erme waddell
FEATURE ARtist december 2018

Portrait of Erme Waddell painted by Carolyn Hancock

I have truly come to appreciate even the smallest things in nature ~ what beauty awaits, all around, and the artist in me is taking it all in, with great appreciation.

Animal portrait artist Erme Waddell has loved animals for as long as she can remember, with a particular and enduring interest in beautiful horses. Raised on a ranch in the Texas Hill Country around Arabian horses, she has been sketching horses since childhood.

Following retirement in 2001, she pursued her interest in artwork. She discovered pastels when taking art lessons in 2005 from a long-time artist friend and fellow Arabian horse enthusiast. Introduced to the beauty of pastels, she has been in love with them ever since. 

After relocating from the ranch to Houston's urban life and inspired by her own beloved dog, Erme turned her love of animal portraits to everyone's favorite pet: dogs. Known for her personality portraits of dogs, ​she is available for pet commissions.

Erme labels attending IAPS convention as "the treat of treats for a pastelist"

Art by Erme Website

PSST:  As an animal artist, how has your art changed in recent years? Are you trying new subjects or materials?

ERME WADDELL:  As an animal lover all of my life, the subject I was most passionate about was the magnificent horse! I grew up around horses and showed in horse shows for a number of my adult years.

​Now that I have moved to the city, my animal subjects have been mostly dogs. I have done pen & ink, and watercolor, but my true love is pastel. Sometimes I experiment with mixing my media, such as pastels with watercolor underpaintings, or pastels incorporating pen & ink.

PSST:  You have been actively involved with PSST, including serving on the board, participating in critique sessions, taking workshops both locally and out-of-state, and traveling for your art. How has this involvement changed the way you view your art?

ERME WADDELL:  I credit my spark of creativity as a gift from God, and I create art for the sheer joy of it! With no formal schooling in fine art, I had to find my own way. So after retirement from a social work career of almost 30 years, I finally had time for art.
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I began taking an occasional class and workshop, when possible. And when an artist friend introduced me to pastels in 2006, I was hooked! Through my membership in PSST, I realized that I did not have to produce and sell a lot of art to be considered an artist. I love the occasional commission to paint someone’s pet, because I not only have the joy of capturing their beloved pet in a 2-dimensional form that endures, but I have the pleasure of meeting the owners as well.

PSST: One of your latest art interests is tied to taking an African journey, serving in one location, then traveling to another. How has your experience affected you and your plans for new work?

ERME WADDELL:  I was so blessed to have been able to travel to Kenya this summer!

I spent the first week with my group doing some very rewarding missionary work with children at an orphanage and school in the slums of Nairobi. This was interspersed with trips to a well-known orphanage for baby elephants and a giraffe center devoted to the care of the endangered Rothschild Giraffe; a visit to a fair trade market; and a tour of a women’s hand weaving factory.

The second week was spent on a photographic safari around Kenya, where I was able to take pictures of animals I had only previously dreamed of seeing in the wild! Now I have a whole array of new subjects to paint, and I am so grateful for that ~ I consider all of God’s animals beautiful in their own right, but Africa’s were truly spectacular!

PSST:  Please tell us what events or classes you have coming up, workshops you may be taking.

ERME WADDELL:   I am seriously considering going to IAPS next year in Albuquerque. I attended a couple of years ago and found it to be the treat of treats for a pastelist, from the outstanding workshops and demos, to the best selection of pastels and related supplies ever!

And of course, I look forward to taking advantage of some of the mini workshops offered locally. Our PSST monthly meetings offer some outstanding demos that are always enjoyable and informative for everyone, from beginner to advanced. ​