1. Erin Norris image
Violet
Oil on canvas
20”x 20”
NFS
http://www.erinenorris.com/

Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Erin Norris and I am a sometimes oil painter, when I not making music with Casual Sweetheart.

When did you first start making art?
As a little kid I was always drawing. I never went anywhere without a stack of paper and a box of crayons/pencils but I feel like most kids make art. In high school, I took some private art lessons but ultimately decided on going to college to be a scientist instead of an artist. A couple of years after college I was living in Oakland, California and bought an easel and oil paints but didn’t really start painting until I moved back to Michigan. I started off making abstract circular paintings and eventually took a few oil painting classes from John Maggie. It was there that I started painting portraits and felt like I was actually making art.

When you think of the word riot what comes to mind?
The first thought I had is when people describe someone fun and wild, “oh, she’s a total riot to hang out with.” Then it makes me think of darker, aggressive things, where the tensions erupt physically for both good and bad reasons with results being victorious or devastating depending on where you stand. It also makes me think of the riot grrrl movement. Riot = the struggle of good/bad that cannot be contained.

What drew inspiration for the artwork for this show?
Courtney Love. Love her or hate her, she was a huge influence on me as a woman and musician. Although she is not part of the Riot Grrrl movement and she did punch Kathleen Hannah in the face which is not cool, she is a riot in every sense of the word – unrestrained, passionate, destructive, disorderly…

What are some artists or musicians that you admire?
I listened to Liars the entire time I painted this piece.

Marci Washington
Jenny Morgan
Kristin Beaver
Johnathan Viner