My paintings are abstract interpretations of Yukon landscapes and places. I am mainly self-taught and work in acrylic, watercolour and oil paints. My family moved to Whitehorse in 1982 when I was six years old. As a child, we spent lots of time outside camping and road tripping around the Yukon and I grew to love nature and the vast, untouched wilderness. My love of art started at a young age. My childhood was filled with cartoons, comics and colouring books, so when you look at one of my paintings you’ll find yourself in a child’s daydream. Over the years, I’ve developed my distinctive style to articulate and share my memories of growing up in the Yukon. By using a contemporary, candy coloured palette I define the wildness of the Yukon with a whimsical interpretation of the landscape.
My current series of paintings consists of various lakes and mountain ranges around the Yukon with roads running through them. Adding a human element to the narrative of my body of work is a new development and I’m excited to explore it further. I’m also in the process of investigating the translation of my work into even larger, mural sized works.
Now that I have children of my own, my family and I spend time camping, hiking and snowshoeing around the Yukon. My kids are an inspiration to me and my work and I am so grateful to be able to share my childhood experiences with them. Seeing the Yukon through their eyes reminds me of my own childhood and that I wouldn’t live anywhere else.
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All images Copyright Erin Dixon Arts 2019