Meet Erin Teague | Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erin Teague and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had always been afraid to be a professional artist. I had bought the starving artist concept hook, line, and sinker. But as I was approaching my 20th wedding anniversary and my son’s entrance into high school, I thought, “Life is flying by.” And while I was mostly happy with my life, I had a deep ache for something more.

My grandpa used to ground me in the world’s beauty by bringing me into the present moment. He would do things like reach over, grab my shoulder, and say, “Erin, you are never going to see a sunset like that again!” The year before I became a professional artist, he passed, and I sustained two major injuries that made working in my trained field of physical therapy difficult.

Following a visit with a surgeon regarding one of my injuries, I sat on a bench near the hospital, overlooking a sunset over a mountain vista and trying to figure out how to move forward. I heard my grandpa’s words, felt his love, and thought, “You’re right, Grandpa. I am never going to see a sunset like this again, and I am never going to live this life again. It’s time I take the leap and embrace my passion.”

So that day, as my husband sat beside me on the bench overlooking the mountain sunset, helping me plan when to have surgery, how to navigate a return to work afterwards, and other logistics, I made a choice. When he asked me, “What do you want to do?” regarding surgery logistics, I gave him an answer he wasn’t expecting. I said, “I want to become a professional artist.”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One of my favorite things as a child was story time. I loved how stories could deepen my perception of the world and reveal to me that, despite immense diversity, we really all share the same grand journey. We all share the paradox of pain and love, struggle and triumph, and the choice to give power to the darkness or the light.

The goal of my artwork is to unite us in the beauty of our shared imperfection and celebrate the courageous beauty of hope, imagination, and daring to dream.

My choice of subject matter comes from this celebration, and the different patterns, dots, or images within the images, represent the chapters in our lives. They represent a journey into the pieces that make the whole. I am inspired by those who, despite the ugly and challenging chapters, choose to see and amplify beauty…to anchor their choices and actions in that beauty. I am inspired by those who journey inside themselves to discover/remember their resiliency and to author their next chapters from their strengths. What patterns do you like and want to repeat in your life? What light do you choose to shine on your journey? What’s your story?

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would hit the trails of Boulder: Flatirons Vista North and South, Community Ditch, Shannahan Ridge, and Coot Lake with my GSP, Walter, and follow our hikes with patio meals at Zeal, Flower Child, Snooze, or Tangerine.

We might hit the Reservoir for stand-up paddle boarding. When we wanted a quieter moment, we would pursue the Book Worm or spend some time in my garden amongst the flowers and veggies.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Glennon Doyle’s book, Untamed and Brene Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection were both very inspirational for me in embracing things that had frightened me.

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeagueStudio

Instagram: @teaguestudio

Image Credits
Images copywright of Evan Teague and Erin Teague