I'm excited to share one of my favorite artists and one of the featured artists in the subscription box - The Blank Canvas Co. Erica is incredibly talented, a local Boston gal, & is the absolute sweetest.
Tell me about your brand, how did you get started?
"The Blank Canvas Company is a creative brand that empowers women through bold + bright handmade designs inspired by positivity. Founder & Artist, Erica, creates vibrant art with paint that’s meant to ignite and unleash your inner badass. Female empowerment is at the heart of the the original canvases, art prints, stationary, painted planters and stickers she designs. Hi, I'm Erica! I've been a creative of sorts all of my life - singing, acting, dancing, painting and drawing for as long as I can remember. After studying Business Marketing in college, I moved into my parents house temporarily and was in serious need of a creative outlet to balance my fulltime job. So, in 2014, I picked up my paint brushes again, began applying paint to canvas and started posting my work on my Instagram. In 2017, I decided to integrate my passion for empowering women into my art, packing my love for painting and my community-based mission into one single brand. Enter: The Blank Canvas Company."
What inspires you?
"There is truly so much that inspires me on a daily basis. For one, seeing other female-owned businesses thrive and feeling the empowerment of a community of strong, driven women. It truly fuels me. I love talking to and learning from other like-minded women doing what they love. If they can pair their talents with activism, they've got a gold star in my book. On a creative level, I'm inspired by bright and non-traditional colors and shapes, fun interior spaces, nature and current events - especially those centering around women's rights and my local community. I find a ton of my painting inspiration when scrolling through the dark Pinterest / Instagram hole."
What is your favorite product you've made?
"Ah, this is so hard! My favorite individual product is my 8x10 "The Future is Female" hand-painted canvas. It is at the core of my brand photography. I feel that the colors and the message displayed on the canvas really sum up my brand. In terms of product collections, I've had so much fun hand-painting terracotta planters and designing my Corona Care Card series. The planters were a really fun way for me to experiment with colors, shapes and funk. The Corona Cards were a series of handmade greeting cards that customers could send to their family and friends during the pandemic. Customers would customize their designs and messages & I would handwrite them inside and send them directly to their loved ones. They gave me more joy than I've ever felt with a single product line. They were my little contribution to spreading love and hope during COVID-19."
When you're in the studio, what are you listening to?
"The music I listen to when I'm in my studio truly runs the gamut! On the regular, I'd say I'm listening to various DJ sets on Sound Cloud or EDM/hype playlists on Spotify. If I'm feeling empowered, you better believe I'm blasting Taylor Swift or Beyonce. If I'm in more of a chill mood, my playlists consist of The Lumineers, John Mayer, Kodaline and Vance Joy. And, of course, Chance The Rapper is ALWAYS a mood."
Tell me about your creative process.
"My creative process always starts with finding inspiration - usually on Pinterest. I save photos, artwork and color palettes that I love. This serves as my mood board. From there, I'll sometime sketch fonts, shapes or designs I have in mind. Then, I get to painting - and just kind of roll with it! I'll usually keep my inspiration pictures out while I paint to have a starting point. And, of course, I have music blasting through my studio - always!"
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
"Everything happens for a reason, so focus on the things you can control. There is so much on a day-to-day basis that happens that we cannot influence. It's important for us to know what we can impact (our attitude, our actions, our reactions) and remember that the universe has our back when it comes to everything else!"
What is your dream project?
"Well, I've got a lot of big dreams. But here are my big two: 1) Design a room (or an entire room) in someone's home - including a statement mural + all of the details (furniture, artwork, lighting and accesories) 2) Opening a storefront that showcases my own artwork, as well as artwork from various female-owned vendors. It would be less of a gallery, and more of a home goods boutique."
Do you have a favorite artist?
"I have two! Sam Malpass (@badwaycreative) and Ashley Longshore."
If you are thinking about shopping small this holiday season - I highly recommend checking out Erica's website & make sure to sign up for her newsletter for a special discount!
Check out her Website