Gerard Erley

Painter

Life Events

Born Springfield, IL 1957
Gerard Erley has had over four dozen solo exhibits throughout the United
States and has exhibited in over 300 juried shows. He has won over a
hundred awards at the regional and national levels. The artist’s work has
hung in museums and galleries from New York to California, and can be
found in museum, corporate and private collections both in the United States
and abroad. Gerard has won Best of Show at the South Carolina State Fair
Professional Exhibition and received multiple grants from the South
Carolina Arts Commission. He won top prize at the ArtFields portrait
painting competition in 2019.
Erley is known for his imaginary landscapes in oil paint on canvas or panel.
He rarely refers to photos or sketches, preferring to paint in the studio from
memory and intuition. The artist is influenced by such 19th-century
American and European painters as Inness, Corot, and Turner. Like them,
he seeks a sublime quality of light in his romantic landscapes.
Additionally, the artist has received recognition for his portraits, still lifes
and figure work. He has taught at the college level and currently offers
workshops for those wishing to improve their skills.