Pet Portraits by John Erickson

Visual Art – Minneapolis

Since 2014, I have lived with a rare autoimmune illness, Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), in which my body's immune system attacked my peripheral nervous system, causing disabling chronic pain a fatigue. Prior to my diagnosis, I worked as a licensed tattoo artist. Upon onset of GBS, my ability to simply hold a pen became impossible. My art stopped at this point. I was surviving in a hazy world of GBS; barely aware of my surroundings. After the first two months of treatment I began integrating holistic healing modalities. Art therapy, meditation, Yoga Nidra, and the surreal, these avenues of therapy allow me to explore my physical and spiritual self. Ultimately, I found peace working with oil pastels; This in addition to my love for animals I turned to pet portraits.