THOUGHTS & PRAYERS explores dichotomies and the sacred space in between. The subjects and images come from the artists personal history and living in the space in between two vastly different influences.
from Erin Thomas: "I grew up within a dichotomy, a standard big American family that sourced DNA from all corners of the globe, and as a decent looking ethnically ambiguous creative young woman, I was told over and over that I could do and achieve anything that I wanted, but at the same time I watched most of the adult female role models that surrounded me eventually acquiesce to the good Catholic roles of wife/mother/homemaker/church goer/caregiver. This inner push and pull always dropped me in the middle somewhere, struggling to find a sense of place or description (kind hearted agnostic anarchist? Housewife and Mother or Professional Artist and Designer? ) This has most definitely infultrated and defined how I work, think, live and achieve goals, and as I age past the menopause portion of womanhood it has manifested into a very loud and educated opinion alongside the deepest and most embedded sense of obligation to family and community, and wanting to speak out fiercely, but fearing the consequences. Living in the middle of these things and visiting each is where I feel the safest, and the most comfort, but the constant push and pull between two truths has also has given me a pretty vicious anxiety disorder. Art is its own language. It holds a spectacular balance between communication and beauty and fills the void where words just can’t possibly achieve enough greatness. I would love to create from that unnamed place where I become a vessel and have little control over the brush, like giving the wheel over to a god that I don’t believe in, but I still fully understand its vast importance. I despise the idea of giving it a name or a place of worship where it will inevitably be stripped of parts, used for selfish decadence and destroyed in its very own name, but I still seek it. Divine inspiration does not appear in 9-5 business hours, and so I will sketch and draw and explore and seek and make myself available for the this lovely unnamed place, and bask in it's rarity if and when it comes. I just hope that I'm not out walking the dog or scrubbing a toilet when it arrives."
from artist Erin Thomas:
"I grew up within a dichotomy, a standard big American family that sourced DNA from all corners of the globe, and as a decent looking ethnically ambiguous creative young woman, I was told over and over that I could do and achieve anything that I wanted, but at the same time I watched most of the adult female role models that surrounded me eventually acquiesce to the good Catholic/feminine roles of wife/mother/homemaker/church goer/caregiver. This inner push and pull always dropped me in the middle somewhere, struggling to find a sense of place, description, or identity. This struggle has defined how I work, think, live and achieve goals, and as I age past the menopause portion of womanhood it has manifested into a very loud and educated opinion alongside the deepest and most embedded sense of obligation to family and community. Wanting to speak out fiercely, but yet fearing the consequences.
Living in the middle and visiting each side like they're vacation homes, is where I feel the most comfort.
I love to create from that unnamed place where I become a vessel and have little control over the brush, like giving the wheel over to a god that I don’t believe in, but I still fully understand its vast importance. I despise the idea of giving it a name or a place of worship where it will inevitably be stripped of parts, used for selfish decadence and destroyed in its very own name, but I still seek it. Divine inspiration does not appear in 9-5 business hours, and so I will sketch and draw and explore and seek and make myself available for the this lovely unnamed place, and bask in it's rarity if and when it comes. I just hope that I'm not changing a diaper, out walking the dog or scrubbing a toilet when it arrives.
Art is its own language. It holds a spectacular balance between communication and beauty and fills the void where words just can’t possibly achieve enough greatness."
THOUGHTS & PRAYERS
works in progress - 2025
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