SurfArtStudios.com
Hello, I’m Frank Errickson. I’m a young artist and surfer, and I live in New Jersey. I come from a very artistic family. My mother was a potter and jewelry artist, and now she is an intensive care nurse who still produces beautiful pieces of jewelry. My father is a woodworker and homebuilder who makes furniture and ukuleles among other things in exotic hardwoods (he also plays acoustic guitar and the steel drums). At the age of nine my parents bought me some stained glass tools, scrap pieces of glass, and painting supplies. I’ve been working in the two mediums ever since. As can be seen in my art, one of my inspirations for my latest series of works has been the time I have spent in Hawaii, and one of the greatest influences in how I approach the art of stained glass is the fact that I am also a painter. I design my stained glass pieces first as if they were a painting, and then figure out how to put them together in glass afterwards. By making use of the various plating, etching, and copper-foil techniques that Louis Comfort Tiffany developed in the 1800s, I work to create stained glass windows with levels of depth, color, shading, and luminosity that are not typically seen in glass art. Due to the exclusive nature of the original glass panels (some of which can take over a month to complete...not including the exotic hardwood frame), I have began producing fine art giclee prints and reproductions of my tropical, Hawaiian, and marine themed stained glass windows so that everybody has the opportunity to enjoy them.Another thing I inherited from my parents, besides the artistic talent, is an understanding of how fortunate we all are compared to others around the world and how important it is to respect people, cultures, and the environment. My educational background is in political science, environmental studies, and sustainability, and I am now trying to do something in the world that I enjoy in a way that can also benefit other people. For example, I am a member of 1% For The Planet , an organization in which member businesses donate at least 1% of their annual sales to environmental organizations around the world. I recently donated one of my painting designs to the New Jersey chapter of the Surfrider Foundation . A line of organic cotton t-shirts has been produced and all proceeds from their sale will benefit Surfrider. In addition, I recently purchased a vintage 1980 diesel Mercedes that I plan to convert to run on recycled vegetable oil. The purpose of saying this is not to toot my own horn; I just feel it is important to give causes like this some priority so that others who are interested can get involved. Our life here on this Earth is relatively short. We should do our best with it. As my stained glass windows and paintings continue to gain recognition around the world, I hope my contributions to these causes can become more significant. Please visit my website, www.SurfArtStudios.com to purchase, commission, or learn more about my work. Aloha!-Frank