Looking at art is seeing the world through new eyes. My approach to painting begins with observation and study of the natural world in all its splendid variation. Whether working from life or from sketches back in my studio, my paintings become translations of what I perceive. The beauty of this is that I will always have work to do, poems to create from my personal impressions of the world. My style tends toward tonalism as I seek to distill the elements of the landscape to their simplest forms, looking for a balance between representation, abstract mark making, and emotional gesture. Everywhere I go I see stories in the landscape, and I strive to find ways to tell that story through my work.
I have spent more than seventeen years documenting landscapes from around the country and in Europe, all the way from California to New England and from England to France to the Netherlands. I live and work in Rhode Island with my husband, Peter, and our three children by my side. I have been exhibiting since 2008, and my paintings are included in private collections around the world including across the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Australia, and Japan.
Erin Spencer (b. 1979)
erinspencerart@gmail.com | 801-885-8678
Social Media
Instagram: @erinspencerart
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@erinspencerart
Education
2005, BA, Brigham Young University
Select Exhibitions
2025
A Light in the Darkness, Private Exhibit for Charity, Barrington, RI
Terra Vista: Exhibiting Artist Invitational, Dryden Gallery, North Providence, RI
New Members Exhibition, Providence Art Club, Dodge House Gallery, Providence, RI
9th Annual Small Works Showcase, American Impressionist Society, Fallbrook Art Center, Fallbrook, CA
2024
A Light in the Darkness, Private Exhibit for Charity, Barrington, RI
Boundless Worlds, 3 Person Show (Gary Heise, Kathrine Lovell & Erin Spencer), Imago Foundation For The Arts, Warren, RI
Oil Painters of America: 33rd National Exhibition, Mark Arts, Wichita, KS
This Place I Call Home, Solo Exhibition, Graham Gallery, Bristol, RI
Landscapes & Handscapes, Group Invitational, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT
8 Visions, Attleboro Art Museum, Attleboro, MA
5th Annual Fall Invitational, Vining Gallery, Indianapolis, IN
1,000 Dollar Show, Group Invitational, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT
135 Show, group show, Utah Art Market, Salt Lake City, UT
Little Pictures Show & Sale, Member’s Show, Providence Art Club, Providence, RI
2023
Portraits of the Sky, Solo Show, Western Wyoming Community College, Rock Springs, WY
Member’s Invitational, South County Art Association, South Kingstown, RI
Housewarming, Group Show, Michael Rose Gallery, Providence, RI
7th Annual Small Works Showcase, American Impressionist Society, The District Gallery, Knoxville, TN
The Land & Handscapes, Group Invitational, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT
Collaborative Art Show, Erin Spencer & Alexander Morris, Luminist Studios, East Providence, RI
Art at the Park, Group Show, Salt Lake City, UT
A Small Point of Land, Juried Exhibition, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
Oil Painters of America: Eastern Regional Exhibit, Juried Exhibition, Beverly McNeil Gallery, Birmingham, AL
4th Annual Vining Invitational, Vining Gallery, Indianapolis, IN
135 Show, Group Show, Salt Lake City, UT
Small Works Show, Invitational, Aguiar Fine Art Gallery, Portsmouth, NH
Members’ Exhibition, Attleboro Art Museum, Attleboro, MA
2022
All Shapes and Sizes, Group Invitational, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT
Vision of the Arts Auction, Provo, UT
Art at the Park, Group Show, Salt Lake City, UT
Cotswolds Impressions, Online Group Show
A Week in the Cotswolds, Online Show, Barrington, RI
Coastal Musings, Erin Spencer Studio, Barrington, RI
2021
1.3.5 Show, Group Show, Salt Lake City, UT
All Shapes and Sizes, Group Invitational, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT
Signs of Spring, Group Invitational, JKR Gallery, Provo, UT
2020
Vision of the Arts Scholarship Fund Auction, Provo, UT
Paintings of England Show, Open House & Online Show, Warwick, RI
2019
Juried Show, South County Art Association, South Kingstown, RI
Landscape Today Exhibit, Group Invitational, Harrison Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
New England Scholarship Art Show, BYU Alumni Association, Waltham, Massachusetts
1.3.5 Show, Group Show, Sugarhouse Garden Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
2018
Farm to Table, Group Show, Exhibit B Gallery, Souderton, PA
1.3.5 Fine Art Show, Group Show, Utah Art Market, Salt Lake City, UT
Featured Artist, Mint Gallery, Bristol, RI
Ode to Joy, Juried Exhibit, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
Art Muse Show, Group Invitational, Jack Meier Gallery, Houston, TX
Featured Artist, Heirloom Art Co, Provo, UT.
Art in the Courthouse, Group Show, McGrath Judicial Complex, Wakefield, RI
The Big Show, Imago Gallery, Warren, RI
2017
Small Works, Exhibit B Gallery, Souderton, PA
Nativity Show, Heirloom Art & Co., Provo, UT
1.3.5 Fine Art Show, Utah Art Market, Salt Lake City, UT
Juried Show, South County Art Association, Attleboro, MA
Featured Artist Show, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA
Love Louder Art Sale, Encircle Together, Provo, UT
The Big Show, Imago Gallery, Warren, RI
2016
New England BYU Alumni Art Show, Belmont, MA
2015
Art in the Library, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
Harvest Festival, Coggeshall Farm, Bristol, RI
New England BYU Alumni Art Show, Boston, MA
2010
Art in the Library, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
Clothesline Exhibit, Gallery 10, LTD, Washington, D.C.
The Big Show, Imago Gallery, Warren, RI
Providence Art Festival, Providence, RI
Quahog Festival, Warren, RI
2009
Holiday Show, Warwick Museum of Art, Warwick, RI
The Big Show, Imago Gallery, Warren, RI
Providence Art Festival, Providence, RI
Quahog Festival, Warren, RI
Providence Street Painting Festival, Providence, RI
Awards
Best of Show, American Impressionist Society, 7th Annual Small Works Showcase, Nashville, TN, 2023
First Place, Bristol Art Museum Member Show, Bristol, RI, 2018
Emerging Artist First Place, Art Muse Contest, 2017
Gallery Representation Award, Jack Meier Gallery, Houston, TX, 2017
First Place, South County Art Association, Juried Show, Attleboro, MA, 2017
First Place for Painting, Harvest Festival, Coggeshall Farm, Bristol, RI, 2015
First Place for Painting, Quahog Festival, Warren, RI, 2010, 2009
Press
‘8 Visions’ Returning to Attleboro Arts Museum, The Sun Chronicle, July 11, 2024, read here.
Artful:Minds Community Podcast Interview, March 18, 2024, listen here
My Greatest Teacher, Artist Spotlight, PleinAir Today, Outdoor Painter, published online, January 16, 2023, read here.
Painting Insights Podcast Interview, September 13, 2023, listen here
Artist To Know: Erin Spencer, Inside Art With Michael Rose, Go Local Prov, August 2, 2023, read here
Aart Podcast Interview, June 10, 2021, listen here
February Catalog, Art Niche, Williams Fine Art Dealers, February 2023 Issue, see here
Artists to Watch, Plein Air Magazine, October 2022 issue, pg. 70-71
Meet Erin Spencer, Canvas Rebel, Online Article, July 2022, read here
Savvy Painter Podcast Interview, listen here
Artist of Note, Southwest Art Magazine, March 2018 issue, Vol. 47, No. 10, pg. 83, read here
Landscapes by Erin Spencer, Allison Fry Blog, read here
Featured Artist, Heirloom Art & Co., Provo, UT, read here
Boston Accent Lit, Issue 8, read here
Teaching
2024
Simplifying the Landscape in Oils, plein air workshop, Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
Barrington Land Conservation Trust, plein air workshop, Barrington, RI
Look Up: An Online Cloud Workshop, 4 week course, Barrington, RI
2023
Exploring Shapes in the Landscape, online workshop, Barrington, RI
Paint the Farmcoast, plein air workshop, Westport, MA
Simplifying the Landscape in Oils, plein air workshop, Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
Portraits of the Sky, studio workshop, Western Wyoming Community College, Rock Springs, WY
2022
Finding Poetry in the Landscape, 6 week course, Penn Studio School
2021
Flower, Flower, Land + Sky Workshop, Salt Lake City, UT
Painting the Sky, plein air workshop, Jamestown, RI
2019
Paint the Farmcoast, plein air workshop, Tiverton, RI