Island Studio Artists - Douglas K. Gifford and Shari Erickson

Douglas K. Gifford and Shari Erickson

With the company of our three cats, Nevis, Otis, and Easel, we both work to produce our vision of island memories from our studio/home cabin, perched on Terrapin Mountain at 4,000 ft. altitude, in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina.

In the studio, several easels have ever changing oil paintings in various degrees of completion. Inventories of prints and canvases are stacked here and there. The "shipping department" fills one large room, and "framing" another. We could drive to the one-stoplight village for various transactions, but the 21st century allows almost any small business like ours to accomplish all we must from our humble home. FedEx (with 4-wheel drive) comes every day, and a fax machine along with the Internet keeps us in touch with everyone.

We both use literally thousands of snapshots from our travels for reference, but like most who've fallen in love with the Caribbean, vivid colors and details come to mind easily.

Collectors of our original paintings often ask how long they took to create. We're supposed to answer "All our lives", but don't roll your eyes.....Shari works traditionally, standing at the easel using long brushes with a loose, ala prima technique. Each piece usually takes her about 3 days.

My style is very tight - almost photographic - working hunched over canvas that lies flat on a drafting table. One large piece can take a month.

If you ever travel this way please give us a call so you can visit our studio and see what we're up to. If nothing else, the view is well worth it.