Repairing the Future

by Erica Lyn Schmidt

This piece is my response to the devastating wildfires in Australia. The koala is a symbol for empathy, and their future may depend on our own caring intervention.

Like in the Japanese art of Kintsugi, these koalas are made more beautiful with ornamental repair. The burns on the mother have been mended, and their future has been made whole with her golden joey. This is an optimistic view of tomorrow but I believe it is possible thanks to the efforts I’ve seen around the world.

All proceeds from this sale will be donated to The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. This organization treats injured koalas, protects their habitat, promotes breeding programs, and fosters education.

Prints of this piece are available here as an extension of this fundraiser. I want to thank Every Day Original for accommodating this special sale.

Panel Width: 6 inches
Panel Height: 8 inches
Media: Acrylics over Polymer Clay on Wood Panel
Ready to Hang: Yes

$500 $500

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Erica Lyn Schmidt

Erica Lyn Schmidt is a fine artist living in Wisconsin, USA. Her primary media includes polymer clay, acrylic, and oils. After spending many years in scientific and children’s illustration, she found her true love of fine art in the genre of imaginative realism.

Blurring the lines between traditional painting and sculpture, her work explores the deeper meaning of life’s experiences through whimsical animals, metaphor, and prose. She loves creating characters that didn’t exist before, like conjuring new friends out of thin air. Sometimes a project takes on a life of its own—in these moments it feels like there’s magic in the room.

Erica has been a staple on the roster of Every Day Original, in several volumes of Infected by Art, and on the Chesley Suggestion List twice in the category of Three Dimensional Art. Beyond her own work, she strives to empower other artists as Community Manager of the artist coaching program Unleash Creativity with Marc Scheff. Her past clients include Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 78 Tarot, Royal Tyrrell Museum, Burpee Museum of Natural History, private scientists and collectors.