Erica Borleske is a Wisconsin-based artist creating delicate watercolor florals, expressive calligraphy, and handcrafted ceramics. Inspired by the quiet beauty of the natural world, her work pairs botanical forms with refined detail and a gentle, elegant sensibility. Across both artwork and functional pieces, Erica brings nature’s grace into everyday spaces, creating work that feels calm, thoughtful, and welcoming.

“Art has always been somewhere in the background of my life—sometimes quietly waiting, sometimes demanding to be noticed. I’ve been creating for more than 20 years, but about five years ago, I decided to stop treating art like something I simply did and start treating it like something I truly needed. What began as a creative outlet became a form of therapy, a place to slow down, get lost in the details, and reconnect with myself.

I’m a bit of an artistic wanderer, happily bouncing between mediums and following whatever sparks my curiosity. My current loves include watercolor, hyper-realistic botanical art, Engrosser’s Script, Spencerian calligraphy, and ceramics. I love the patience of a beautiful watercolor wash, the tiny details hidden in a botanical, the rhythm of a flourishing calligraphic letter, and the magic of taking a lump of clay and turning it into something completely new.

By day, I’m a medical coder with more than 15 years in the medical field. By night… I’m art obsessed. My brain may spend the daylight hours translating medical information into codes, but once the workday ends, you’ll usually find me covered in paint, playing with ink, covered in clay, or dreaming up the next thing I want to make.

I believe creativity doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. Sometimes the wonky line, the unexpected watercolor bloom, or the fingerprint left in a piece of clay is exactly what makes it yours.”