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…
Eclipse
I got the chance to see a total eclipse this year so I decided to take my ink down to the Lake Erie Shore and paint as the eclipse was underway. I never saw a total eclipse before and I gotta say, it was awe-inspiring! Almost primal emotions came up as I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, even though I wasn’t afraid. I could see that on the faces of my fellow spectators as well as they gasped and yelled out as the moon swallowed the sun. I’m getting a test print of this one soon, and it’ll be the next card for The Oracle Project. On the back, I wrote:
Shadows of my heart
Break night with epiphany
New vigor ignites
-EK April 8, 2024
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.
New prints are continuously added until I complete the project and create a full oracle card 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