PORT ANGELES — Six years ago, a major car wreck shattered Erica McClain’s life and art.
Before the crash that left her with a traumatic brain injury, McClain was a leather artist, constructing one-of-a-kind shoes and boots.
The Sequim resident has walked a long road to recovery — with art of a different kind as her companion.
McClain, 50, now creates paintings using toothpicks and ink.
Her images — which have 100 to 200 hours of work in each — are on display at the Heatherton Gallery, on the ground floor of The Landing mall at 115 E. Railroad Ave.
The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Alongside art by Pamela Dick, Gloria Magner, D.J. Walsh, Eli Owens, Gail S. Larson and Julia Rose Jeffers, McClain’s creations have a decidedly Asian look.
She’s fascinated with this and calls it a happy mystery.
McClain is looking for work and hopes to find something involving art and creativity.
In the meantime, she said, this new art form “is truly a gift that I have been given.
“I do not take it for granted.”
________
Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
