Art that grows backwards: The abstract paintings of Erica Beck

Beck, who hails from Knoxville, Tennessee, works intuitively through a subtractive process, beginning with lots of colour and bold, soft brush strokes and then working backwards. She says that she enjoys watching each piece develop organically as she paints. "My goal as an artist is to create work that makes viewers feel happy," she explains, "so I gravitate towards deliciously bright, joyful colours and energetic brush strokes.

"My paintings are fun, organic and emotional," Beck continues. "They emerge through the process of transitioning between large soft, brush strokes and very tiny design details (I'm sure that's the trained graphic designer influencing my work). I love when I discover things by accident and typically let this dictate the direction of the painting. I hope to give the viewer just enough to interpret my work in his or her own unique way."