LoLa artist Meg Erke repurposes a variety of materials
to make journals and mixed media compositions. “I am a book artist and
painter,” she says.
“I use salvaged and repurposed materials as the foundation
for both mediums, using old book covers from damaged or discarded books to
rebind into journals."
I then use the insides of the old books as collage material
in my paintings. I use old windows as my ‘canvas.’ collaging and layering paint
on both sides of the glass. I studied book binding in the late ’90s and started
painting only a few years before that; but only recently have I found a way to
put both forms together.
What inspires/informs your art?
One of the things I love most about this
neighborhood is our proximity to parks and trails. Hiking, biking, canoeing,
and being outside inspire me.
What do
you like about LoLa? Why did you join?
I love our neighborhood! When I explain to folks why they need to make
time to do this art crawl (when there are so many things going on at the end of
summer), I talk about the variety. Never have I been a part of an art crawl
that has such a wide range of mediums, as well as personalities.
My favorite
thing about this crawl is that we have everyone from full-time professional
artists to folks who build cool stuff in their basements in their free time, and
everyone is included.
Will you be doing anything special for LoLa?
Refreshments, coptic binding demos, and a drawing
for a giclee print of one of my mixed media originals.
Meg is returning for her fourth LoLa art crawl and will be showing at Flourish Pilates studio this year.
Visit Meg’s Wordpress site, Upstairs Art, to see
more pictures and learn about where to find (and buy) her artwork after LoLa.
