June 2023 News + Updates

Dear friends, family, colleagues and art-lovers:

Art for the Cash Poor, originally scheduled for this Saturday, June 10th has been postponed indefinitely due to continuing poor air quality conditions in Philadelphia. Please keep an eye out for future email updates with possible new dates, or follow me on Instagram @erica_harney_artist.

My original email from earlier this month continues below in case you missed it the first time around! Thanks for your patience and understanding- unfortunately, extreme weather conditions are beyond my control.

Erica 

Reintroduction/Hello!

Since I only send out a newsletter about once a quarter or so, I wanted to take a moment to reintroduce myself to my newer subscribers! Here are 10 basic facts about me:

1. Since I was small, I've only ever wanted to be an artist! I have a BFA in Drawing & Painting from Alfred University and and MFA in Drawing & Painting from Penn State. I've been working as an artist for my entire adult life and can't imagine being anything else.

2. I was born and raised in New York (the City and Upstate) but have been living in Pennsylvania since 2008. I've lived in and around Philadelphia since 2011.

3. In addition to my Studio practice as a fine artist, I have also taught art in colleges, universities, community centers etc. (BCE/Before COVID Era). I also supplement my Studio practice working as a muralist and as a scenic artist for theatre, opera, ballet, tv, commercials, etc. You can read more about this branch of my art practice here: 

4. People often ask me about my favorite paint medium. While my "favorite" is very much influenced by whatever I'm currently working I am proficient in oil, watercolor and acrylic/latex paint. I think of these all as three separate but related languages which I can switch back and forth between depending on the project.

5. When I'm working I like to listen to NPR (specifically WHYY), podcasts (especially anything journalistic and/or with a continuous narrative...) and audiobooks, or I will put a show on in the background that I've already seen and can follow without actually having to look at it!! Some of my favorite podcasts these days are On the Media, The Pulse and of course, Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me! I'm also looking forward to starting the new season of Slow Burn!

6. The part of being an artist that I struggle with the most is having to maintain my public social media presence. While I sincerely appreciate seeing what my friends, family and colleagues are up to I am *truly horrible* at keeping up with the trends and algorithms despite my most earnest efforts! If you'd like to help me out, please follow me on IG @erica_harney_artist.  I'm also usually pretty amendable to content requests! :) 

7. When I'm not working I love to garden, hike, practice yoga/pilates and travel. I've been to 47 US states, 2 US territories and 10 countries on 4 continents!! I also love to work on my house with my dad- which has been an "art project" in and of itself.

8. I consider myself a bit of a tomboy- while I **throughly** enjoy shopping at a good thrift store I don't really care very much about things like hair, makeup, etc. I've never had a manicure in my life, I cut my own hair with plain old bathroom scissors and my hairdryer is only used for drying paint . A "girly girl" I am not, but I can clean up and look presentable when I need to (see above photo for proof!)

9. My cat, Rufus is my child, best friend, studio assistant and sidekick. He even has his own Instagram account: @rufus_theodore_barleysheath. I love most animals, with few a few exceptions: mosquitoes (my nemeses), cockroaches (disgusting) and primates (they fall into the "uncanny valley" category and really creep me out).

10. My favorite colors are red, orange and green......but for the most part I love all color (especially if that color comes in the form of paint or flowers!!). 

Art for the Cash Poor in Philadelphia on June 10th

Later this month I will be participating in InLiquid's annual Art for the Cash Poor event for the first time since before the Pandemic! I am currently working on a whole bunch of new Philly-specific watercolors just for this event, and will have many other new and recent watercolors with me. Everything in my booth will be priced under $150! Stop by and say hi :)

• Art For The Cash Poor 2023 will be held on June 10th from 12-6PM (rain date June 11th)

• Everything for sale is $250 or less!

• All proceeds from this event go directly to the artists

• This year’s event will feature over 100 vendors from across the region, selling handmade arts and crafts

*New* New Orleans watercolors! 

After returning from a two-week research trip to New Orleans in January, I spent a lot of the winter and early spring working on a collection of new watercolors inspired by my travels. While there are several more paintings in this series that I hope to complete some day, I'll be taking a break from these for the immediate future as I work on other projects. Meanwhile, you can see all of my "Carnival Series" and other new watercolors on my website, or visit my Etsy shop to claim your favorite!

Orange Slices back by popular demand......

Pinterest has spoken, and I've made a new batch of Orange Slice watercolors! Based on my series of Artifacts watercolors featuring small objects (2011-2019), these guys were painted from life. Some of these will be with me at Art for the Cash Poor on June 10th- otherwise, you can always check them out online!

Custom Watercolors!!

Most of my Studio time these days is spent creating custom watercolors of homes, businesses, landscapes, and lots of other kinds of venues (as well as the occasional pet or vehicle!). I'm a little behind on updating my website with my most recent paintings (that's on my to-do list  after I finish this newsletter!) but there's already lots and lots to see there!

I also love receiving commission requests for oil paintings, such as the one up at the very top of this newletter. I'm currently working on a commissioned landscape for a collector in Germany which will be completed later this summer! While I haven't been sharing images of the painting itself yet, you can watch a short time-lapse video on Instagram of me building the canvas!

Remember: If you're considering a custom watercolor painting as a Father's Day gift, please order ASAP to ensure on-time completion and delivery!!!  You can either order directly from my website (recommended if you're local to Greater Philadelphia and want to pick up your painting from my Studio) or from my Etsy shop (recommended if you require shipping). I also offer gift-certificates if that makes more sense for your timeline.

Scenic Work: La Traviata 

In addition to my Studio practice, I've also been working as a scenic artist in the Greater Philadelphia area for over a decade. Earlier this spring I painted the set of La Traviata, a co-production between Opera Delaware and Opera Baltimore. The set was designed by Jefferson Ridenour and built by Bob Parker, two really talented and hardworking guys that I've had the pleasure to work with many times now!! You can learn more about the behind-the-scenes of this project in an interview with Dara McBride of the Broad Street Review

Click here for more information and photos of past scenic projects!

Photo credit: Brendan Cooke (...I think?! Correct me if I'm wrong!)

Spring/Summer Mural Season!

'Tis the season for outdoor murals! I've conducted 4 site visits already this spring and could *potentially* have up to 9 (!!!) mural projects of varying size/scale between May and September if everything pans out (your guess is as good as mine!). Meanwhile, I recently completed the 4th annual installment of my "Waldoness/Dynamic Waterfall" mural on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the exterior of a home right in my own neighborhood- a project that began in 2020 and has been added to bit by bit every spring. 

. Click here to see more of my past murals.

New cover illustration for the latest volume of poems by Ernest Yates

Earlier this year my friend and neighbor Ernest Yates released a new volume of poems entitled "Lovers: Poems of Philadelphia," for which I created the cover art (in addition to his three previous books!) 

Errata: Poems of Philadelphia, 2020

Sometime a Fine Morning: Poems of Philadelphia, 2021

Wicked World: Poems of Philadelphia, 2022

Lovers: Poems of Philadelphia, 2023

ONE (1) print available: Lower Swedish Cabin

If you've been following me for a while you might know that I ALMOST NEVER offer prints of my work- only once in a great while, and/or upon request (only if the original painting has already been sold). Earlier this year I created a limited series of five 8x10" reproduction prints of my 2020 watercolor of the Lower Swedish Cabin in Drexel Hill, PA- the first of which has been acquired by the PA Department of Labor and Industry and the rest by private collectors. I happen to have ONE print left, availble for $50 plus tax, s&h. Contact me to claim this print- first come, first served!

THANK YOU!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this newsletter- especially if you've made it all the way to the end!! I truly appreciate your continued support!!!! Please enjoy this photo of part of my garden :)

Erica

Our mailing address is:

Erica Harney Studios

Lansdowne, PA 19050

Want to change how you receive these emails?

you can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.