Some artists spend years searching for their creative voice. For Placitas resident Erica Wendel-Oglesby, that voice had been quietly waiting for retirement, when it suddenly arrived all at once.

Erica has called Placitas home since 2004, and it is easy to see why this community continues to inspire her. She loves the incredible variety of wildlife that shares the landscape, from year-round residents to birds passing through during migration. She also appreciates the fascinating mix of people who have found their way to Placitas to live and retire. Nature and community have become the foundation of much of her work.

Although creativity has always been part of her life, it wasn't always encouraged as a career. As a child, Erica loved making beaded necklaces, woven headbands, chokers, clay pottery, and even taught herself to weave pine needle baskets as a teenager. Then, as she puts it, "nothing." Her parents believed art was not a practical profession, so her artistic pursuits took a back seat for many years.

When retirement arrived, however, the floodgates opened.

Today, Erica works across several mediums, each connected by a love of discovery and originality. Her wildlife and landscape photography is inspired by the incredible access she has to the natural world right outside her backyard. Her one-of-a-kind jewelry often begins with vintage pieces she carefully takes apart and transforms into something entirely new, while unusual beads and pendants collected during international travels become part of the story each piece tells.

Her mosaics may be her most distinctive creations. Working primarily with glass, Erica also hand forms flowers, leaves, horses, and other elements from clay before glazing and decorating them with slip pens. Rather than sketching designs beforehand, she lets each piece evolve naturally as she works.

One of her favorite creations perfectly captures that process. A striking mosaic featuring a large red vase overflowing with bright yellow sunflowers came together entirely from imagination. Without a drawing or plan, the glass pieces simply found their place. Even the bold black and white background emerged organically. The finished piece sold almost immediately during the Taos Studio Tour and has since been reproduced on decorative items because of its popularity.

Travel has also played an important role in shaping Erica's artistic style. Visits to Italy and Spain introduced her to the work of mosaic masters Niki de Saint Phalle and Antoni Gaudí, while the colorful designs of MacKenzie-Childs and the clay work of fellow Placitas mosaic artist Laura Robbins have also influenced her approach.

Like many artists, Erica learned early that protecting creativity sometimes means trusting your own instincts. During her very first mosaic class, instructors insisted she change the way she placed her tiles and remove details that she intentionally created. It was also her last class. Rather than allowing someone else to define her artistic vision, she chose to develop her own style instead.

That independent spirit has carried into the local arts community. Erica has exhibited with Mosaic New Mexico in shows throughout Albuquerque and Placitas, including exhibitions at Oasis, Tortuga Gallery, the Albuquerque Open Space Center, the Placitas Library, and the Placitas Presbyterian Church's Placitas Artist Series. She also supports numerous charitable organizations by donating jewelry and framed photography for silent auctions.

Ultimately, Erica hopes her work encourages people to rethink what fine art can be. A vase of flowers doesn't have to be painted on canvas. It can be created from broken plates, handmade clay flowers, and carefully placed pieces of glass that come together to tell an entirely different story.

Whether she's photographing wildlife, transforming vintage jewelry into one-of-a-kind pieces, or creating mosaics that seem to emerge naturally from her imagination, Erica's work is a reminder that beauty often comes from seeing familiar things in a completely new way.

To learn more about Erica's work or arrange a visit to her Placitas studio, you can reach her at EricaNMArt@gmail.com or go to her website at adorn-your-life-2.square.site.