December 2024: Erica Chinise Wilcox

Born in 1990 in Cleveland, Ohio, I began my journey into pencil artwork when I was 17 years old. I didn’t use creation to escape life, but I instead used it to process and understand it. At that age, trying to understand my queerness and my place in the world as a young black woman brought on a large bought of depression. It wasn’t until I discovered art within Spiritual Alchemy that I gained a deeper understanding of myself and artwork. Spiritual Alchemy reminds me of the workings of my mind and my artwork – I strive to understand who I am and the people around me to heal myself, thus healing the world. With my Intuition, Meditations, and Alchemy being my main inspiration, I strive to capture the link between human and Godlike energy. My goal is to evoke deeper thinking to encourage mental, emotional, and spiritual understanding. Many people will say that I am an activist – If I am an activist, it is one for spirit and the connection with self that we desperately crave. We all need the reminder of connection with self and others; Balance is vital in this world. I am so thankful I decided to move to Louisville, Kentucky in 2014 because it lead me to a mentorship with amazing artist Bob Lockhart. Due to that connection, I have experienced a continuous flow of inspiration to create. I have realized that as long as I am alive, I will have life to process and understand – therefore, I will always need to express myself on paper.

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Tell us a bit about your background. How did you come to embrace the life of a visual artist? Was there a pivotal moment or influence that sparked your journey into art?

I hear the statement, "Art helps me escape" a lot when asked what it is used for. For me, I would say art doesn't help me escape, but it helps me understand myself, life, and the people around me. As a child, I experienced tough and traumatic events that left me wondering how to self regulate and heal myself through them. I began drawing when I was 17, but those pieces were for my eyes only.

I heard someone say "Art is a journal entry." That's exactly what is was, and still is, for me. The difference is I want to share my art in hopes that if someone is experiencing things I've experienced, then it will help them through.
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Every artist draws inspiration from somewhere. Can you share a little about the influences, artists, or experiences that have shaped your creative vision? Are there particular themes or stories that resonate with you deeply and appear frequently in your work?

The artwork in spiritual alchemy is what truly caught my eye because I felt a soulful connection. It is not only beautiful art, but there is a message.
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I love creating art where Humans are the focal point in a healing message. I am self taught, or sometimes I tell people I went to YouTube art college - haha. I knew I wanted to sharpen my skill with realism. So, I began watching artists on YouTube and adopting their skills and then creating my own.
There are two artists that I learn from are Jono Dry and Arinze. I love their creativity and the confidence to put themselves on paper no matter the thoughts from the outside world.

Art in Buddhism and Spiritual Alchemy is what encouraged me to go inward to understand and heal myself. I would love for my art to provide the same opportunity to others. I think of myself as an activist for inner spirit and of course for human rights. All of my pieces have a story and message.

Walk us through your creative process. How do you approach a new piece, from the moment an idea forms to the final detail? Do you follow a routine, or does each project develop differently?

Many, honestly probably all, of my pieces are inspired by my dreams and meditations.
I keep a dream journal. When I wake up in the morning, I have my cup of tea and I journal about my dreams. Im a visual person and my dreams are extremely vivid - I can always count on them for my next piece.
I'm grateful dreaming is not my only inspiration. I started meditating at 17, which, interestingly enough, is when I began drawing. It was as if I have messages that needed to be out on paper.
Once I have my idea, I sketch and sketch and sketch. When I'm confident about the execution, in search for reference photos, or I will beg one of my friends to volunteer.
I draw the "bones" of the piece (the outline), I turn on my movie soundtrack playlist, sometimes go live on TikTok, and then I begin! Most of my pieces can take anywhere from 4 - 45 hrs to complete.

Artistic journeys often come with both challenges and triumphs. Can you share any memorable challenges you’ve encountered in your career, and perhaps a breakthrough moment that shifted your perspective or approach to your work?
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Honestly, I believe my breakthrough and challenge are the same.

Between 2016 and 2022, I had artists block. I know, long time, right? One of my reasons for this long halt was my fear of what others thought of my artwork. I used to draw commission pieces of people and their families. While it was nice, it did not allow me explore my creativity.
I decided to step outside of my comfort zone with a piece I wanted to create. It was criticized heavily and I decided to stop creating.

A friend introduced me to Bob Lockhart here in Louisville, KY. He's a local legend and has artwork in New York and Chicago museums. He saw the potential in my work and I believe that's all I needed. He offered a few pointers on how to open a well of creativity. Since 2022, I hit the ground running and have created pieces nonstop.

Your work has a unique style and presence. How would you describe it to someone encountering it for the first time? Are there particular materials, colors, or techniques you find yourself returning to?

My artwork is one that encourages people to not only think deeply, but to turn inward to question themselves and heal. It encourages people to look at the things in life that we try so hard to avoid.
My pieces always center around realism by using matt graphite, charcoal, pastel, and colored pencils. I try to venture out with watercolor and acrylic painting, but I will always find myself returning to the simplicity of a pencil.

As an artist working in today’s rapidly changing world, how do current events, social themes, or new technologies impact your work? Have you felt compelled to address certain issues or explore new media in response?

As I said above, I look at myself as an activist for inner spirit and human rights.
Every piece has a message that encourages people to look within first instead looking for answer outside of them. I feel that getting to know ourselves will allow us to better execute our actions to improve human rights.

What's next for you as an artist? Are there upcoming projects, exhibitions, or dreams you’re particularly excited about? And how do you envision your work evolving over the next few years?

I would love to become a full time artist and I am slowly shifting towards that. If it doesn't happen, that is okay. As long as I can continue to share my experiences and messages, I believe I'll be happy with that. I know my art will reach the person(s) it should.

I try not to put too much pressure on where I'd like my art to be and instead be where my art is and let it take me where it may. If I do that, I keep a healthy relationship with my creativity.
If it is truly your passion and your path, follow it. What's meant for you will happen. That is what I believe with my art career.

I see my artwork evolving every month. I'm always looking to explore something new or looking to be bolder with my messages. It is nice that many of my followers are saying "If I see your piece in a museum, I would know it was yours. You have a style." I'm proud of that, I've worked hard to find that style - to find myself.

To view more of Erica Chinise Wilcox work, please visit ericachinise.com or IG: @ericachinise.art.