When John Erickson assembles his students for ART 3045, landscaping and plein air painting, he doesn’t need to go far for inspiration. During the summer, you can often find his class scattered across campus with palettes of paint, watercolors and charcoal. They sit under trees or on the patio of the Olpin Student Union and sketch the canopied verandas and nearby foothills of the U, then they gather to discuss their creations and hear Erickson’s critiques. His annual class draws all levels of students and some community members over age 62 who audit university classes for $25.
Two students from Erickson’s ART 3045 class this summer were selected to display their coursework as the latest installation of student art to be featured in the office of Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Mitzi Montoya. Lizzie Miller and Annie Wang, who are both majoring in illustration and expecting to graduate in spring, 2025, framed and hung the art in the Provost’s office with the help of Erickson in October. They shared their thoughts on what inspired their drawings and why art is so important to them.
What inspired you to take ART 3045?
Lizzie: I chose to take John Erickson’s landscape painting class because not only is John the best, but I wanted to challenge myself with mediums, subjects, and methods I hadn’t tried before. I ended up discovering a new art process that I love! The open format of the class allowed me to create whatever felt right for me.
Annie: I’ve always been interested in plein air because I love the idea of capturing a moment or a landscape in time. When I saw this class being offered over the summer, I thought it was a great opportunity to step outside my comfort zone as well as to learn from a professor whose work and teaching style I already know and appreciate.
Who are your favorite artists?
Lizzie: All of my art professors, whether they teach drawing, painting, printmaking, or anything else, have showed and taught me different techniques, ideas, and concepts that have been very valuable to me.
Annie: One that has been particularly inspiring to me lately is Salman Toor; his paintings are so vivid and full of life, and I love the way he handles his figures. I also recently discovered Adam de Souza, whose gorgeous comics really inspire me as an illustrator. But I would have to say one of my biggest art inspirations is my grandmother, Ruby H. Wang. She made absolutely incredible watercolor paintings that have influenced me for as long as I can remember. A lot of what I do is with the intention of trying to understand her techniques and her mastery of the craft.
What do you enjoy about creating art?
Lizzie: What I enjoy most about creating art is that I can take something ordinary in my world and draw it into something entertaining. Inspiration can be found anywhere in life — from a new baby brother to a fast-food restaurant (and yes, I’ve used both of those).
Annie: I love the freedom of it. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I find I often have difficulty verbally expressing myself. In that way, art is a form of communication for me. It allows me to convey my thoughts and emotions visually, and to capture the way I see the world without necessarily having to put it into words.
What is the inspiration behind the art you created for this class?
Lizzie: I wanted to paint some moments that I’ve taken pictures of with my family and friends over the years. It really takes me back to that time and place where I took the picture. I tried to choose photos with a unique perspective to help the viewer feel included in the memory.
Annie: I think there’s a lot of beauty around this campus, even in places that might seem mundane at first glance, so a lot of my pieces were made with that in mind. I wanted to try capturing that feeling and translating it into my style.