Featured Artist Erika Dos | Artsy Shark

Artist Erika Dos creates bold paintings that express her respect for wildlife and concern about fragility. Visit her website to see more of her work.

I’ve admired animals for as long as I can remember: their sounds, their colors, their quiet intelligence. As a child in Brazil, I would pick up a caterpillar just to watch how it moved. Even then, I felt there was a fine line between curiosity and intrusion. I learned to simply watch, not touch, and respect became one of the first lessons I truly understood.

From my window and along the road to work, I watched macaws flying in pairs over tall palms, hoping they would remain free. One of Brazil’s symbols, the blue macaw, is also among the most trafficked birds in the world. They form lifelong bonds and regenerate forests in South America by dispersing large seeds. Understanding this deepened my respect not only for their beauty, but for their essential role in nature.

In 2022, after moving to the United States, I returned to painting following two decades in administrative roles. The memory of blue macaws inspired Blue Beauty. Experiencing the magical change of the seasons for the first time—frozen landscapes giving way to bursts of color and foliage—expanded my visual language. At the same time, I discovered professional opportunities in the art market that solidified my decision to pursue art as a career.

Animals and nature remain my most enduring source of inspiration, not only because they are beautiful, but because their existence is increasingly fragile. Wildlife is too often reduced to luxury goods, exotic dishes, cruelty masked as entertainment, or decorative captivity. Through my work, I seek to offer another perspective, one rooted in respect.

My paintings center on rare or endangered species portrayed within their authentic habitats. I carefully research ecosystems, flora, and behavior, treating the environment and the animal as inseparable.

Color is intentional in every composition. I preserve natural palettes and use scale, layering, and subtle contemporary elements to create a poetic realism. I work with oil, acrylic, mixed media, and foil—integrating objects with purpose. Nothing is accidental. Every element has meaning, and a clear reason to exist within the painting.

At its core, my practice is an act of witnessing. I invite viewers to slow down and see wildlife not as possession, but as coexistence. A quiet concern runs through the work, that these paintings could one day become records of loss. By bringing animals into everyday human space, I use art to cultivate awareness, empathy, and respect.

Erika Dos invites you to follow on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Want to stay current on cutting edge business articles from Artsy Shark, plus artist features, and an invitation to the next Call for Artists? Click below to sign up for our twice-monthly email. You’ll get all this plus opportunities and special offers that you can’t get anywhere else!