolved and I felt more confident in myself and in my work. I was in a better place and heading in a foreign direction with excitement! If it wasn’t for my painting struggles and the discovery of new materials I would have never produced the work that I did, nor would I have the appreciation for my growth as an artist and as an individual.

It’s funny how the message behind my Thesis, Be an Orchid, actually has relation to my journey to creating the piece, but that’s something to be shared with in person.

If you’re having a hard time trying to produce something, I hope that you persevere because something great will come out of it!

Erica