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Erica Schaffel | Artist

@wildbrushworks

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Intuitive art exploring inner and outer landscapes
Creator of @thefloodcollection
📍Asheville | find me @pinkdogcreative & @marqueeasheville

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This is one of the originals I lost during Helene. It was one of my favorite mountain scenes to date.

It feels strange to me I would grieve something I was never going to keep. But I am grieving.

Making art feels like such an intimate exchange. My art is always a snapshot of how I’m feeling and what’s moving me in a specific moment of time. And I make art knowing I’ll be sharing that piece of me with someone else.

I guess these feelings are a big part of why I launched “The Asheville Artists Flood Collection”. This past week has been full of beautiful, communal grieving. But it has also been so full of hope and (the best kind of) “scheming”. So I’m giving myself a momentary break from grief to be excited. I know what it feels like to share my art with one person who connected to it, but I have no idea what it feels like to share the extraordinary art of my community with the world. And excitement for something new is one of my favorite things to feel 💕.

Link in bio if you want to participate as an artist or back the Kickstarter to support local artists!

#mountainstrong #avlartist #madeinavl #riverartsdistrict #riverartsdistrictasheville #riverartsdistrictartists #asheville #thefloodcollection #helene #hurricanehelene by @wildbrushworks

Working on something new in my studio. The Upper River Arts district is OPEN, with over 300 artists back at it after the storm. Come say hi!

Thanks @sarah.puterbaugh for capturing this photo for me!

#workinprogress #intuitiveartist #intuitiveart #abstractart #abstractwatercolor #riverartsdistrictartist #riverartsdistrictartist #riverartsdistrictasheville by @wildbrushworks

This is my biggest watercolor yet! I was intimidated to try a larger watercolor painting because I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to control the wetness but… in true Erica fashion, I went all in, and for my first try, I’m pretty excited about the result :). Most surprising, I actually liked working in a bigger format! What do you think, should I do more large pieces?

14”x10” watercolor on Arches Cold Pressed Paper

#WatercolorLandscape #mistyforest #mistyforestpainting #mistypines #forestpainting #riverartsdistrictartists #ashevilleartist #watercolorpines by @wildbrushworks

The Road Forward

This collaborative painting was created by @aaronfields24 , @chrisjehly , and @wildbrushworks over the year and a half following Hurricane Helene. In the months after the storm, the three of us began returning to the woods together to paint. At first it felt uncertain stepping back into those spaces, not knowing what we would find. But over time, these outings became a way to reconnect—with nature, creativity, and with each other.

The road running through the forest reflects both the literal paths we traveled and the collective journey of recovery, while small details throughout the painting offer quiet reminders of hope and resilience.

The Road Forward is a reflection of resilience and a reminder that even after loss, the path ahead slowly reveals itself.

The Road Forward
Acrylic on Panel
36”x72”
Available to view/purchase at St. Claire Gallery in @pinkdogcreative

#acrylicpainting #roadpainting #ashevilleartist #riverartsdistrictasheville #riverartsdistrictartist #riverartsdistrict #naturepainting #collaborations #collaborativeart by @wildbrushworks

I completed this painting, Unfaced, last summer at @penlandschool. I’ve been keeping it under wraps, with the intention to release it as part of a series. But I haven’t felt inspired to come back to it, and it wanted to be out in the world now, so I gave myself permission to let the series go (at least for now).

Unfaced explores the impact of allowing our trauma (our shadow self) to govern our decisions. I painted it as a reminder that, to enact real change, we must start by unmasking ourselves and facing our shadows.

If you want to see it in person, Unfaced is being featured in the @pinkdogcreative Mardi Gras Show, opening tonight! Swipe for details and if you’re in Asheville, come check it out!

Unfaced
18x24”
Acrylic on Wood Panel

#shadowwork #ashevilleartist #riverartsdistrictasheville #riverartsdistrict #riverartsdistrictartists #riverartsdistrictavl #shadowart #shadowself #traumawork #intuitiveart #intuitiveartist #traumaart by @wildbrushworks

“Sunlit Bend”

11” x 14”

Made with acrylic paint and paint markers

This piece is available now • DM us for more info!
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#landscape #road #roadpainting #painting #fallweather #autumn #halloween #art #exploretocreate #nc by @wildbrushworks

Collaboration incoming!

Around this time last year @wildbrushworks and I decided to work on a piece together. This was one of the first things either of us painted after Helene hit. Painting outside with friends is surely one of our better coping mechanisms. It was an honor to have had that time together. Much love!

Big shout out to @rachelblaireroams for the drone footage of these beautiful mountains.
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#landscape #painting #discovernc #art #riverartsdistrict #exploretocreate #collaboration #nc #hurricanehelene #juliajacklin #fallcolors by @wildbrushworks

Y’all know I’ve been experimenting a bit with abstracts in the past year so when I heard one of my favorite abstract artists, @jodiohl was teaching a workshop at @310art I couldn’t pass it up. And I was definitely not disappointed!

I took so many things from this workshop but my biggest takeaway was really surprising. Going into it my plan was to emulate how Jodi paints. But when I set out to do that, my body just didn’t want to. So I ended up utilizing the techniques she showed to just paint how I like to paint. And it’s funny, I’ve been so hung up for so long on trying to “find my style”. But in trying to emulate someone else’s style, I realized my style is just how I paint. It’s not about whether I’m painting landscapes or abstracts, with watercolors or acrylics, it’s just letting myself paint how I like to paint. This might sound simple but it felt big to me.

I ended up starting 6 paintings in this workshop, 5 of which I’ve finished at this point. And I’m starting a few big ones to round out the series. Can’t wait to share more with you guys!

#ashevilleartist #riverartsdistrictasheville #riverartsdistrict #riverartsdistrictartist #intuitiveart #intuitiveartist #abstractart #acrylicpainting by @wildbrushworks

@marqueeasheville was the first place to ever give my art a home. And losing this place was even harder than losing the art I had in here. But it’s been one year since Hurricane Helene and Marquee is back!

The grand re-opening was last week and I was so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, I literally just couldn’t take pictures. So here’s a picture from when I went to re-stock 3 days after the opening because it seems like all of Asheville showed up to support us 🥰.

#ashevilleartist #asheville #riverartsdistrictasheville #riverartsdistrict #riverartsdistrictartist #intuitiveart #intuitiveartist by @wildbrushworks

This weekend marked one year since Hurricane Helene.

Instead of a bunch of destruction before and after shots, here’s a video of me painting on The Blue Ridge Parkway. Because the Parkway has re-opened, the mountains are still standing, and so are we.

This week I am reminded of (and focused on) how grateful I am for my friends, this community, and these mountains.

#hurricanehelene #ashevilleartist #asheville #riverartsdistrictasheville #riverartsdistrict #riverartsdistrictartist #blueridgemountains #blueridgeparkway #workinprogress #pleinair #plenairpainting by @wildbrushworks

Working in the gallery today and a friend gave me a few 5x7” panels to play with.

All I had with me was some acrylic gouache with lots of neon colors so… I painted literally the brightest thing I have ever painted 😂.

What do you think?

#acrylicgouache #playtime #intuitiveart #intuitivepainting #riverartsdistrictartist
#ashevillesrtist #semiabstractlandscape #semiabstract by @wildbrushworks

I just got back from two weeks at @penlandschool and it was literally the most magical experience of my life.

Ya’ll know I’ve been struggling with painting since Hurricane Helene. So when my dear friend @chrisjehly told me he was teaching at Penland I was really on the fence about it. On the one hand, Chris is an absolute master. Learning from him felt hard to pass up. But on the other hand, I haven’t wanted to paint. How could I spend two whole weeks just painting?!

But I went. And here’s what happened:

Day 1: Chris told me to sketch an idea for a painting and I panicked. I don’t sketch or plan my paintings and this felt really far outside of my comfort zone.

For two days I fought Chris every step of the way (constantly re-evaluating our friendship 😂) while he urged me to continue fleshing out my idea through different types of sketches.

Day 3: I realized I had sketched out the beginnings of my first real collection. A dozen or so paintings that feel like the first true authentic expression of what I really want to share with the world. (I thanked Chris for putting me through sketching hell 😂.)

For the next two weeks I dove head first into learning airbrushing and acrylic techniques that were completely new to me. I was having so much fun I literally had to drag myself out of the studio at midnight every night. I have never felt so inspired in my whole life.

In the end, I left with two completed paintings, 3 started paintings, a bunch of new friends, and a renewed sense of joy in creating. Forever grateful to @chrisjehly and @penlandschool for this opportunity.

I’m waiting to share these finished pieces until the collection is done so enjoy the sneak peek and stay tuned :).

#ashevilleartist #betterthanartschool #acrylicpainting #airbrushart #acrylicart #penlandschoolofcraft by @wildbrushworks