| | | | Early Spring 2025: A Tribute to my Mentor, News + Updates | | | | Dear friends, family, colleagues + art-lovers:
On Friday, March 21st I lost my beloved "Sensei," and I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge his life and death before jumping right in to business.
Peter Tupitza and I met on a job in Lancaster, PA on January 2nd, 2013 when we were brought in to a project at the last minute to replace another painter and save the production (#artemergency). From that day on he has been my mentor, advisor, colleague, intimate friend and partner in crime. Over the past decade+ of our overlapping careers as painters in the scenic industry we've worked on myriad plays, operas, ballets, commercials and TV shows together across Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. I can't even begin to list all the ways- generally and specifically - that he shared his wisdom with me: from incredible painting hacks and unconventional uses of materials to valuable life lessons and introducing me to so many of his other wonderful and talented friends. He was truly a wizard in every sense, and one of the most brilliant and hilarious characters I've ever known.
While I hadn't seen and worked with Peter as much during the last 5 years (since the pandemic I've been working on fewer industry projects in favor of my studio/commission work, and Peter was semi-retired), I would still frequently hit him up for work advice and get his opinion on projects I was working on. Whenever I get stuck on a painting or a piece of scenery I ALWAYS ask myself "what would Peter tell me to do?" We were able to do one last little job together as recently as late October, though I knew deep down that it would be our last.
During the last 2 months of his life I've been grateful to have been able to spend a great deal of quality time with him in the hospital and-ultimately, hospice- and was able to give him and his family lots of love and care as he transitioned. Before he lost consciousness we would joke that I'd been "training for this" after years of acting as his protege/sidekick, and I hope he felt loved, appreciated and respected as he received visitors from so many other friends and artists that he impacted or inspired. I continue to carry Peter and his influence into everything I make, and I dedicate this newsletter to him. Meanwhile, I'm trying my best to keep on keeping on, while also nursing a still-undiagnosed hand injury.... Please read on to see what I've been working on, what's coming up, as well as some exhibition and collaboration announcements. Until the next newsletter, thank you as always for your continued interest and support!
Erica
Above: Peter and I at the matinee of one of the many operas that he designed and I helped him paint for Opera Delaware, circa 2013. This is still one of my favorite pictures of us! | | | | | | | | | | | | STILL speaking of opera…. | | | | In May I will be starting a project with my friends at Opera Delaware! The world premiere of FEARLESS, a new opera by Derrick Wang will play at Wilmington’s Grand Opera House on May 16th and 18th. Get your tickets now!
Click here to browse my portfolio of scenic work! | | | | I can once again accept commission requests for oil paintings!!! | | | | | | My studio is *mostly* back open after several months....
If you’re reading this you probably already know that, in addition to working as a scenic artist, I also have an extremely active studio practice! A large component of that practice is creating custom watercolor and oil paintings of homes, businesses, wedding venues, places of worship, landscapes, and even the occasional pet or vehicle. Many of these paintings are given as meaningful gifts for all sorts of occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, baptisms, graduations, retirements, going-away presents and of course, Christmas.
From July 2024 to February 2025 most of my studio was closed due to a messy home improvement project and I was unable to work on anything larger or more toxic than watercolors (I could only paint in my living room!). While I’m still not quite back to 100% functionality I HAVE been able to clean up enough to start working on oil paintings again! I’m very close to being finished with my first oil painting commission for 2025 and am looking forward to making more now that I have the capacity to do so again! Here are some older examples of house portraits in oil, but I would also happily create a painting of your favorite landscape, business, or other special place. You can either order directly from my website (recommended if you're local to Greater Philadelphia and want to pick up your painting from my studio) or from my Etsy shop (recommended if you require shipping). | | | | Considering ordering a custom painting later this year? Take your reference photos in the spring! | | | | If you’re even remotely considering commissioning me to create a custom oil painting or watercolor for yourself or a loved one this year, please consider taking your reference photos while the weather is nice and things are in bloom- when your yard and gardens look their best! And while I know it seems silly to be thinking about Christmas already, please keep in mind that my prices rise with demand throughout the months of November and December! *Do your holiday shopping early for lower prices and faster turnaround time!*
You can either order directly from my website (recommended if you're local to Greater Philadelphia and want to pick up your painting from my studio) or from my Etsy shop (recommended if you require shipping).
Pictured here: a handful of past commissions depicting homes in the spring! You can also check out my website for more examples like these!
| | | | Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Wedding and Graduation season are upon us! | | | | | | | | | | | | New Collaboration with Cindy Whitman of Beach Shack Writers, LLC: documenting the story of your family home! | | | | If you’ve ever ordered or received one of my custom house portraits for yourself or for as gift, it’s probably because you’ve felt or understood the meaningful relationships that individuals and families can develop with their homes. All of your homes and families have stories, and now my longtime friend, colleague, and fellow Vermont Studio Center alum Cindy Whitman wants to help you to tell these stories.
Please read the following statement from Cindy, the Director of Beach Shack Writers, LLC:
Introducing Beach Shack Legacies I am excited and delighted to announce a new Beach Shack Writers division: Beach Shack Legacies. Photo albums and written family stories have become almost a thing of the past these days, with most photos, videos and documentation of life's special moments and memories hovering up in the cloud. Beach Shack Legacies will help you reach up and retrieve these precious memories and moments and bring them back down to earth and back to life. It's your story. I’m just here to help you tell it while creating a lasting living legacy for you and your family that will inform and entertain today and serve to inspire the generations to come. Cindy Whitman, Director Beach Shack Writers, LLC Contact: beachshackwriters@gmail.com www.beachshackwriters.com | | | | Collaboration with Cameron Walker, author of How to Capture Carbon, for the Philadelphia leg of her book tour! Event April 27th. | | | | Author reading, book signing, live performances on April 27th! Artworks inspired by and in conversation with Cameron Walker's How to Capture Carbon will be on view on Eremita's famous yellow wall for the month of April. Come around! Like my friend Cindy mentioned above (Beach Shack Writers, LLC), Cameron and I have ALSO been friends since we met at the Vermont Studio in 2006! As part of the book tour for her brand-new collection of short stories, How to Capture Carbon, Cameron will be stopping in Philadelphia to do some readings- in conjunction with an art exhibition at Eremita Café in Roxborough/Manayunk. My painting (to be revealed soon!) was inspired by her story "St. Lucia Brings the Light."
Unfortunately I will NOT be at the event on the 27th (I am double-booked that day with the Media Spring Arts Show) but if you’re anywhere near that part of Philadelphia please stop by- if not for the event, then at some other point during the exhibition (the whole month of April!). Also- Eremita’s vanilla crème beignet are incredible so make sure you try one of those while you’re there.
Please join us for the How to Capture Carbon Event! Sunday, April 27, 2025, Noon to 2pm Eremita Cafe 5548 Ridge Avenue: Philadelphia, PA 19128 Event organized by fellow Philadelphia artist Shannon Cronin! | | | | Original watercolor to be published in the upcoming issue of Philadelphia Stories | | | | | | | | Coming up soon: Media Spring Arts Show | | | | I tend to have bad luck with the weather whenever I have an outdoor street fair, but I'm planning to participate in the second annual Media Spring Arts Show!
Not local to Philly? Not a problem! Check out my Etsy shop and website: I can ship pretty much anywhere in the world! | | | | VIBRANCE at Aston Mills Arts closing on April 6th!! | | | | | | I have two paintings in this group exhibition in Aston, PA:
While my art practice is dominated by my client-based work (whether it’s house portrait commissions or an opera…or just about anything in-between), now that I have my studio mostly in-order I have been relishing working on some of my own personal projects! One of the paintings that I just finished this year is currently on display at Aston Mills Arts, along with a favorite from 2020 that I was considering keeping for myself... ;)
If you are interested in purchasing either (or both!) of my paintings, use these links for easy checkout!
The World Without Us: Haleakala. 17x17". Oil/latex on reclaimed scenic muslin. 2025
Giza Tondo. 18" diameter. Oil and latex on reclaimed wood panel. 2020
About this exhibition: Immerse yourself in color!
Join local artists in celebration of color and expression in our gallery show, VIBRANCE. Realistic, abstract, impressionistic paintings, drawings, sculptures, assemblage, stained glass and more all created by colorful local artists.
Participating Artists: Aliyah Cromathy, Ann Guidera-Matey, Anna Tyson, Barbara Rizza Mellin, C A Bare, Chill Designs Carrie Hill Art, Christine Sirko, Pottery Connection LLC, Cindy Tibbetts, Devon Walls / Freedmen’s Art Alliance, Emma Curtius, Erica Harney, Estelle Carraz-Bernabei, Irene Nunn, Jeffrey Kimsey-Carroll, Jill Althouse-Wood, Joan Sobel Art, Katey Carlis, Kathy Wilkes, Kenneth the Art Monster, Laura Beth Harris, Lee Muslin, Lisa Weddell, Mania’s Art, Marie Tosto, Maureen McMasters, Maxine Shall Burkholder, Nick Hall, Nicole Gahl Gordon, Pete Prown, Rachel Breeden, Richard Prigg, Rita Reisser, Sabree Studio, Sharon Jessar, Sally Richards Art, Sadie Somerville, Sara Fry, Sara McKelvey fine artist, Susan OReilly Studio, Tahirah Coleman, Veronica Batter, Wieslawa Langenfeld, Wildlife Art of Wade Prescott Aston Mills Arts is located at 3100 Mount Road. Aston, PA, 19014 Follow me on IG and/or FB for updates about this upcoming exhibition! | | | | Recent Exhibition of Paint Skin Collages at Black Moth Tattoo in Ardmore, PA | | | | | | In 2020 I started a series of over 300 small collages (no exaggeration) that include paint peeled from mixing buckets when I’m working on a large-scale project, such as a mural or parade scenery. In 2024 I revisited this series and began to incorporate additional collage elements (cut paper, etc) to create little vignettes! Several of these framed collages were on display at Black Moth Tattoo and Gallery in Ardmore PA for the month of February.
If you missed the exhibition in-person, you can now browse all available Paint Skins on Etsy!
Top photo courtesy of Black Moth Tattoo and Gallery, followed by two close-ups of individual collages. | | | | THANK YOU!!! As always, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter, and thanks for your patience as I know I was long overdue. Since I began letter this with Peter, I want to end it with him too. Here are just a tiny fraction of the various projects and pieces of scenery we worked on together over the years, not to mention how many times we pulled off miracles under all sorts of unbelievable circumstances. I still can't believe we'll never make anything together again, but I know his influence will live on in the creations of everyone else he ever has ever mentored.
Here's to Peter! | | | | | | | | Thank you!!!
Top row: Loading dock unit for Fulton Theatre's GOOD PEOPLE, Peter playing among the trees for Opera Delaware's MACBETH, and a rotating deck we had to fix up for Curtis Opera's COMMET/POPPEA.
Middle row: set of CAMELOT for Candlelight Dinner Theatre, Frankenstein's laboratory in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
Bottom row: scaffold unit for Kansas City Starlight Theatre's production of FOOTLOOSE, Opera Delaware's FALSTAFF and Opera Delaware's THREE LITTLE PIGS childrens opera.
-Erica
| | | | | | | | | | Our mailing address is: Erica Harney Studios Lansdowne, PA 19050
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