Looking at art is like looking at the world through the artist’s eyes. My approach to painting begins with observation and study of the natural world in all its splendid variation. Whether working from life or from sketches back in my studio, my paintings become translations of what I perceive. The beauty of this is that I will always have work to do, poems to create from my personal impressions of the world. My style tends toward tonalism as I seek to distill the elements of the landscape to their simplest forms, looking for a balance between representation, abstract mark making, and emotional gesture. Everywhere I go I see stories in the landscape, and I strive to find ways to tell that story through my work.
I have spent more than seventeen years documenting landscapes from around the country and in Europe, all the way from California to New England and from England to France and to the Netherlands. I live and work in Rhode Island with my husband, Peter, and our three children by my side. I have been exhibiting since 2008, and my paintings are included in private collections around the world including across the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Australia, and Japan.
Erin Spencer (b. 1979)
erinspencerart@gmail.com | 801-885-8678
Social Media
Instagram: @erinspencerart
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@erinspencerart
Education
2005, BA, Brigham Young University
Awards
Best of Show, American Impressionist Society, 7th Annual Small Works Showcase, Nashville, TN, 2023
First Place, Bristol Art Museum Member Show, Bristol, RI, 2018
Emerging Artist First Place, Art Muse Contest, 2017
Gallery Representation Award, Jack Meier Gallery, Houston, TX, 2017
First Place, South County Art Association, Juried Show, Attleboro, MA, 2017
First Place for Painting, Harvest Festival, Coggeshall Farm, Bristol, RI, 2015
First Place for Painting, Quahog Festival, Warren, RI, 2010, 2009
Press
Artful:Minds Community Podcast Interview, March 18, 2024, listen here
My Greatest Teacher, Artist Spotlight, PleinAir Today, Outdoor Painter, published online, January 16, 2023, read here.
Painting Insights Podcast Interview, September 13, 2023, listen here
Artist To Know: Erin Spencer, Inside Art With Michael Rose, Go Local Prov, August 2, 2023, read here
Aart Podcast Interview, June 10, 2021, listen here
February Catalog, Art Niche, Williams Fine Art Dealers, February 2023 Issue, see here
Artists to Watch, Plein Air Magazine, October 2022 issue, pg. 70-71
Savvy Painter Podcast Interview, listen here
Artist of Note, Southwest Art Magazine, March 2018 issue, Vol. 47, No. 10, pg. 83, read here
Landscapes by Erin Spencer, Allison Fry Blog, read here
Featured Artist, Heirloom Art & Co., Provo, UT, read here
Boston Accent Lit, Issue 8, read here
Teaching
2024
Simplifying the Landscape in Oils, plein air workshop, Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
Look Up: An Online Cloud Workshop, 4 week course, Barrington, RI
A Day At the Bay, plein air workshop, Bristol, RI
Designing A Landscape Painting, one day workshop, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
2023
Exploring Shapes in the Landscape, online workshop, Barrington, RI
Paint the Farmcoast, plein air workshop, Westport, MA
Simplifying the Landscape in Oils, plein air workshop, Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
Portraits of the Sky, studio workshop, Western Wyoming Community College, Rock Springs, WY
2022
Finding Poetry in the Landscape, 6 week course, Penn Studio School
2021
Flower, Flower, Land + Sky Workshop, Salt Lake City, UT
Painting the Sky, plein air workshop, Jamestown, RI
2019
Paint the Farmcoast, plein air workshop, Tiverton, RI
Select Exhibitions
2024
A Light in the Darkness, Private Exhibit for Charity, Barrington, RI
Boundless Worlds, 3 Person Show (Gary Heise, Kathrine Lovell & Erin Spencer), Imago Foundation For The Arts, Warren, RI
Oil Painters of America: 33rd National Exhibition, Mark Arts, Wichita, KS
This Place I Call Home, Solo Exhibition, Graham Gallery, Bristol, RI
The Land & Handscapes, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT
2023
Portraits of the Sky, Solo Show, Western Wyoming Community College, Rock Springs, WY
Member’s Invitational, South County Art Association, South Kingstown, RI
Housewarming, Michael Rose Gallery, Providence, RI
7th Annual Small Works Showcase, American Impressionist Society, The District Gallery, Knoxville, TN
The Land & Handscapes, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT
Collaborative Art Show, Erin Spencer & Alexander Morris, Luminist Studios, East Providence, RI
Art at the Park, Salt Lake City, UT
A Small Point of Land, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
Oil Painters of America: Eastern Regional Exhibit, Beverly McNeil Gallery, Birmingham, AL
4th Annual Vining Invitational, Vining Gallery, Indianapolis, IN
135 Show, Salt Lake City, UT
Small Works Show, Aguiar Fine Art Gallery, Portsmouth, NH
Members’ Exhibition, Attleboro Art Museum, Attleboro, MA
2022
All Shapes and Sizes, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT
Vision of the Arts Auction, Provo, UT
Art at the Park, Salt Lake City, UT
Cotswolds Impressions, Online Group Show
A Week in the Cotswolds, Online Show, Barrington, RI
Coastal Musings, Erin Spencer Studio, Barrington, RI
2021
1.3.5 Show, Salt Lake City, UT
All Shapes and Sizes, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT
Signs of Spring, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT
2020
Vision of the Arts Scholarship Fund Auction, Provo, UT
Paintings of England Show, Open House & Online Show, Warwick, RI
2019
Juried Show, South County Art Association, South Kingstown, RI
Landscape Today Exhibit, Harrison Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
New England Scholarship Art Show, Waltham, Massachusetts
1.3.5 Show, Sugarhouse Garden Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
2018
Farm to Table, Exhibit B Gallery, Souderton, PA
1.3.5 Fine Art Show, Utah Art Market, Salt Lake City, UT
Featured Artist, Mint Gallery, Bristol, RI
Ode to Joy, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
Art Muse Show, Jack Meier Gallery, Houston, TX
Featured Artist, Heirloom Art Co, Provo, UT.
Art in the Courthouse, McGrath Judicial Complex, Wakefield, RI
The Big Show, Imago Gallery, Warren, RI
2017
Small Works, Exhibit B Gallery, Souderton, PA
Nativity Show, Heirloom Art & Co., Provo, UT
1.3.5 Fine Art Show, Utah Art Market, Salt Lake City, UT
Juried Show, South County Art Association, Attleboro, MA
Featured Artist Show, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA
Love Louder Art Sale, Encircle Together, Provo, UT
The Big Show, Imago Gallery, Warren, RI
2016
New England BYU Alumni Art Show, Belmont, MA
2015
Art in the Library, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
Harvest Festival, Coggeshall Farm, Bristol, RI
New England BYU Alumni Art Show, Boston, MA
2010
Art in the Library, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
Clothesline Exhibit, Gallery 10, LTD, Washington, D.C.
The Big Show, Imago Gallery, Warren, RI
Providence Art Festival, Providence, RI
Quahog Festival, Warren, RI
2009
Holiday Show, Warwick Museum of Art, Warwick, RI
The Big Show, Imago Gallery, Warren, RI
Providence Art Festival, Providence, RI
Quahog Festival, Warren, RI
Providence Street Painting Festival, Providence, RI