Erna's Gallery  began as an online place to share some of my original paintings with friends.  After a fairly steep learning curve by a late starter, my newfound passion quickly developed into a serious addiction. As the collection expanded and interest developed, offers to purchase and requests for commissioning custom orders increased, including main stream decorative and commercial work, which I don’t mind doing. Responding to this has been both challenging and rewarding.

Art is meaningless, but equally, the holy grail of self-expression, and I'm often within that paradox. My paintings present the alchemy between dreams and ordinary realism. I am unprotected from becoming part of it,  and so my magical phrase is simple:

Art is a dramatic atmosphere of light, shadow, magical colour and contrasts, developing into a life of its own.

Art to me, is a way of escaping from predictability and ordinary realities. The power of art is to redefine and transform. It is defined in clinical terms as some obsessive-compulsive neurosis, which is probably partly true. To me it is also a motivating and driving force, where I create another magical universe for myself, away from the humdrum world.  Nothing can compare with the sheer ecstasy of swishing around the luscious richness of oils or the creamy, sensuous, plastic mass of acrylics.    It is also a way to keep on learning (I get a lot of inspiration from the internet) and it is a constant therapy of self-expression.  Sometimes, when the sky is somewhat grey, I do it simply because I am bored.  In conclusion I do it for life, liberty and the reward of fulfillment.  I will forever be thankful to my first art teacher, Lesley Bergere, who gave me wings.

  Erna

 "Paintings are lyrical documents of the passing experience of growth."