Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.
Where I Once Was abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke featuring layered brushwork and expressive textures representing personal reflection.

Where I Once Was

$350.00

Where I Once Was

Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas, 2011

About This Artwork

I created Where I Once Was in 2011 during the early years of my journey as an artist. Looking back, I can see that I was still learning how to trust my own voice while navigating expectations, uncertainty, and the desire to find my place in the world.

Painting became a space where I could be honest. Long before I had the language to explain many of the things I was feeling, I was exploring them through color, texture, and movement. This piece reflects that period of searching and discovery.

Built through layers of acrylic paint, the composition carries a sense of movement and reflection. For me, it speaks to the distance between who we once were and who we eventually become. It is a reminder that growth is rarely linear. Even when the path forward feels unclear, something essential remains within us, waiting to be recognized.

The title came from that feeling of looking back with compassion. Not regret. Not nostalgia. Simply an acknowledgment of an earlier version of myself and the experiences that helped shape the person and artist I would become.

Though abstract in form, Where I Once Was is rooted in memory, identity, and personal transformation. It captures a moment in time while also reflecting a journey that continues.

Artwork Details

Artist: Erin McGrath Rieke
Title: Where I Once Was
Year: 2011
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Artwork Size: 16" W × 20" H × 1.5" D
Style: Contemporary Abstract
Original Artwork: One of a Kind
Frame: Optional

Collecting Original Artwork

My work often explores identity, memory, resilience, and personal transformation through abstraction and intuitive mark-making. Where I Once Was represents an early chapter in that exploration and serves as a reminder that every stage of our journey contributes to who we become. Each original painting is a one-of-a-kind piece that preserves a moment in that ongoing process of discovery.

Where I Once Was

Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas, 2011

About This Artwork

I created Where I Once Was in 2011 during the early years of my journey as an artist. Looking back, I can see that I was still learning how to trust my own voice while navigating expectations, uncertainty, and the desire to find my place in the world.

Painting became a space where I could be honest. Long before I had the language to explain many of the things I was feeling, I was exploring them through color, texture, and movement. This piece reflects that period of searching and discovery.

Built through layers of acrylic paint, the composition carries a sense of movement and reflection. For me, it speaks to the distance between who we once were and who we eventually become. It is a reminder that growth is rarely linear. Even when the path forward feels unclear, something essential remains within us, waiting to be recognized.

The title came from that feeling of looking back with compassion. Not regret. Not nostalgia. Simply an acknowledgment of an earlier version of myself and the experiences that helped shape the person and artist I would become.

Though abstract in form, Where I Once Was is rooted in memory, identity, and personal transformation. It captures a moment in time while also reflecting a journey that continues.

Artwork Details

Artist: Erin McGrath Rieke
Title: Where I Once Was
Year: 2011
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Artwork Size: 16" W × 20" H × 1.5" D
Style: Contemporary Abstract
Original Artwork: One of a Kind
Frame: Optional

Collecting Original Artwork

My work often explores identity, memory, resilience, and personal transformation through abstraction and intuitive mark-making. Where I Once Was represents an early chapter in that exploration and serves as a reminder that every stage of our journey contributes to who we become. Each original painting is a one-of-a-kind piece that preserves a moment in that ongoing process of discovery.