Welcome to my studio
Fine Art | Illustration | Design
I’m Erika Karl, an artist, illustrator, designer, and recent transplant to Cleveland, Ohio via Brooklyn, New York. I have some exciting new projects brewing. Here is where I’ll share my processes and new collections.
On My Desk…
OG Goddess
This is the Venus of Dolni Vestonice:
A pre-historic fired clay statue of another lady of fertility. One of the oldest ceramic pieces found in what is now the Czech Republic. This Venus is thought to have been adorned with feathers on her head, evidence of feathers is in the holes on her head, but it's unknown what type of feathers they were. Another interesting discovery is of a child's fingerprint on her body, pressed in before she was fired. I made this ink-wash painting with my black walnut and indigo inks.
Some are familiar with the Venus of Willendorf when it comes to ancient goddess artifacts. But did you know there are many more like her found all over Europe? I’m intrigued by these tiny sculptures carved in the Paleolithic Era, a prehistoric period some 19,000-27,000 years ago. (Don’t quote me on that, I’m still learning about these.) It’s thought they were used as a fertility totem, or perhaps a long-lost Goddess talisman. Most can fit in the palm of your hand. I’ve started painting them.
The Oracle Project
New Prints Available
Bring The Oracle Project to life in your space. Each piece in this collection is created using my homemade black walnut ink, adding a rich and earthy tone. I painted this Eclipse painting at the shores of Lake Erie under the total eclipse of 2024. This is the latest print from The Oracle Project available for a limited time.
New prints are continuously added until I complete the project and create a full deck. You can see how far I got to date here. If you’d like to have a part of the series for yourself, go to my print shop to find the piece that speaks to you.
Introducing Three Sisters:
Astrid, Gertrude, & Wilma
Three Sisters is a paper doll series found in Erika’s Attic, a place on my website where artistic ideas can be explored, appreciated, and enjoyed by all. Each edition focuses on a unique theme and is hand-drawn by me for you to make your creations as you see fit.
Some News…
On a whim, I submitted to Uppercase Magazine, which has been a fun source of creative inspiration for me. Funny enough, this edition #58 is called “Become Whimsy” and I feel a lot of my work fits well into this category.
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“UPPERCASE is a quarterly magazine for the creative and curious inspired by craft, design, typography and illustration. Published since 2009, the magazine has an enthusiastic and loyal readership of designers, illustrators, craftspeople, creative entrepreneurs and paper lovers around the world. Ads-free, with high-quality production values and a unique design aesthetic, the content of each issue is eclectic and inspiring.”
*description & photo from uppercasemagazine.com
Ink-Making Fool
I’ve been making so much ink I decided it was time to use it for something awesome. The Oracle Project is painted in black walnut ink since its warmth and natural origins lend itself well to this series. If you’d like to try your hand at natural ink-making, I have my black walnut ink recipe up on my blog…
Bottling Black Walnut Ink
Making natural ink can be both rewarding and a cost-effective way to access an art medium. My occasional newsletter will share my process and ink-making tips.
Pokeberry Ink
Buckthorn Seed Ink
Brazilwood Ink