Born in 1993, Calgary, Alberta.
Lives and works in Ellensburg, WA.

EDUCATION

2013-2015 | Associate of Arts and Sciences (AAS), Graphic Design
Seattle Central Creative Academy | Seattle, WA

2011-2013 | Associate of Arts (AA), Graphic Design
School of Prophetic Arts | Kirkland, WA

EXHIBITIONS

2023 - Present | Resident artist and owner at Nuwave Gallery | Ellensburg WA

2023 | Proto101 | Seattle & Bellevue WA

| Dru Bru | Cle Elum WA

2022 - Present | Resident artist Holly Rose | Portland OR

| Resident artist Whipsaw Brewing | Ellensburg WA

2022 | Ellensburg Night Market | Ellensburg WA

| Swiftwater Cellars | Cle Elum WA

| Lighthouse Roasters | Fremont WA

| Dru Bru | Snoqualmie Pass WA

| Microsoft Event Live Painting | Redmond WA

2021 | Pacific Crest Creatives | Cle Elum WA

| Basecamp Books | Roslyn WA

2020 | Gallery Axis, Pioneer Square | Seattle WA

2019 - Present | Resident Artist at Venue| Ballard WA

2019 | Seattle Cider Co | Fremont, WA

| Zocalo | Seattle WA

2018 | The Riveter | Bellevue WA

| Cherry Street Public House | Seattle WA

| Alki Art Fair | Seattle WA

| Caffe Senso Unico | Seattle WA

2017 | Soul Societies, Columbia Tower Club | Seattle WA

Biography

Erin Oostra is a contemporary painter and designer best known for her impressionistic paintings inspired by the mountains, valleys, and oceans of Washington State.

She embraces a multi-disciplinary approach to creation, melding her strategic experience as a product designer with her love for bold, abstracted painting. With strong, fluid strokes, her latest works capture her awe and respect for the dangerous beauty of nature.

Erin’s work has been featured all across the Pacific Northwest. She continues to expand her reach as she owns and operates Nuwave Gallery in Ellensburg, WA.

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Artist Statement

If you live in the Pacific Northwest you’ve probably experienced the sheer beauty of its mountains, rivers, forests, and the Pacific ocean. Since time immemorial, nature has been inspiring artists with its powerful and complex beauty. Erin Oostra is one of those artists today. With a penchant for all things outdoors, from hiking to camping, Erin’s bold and abstract impressions of PNW landscapes insist there are always other ways of interpreting what’s right in front of us.

This series is inspired by the grandeur of the mountains that make up the Pacific Northwest. Through heavy textures and neutral color palettes, Erin Oostra captures her awe and respect for the dangerous beauty of nature with these jagged yet refined artworks.

Erin's use of black, white, and neutrals capture the familiar feeling of overcast days in Washington State. Her distinct brushstrokes give texture and energy to the contemporary landscape, while the different reflections of light accentuate the passage of time that even nature experiences.