erikaisms

03/03/2026

It's really just a chill hang with pretty cool people and my art just happens to fill the room lol
Also, seriously, I wunna see you wear the thing in your closet you've never been able to convince yourself to wear. The feather boa, those cowboy boots, the color you love but feel like you can't pull-off, WEAR IT. Lemme see!! We're shifting our focus, changing our reality, defining happiness for ourselves. Don't talk yourself out of joy!!

02/24/2026

if i learned anything the last 2 years, it's been that i do things differently. I've been perfecting the art of follow your heart. I trust my gut over most anything cuz when I listen to it, s**t happens. the pieces fall into place, the path is clear, the work is hard! dont get me wrong. but the way opportunities have found me is unignorable. i let go of the fear of "other". I let go of pleasing people, let go of following the unspoken rules of a broken society and listened to me. honored my truths. did things the way I felt worked best for me. and the world opened up with excitement. I've never had so much potential within reach. my anxiety is nearly non-existent, my energy is easily recovered, I'm balancing 50hrs of work, relationships, and personal endeavors with what feels like ease most days. all because i decided to lean into my oddity and claim my place in this world as i am. im here therefore I'm meant to be. this show is just the beginning.

02/20/2026

Less than 2 weeks away from a moment I have been curating for almost 2 years now.
I've kept this collection pretty close to my chest. Everytime I've been asked to table at a market, or asked about prints, or where I'm selling, this show has been my reason for saying no, I'm not interested. This collection has redefined me as an artist: In style, in method, in marketing.
Just imagining all these pieces together on display gives me goosebumps. I can't wait to share it with all of you.
Please share, mark your calendars, it's one day and one day only.
Be sure to note the dress code 😘
Can't wait to see you all

02/19/2026

32

02/16/2026

I know love because of my friends.
Kota and Kelly hired me to paint their newly renovated bathroom and I will try to describe my gratitude.
For a few weeks I would be paid to spend my Wednesday evenings with my best friend and her partner. We'd do dinner, catch up, and get to work. I have been wanting to do a study on clouds for ages but never had enough of a reason to. When they asked for painterly clouds I was so in.
How fun to be given the excuse I needed to do something I've been wanting to do!
Oh and I have to spend time with my decade long bestest best friend because I'm hired to? What!
Besides just the absolute delight of working for my best friend beautifying their home, the experience, the challenge, the chance to just dig-in to my passion, something that brings me so much joy and satisfaction was such a needed escape over the last couple weeks.
I spent my Wednesday nights among the clouds, in my own little world. Well fed, well loved, and I just got to play! What a gift to be given.
Not only was this a great experience, it led to me landing maybe one of the biggest opportunities I've had to date as an artist.

Do you know what it's like to be loved so hard the world opens up for you? A kind of love that literally raises you up to your highest potential? Your boyfriend could never. But my ? Yeah. She's that for me.

Also to tell you what they gave me for my birthday would require a full Rik History course of context but I can confidently say, I have never felt more loved in my life.

Thank you.

02/12/2026

IT IS TIME
I finally rescheduled my show!

You have been cordially invited to "The Occasion" a solo art show by Rik Klassen aka Erikaisms.
A collection of Still-life paintings in bold color that explore the magic in the mundane and evoke an emotion unnamable but eerily familiar.
When? Wednesday March 4th 5-9pm
Where? the neighborhood hive in sugar house
WEAR?!
That thing in your closet that you bought with a heart bigger than your lifestyle? The one you've waited for the "right occasion" to wear? That's tonight's dress code. Be it formal wear, a ridiculous hat, a costume, or make up style, wear the thing you’ve never had the occasion to wear.
This is
The Occasion!

01/29/2026

01/07/2026

With a defeated soul I regret to inform you my show has been canceled. I came down with something and have been fighting a fever off and on since yesterday.
I hope to reschedule as this was really a dream come true for me. Thanks so much for the outpouring of support ❤️

01/02/2026

I really love the process. I've found as soon as I get too caught up in finishing, I lose the spark and the touch.
I realized, with my method of layering specifically, that it's almost like I click my eyes over to a different setting. Suddenly a gray is different shades of pink, purple, and yellow-green. I can see the way light reflects and glows through skin in neon orange and olive green.
It almost feels like dipping my face in moving water, I can only stay under so long before I have to come up for air. This is why I work in so many layers over long periods of time. I'm observing the complexities of light and color on what's feels like almost a molecular level, particle by particle, layer by layer.

12/31/2025

I have this weird duality happening right now where I'm glowing with pride seeing my work displayed for folks to come see the actual physical thing. Then, as if I turned to find the once empty room now filled with people, my heart races and my stomach churns.
THE PUBLIC?! I have to face THE GENERAL PUBLIC?! it's fine doing it for a job, but when it's my art behind me instead of an espresso machine, it's a little different!

I haven't shared my art much recently. I've been pretty precious about these pieces. I knew this is how I wanted people to see this collection as I painted each one. I don't know why this felt so out of reach until now. I'm so excited to show you all. I'm honored (and a little intimidated) by your support. Consider this my speech lol Thank you all. This is already such a blast!

11/18/2025

I have really procrastinated getting prints done of my newest pieces. Partly due to finances and partly due to me just not being ready for the work (it's so much).
Finding out that color-accurate prints are outside my reach was kind of upsetting but in a way, freeing.
I've been on the fence about continuing to sell my personal pieces all year. I have been on a "break" from selling in order to find the path forward that most aligns with me.
This feels like the sign I needed.
I'm still an artist, still a painter, but rather than posting up at markets and selling prints or other products, I will be focusing my energy elsewhere. Ideally gallery shows here and there but mostly I will be spending a lot of my creative energy on .creativity and introducing all of you to the joy of painting.
This account may become even more active now that I've had the realization. I hope to share more with yall in the future ❤️