When Emily Herrera graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she never intended to become an artist. She had gone to school for interior design. But a few years later, she found herself looking at large art pieces and unable to afford them, so she took matters into her own hands.
Now, seven years since she first put paint on a canvas, Herrera has sold art to clients across the nation and as far as South Africa. Living by Newton’s laws of motion by staying busy, Herrera is a full-time interior designer, mother of two and abstract artist on the side — textured abstract artist to be exact.
Working with acrylic paints, trowels and palette knives, she creates layered pieces from her studio in her Lake Highlands home. The medium she works with is conveniently adaptable: juggling work and family means she has to step away from her works-in-progress frequently. But Herrera always comes back to the canvas to recenter and recalibrate.
At what point did your art go from a hobby to a side hustle?
I thought, “I’m gonna try this.” I don’t know why I just felt like I could do it. I started painting. And then suddenly, I had 10 pieces of art stacked up and my husband was like, “The only way you can keep doing this is if you get rid of some.” So at first I was just, “Who wants it?” And then it was, “Alright, at least let me try to cover my costs.” So when I was actually making a little bit of money, I thought, “Oh, shoot, I need to do this for real and pay taxes. And if I want this to become something real, I need a business name. I need people to take me seriously, and I need to take me seriously.”
Did you have a moment of realization that others liked your work?
People would be like, “Oh, how long would it take you to do this,” and my typical standard lead time was about two weeks. And all of a sudden, I was like, “I’m gonna need two months.” I was so booked out, and I was just trying to find the time to get it all done. I thought, “OK, this isn’t slowing down.”
What is the hardest part of the creative process for you?
Every time I’m creating a piece there’s a part where I’m staring at it, and it’s ugly, and I know I’m not done. Most of my pieces are layers and layers and layers of paint. And at one point, I will step back and go, “Oh my gosh, what am I doing? This is awful.” And I have learned to really enjoy that part. And now I smile through it because I know that these are base layers and that I’ve got to trust the process until it’s done. And it happens every single time. I’m finally to the point where I can giggle and keep going.
How do you find inspiration for your pieces?
I go through moods. And I giggle because people will talk about Van Gogh’s Blue Period. Clearly, I’m no Van Gogh, but I definitely have moods. Painting during COVID, everything was really dark. I was using a ton of greens, very dark greens. But I use a lot of gold leafing or metallic paint. There’s always that hint of light, even when I’m working with really dark stuff. And then right now, spring and summer, I’m very motivated by the weather. I’m using tons of brights right now. Everything is super bright and electric pinks and electric yellows. My color palette is a little obnoxious at the moment.
How does your family show their support for Emily Herrera Art?
I couldn’t do it if they weren’t totally on board. The kids are fun. They always want to paint too. I’ll set up a little area in my art room and let them get messy and paint. I think as an artist I let go of trying to keep everything clean a really long time ago. So I never mind letting the kids go crazy. And then I’ll hose them down in the backyard or do whatever needs to happen. But they really like being a part of the process. My husband is everything in between. He lugs all the stuff around, and he puts up with my chaos. And he’s real quick to hang everything and photograph and hold the art while I photograph. My father-in-law is amazing. He made us all T-shirts, and he shows up to all my shows. So yeah, it’s definitely a family effort.
How has Lake Highlands played a role in your business’s success?
I’ve sold hundreds of pieces to people locally. I feel wholly supported by this area. I donate pretty much to every single elementary school in Lake Highlands, all the little school auctions that they do. I’m constantly donating to try to give back because the community has been so great and supported me.
After a busy day of painting, where do you like to wind down?
I really like to go to Vector Brewing. It’s nice to sit outside and have a beer. And you can find my art on the way to the restroom in the hallway.
What’s your favorite part of using art as a creative outlet?
You put in so much into your family, and that gives back. And into your work, and that gives back. For art, it’s my own selfish little thing that I can disappear into. And it’s all me. It’s all mine. I’m doing it because I want to do it. It’s very cathartic.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
