Gerard Erley

Columbia, SC

Gerard Erley was born in 1957 in Springfield, IL. Being one of eight children, he found art to be a pleasant retreat from the chaos of a large household. Drawing also gave him insights into the world around him and - by extension - himself. He eventually studied art at the university level and made it his career.



He has displayed his paintings in museums and galleries from New York to California, and his work can be found in museum, corporate and private collections both in the United States and abroad. He has exhibited in hundreds of juried shows, winning many dozens of awards.



Though working in multiple genres, Erley is best known for his imagined 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.

Artist Website

gerarderley.com