Seattle Figurative Artists: How Two Painters Bring the Human Form to a Room

Figurative Art Gives a Room Something to Say

Figurative art asks something different of a room than a landscape or an abstract piece does. It puts a person on the wall — a gesture, an expression, a presence — and that changes how a space feels to be in. It’s less about filling a wall and more about giving a room something to say.

We work with a range of artists whose practice centers on the human form, each approaching it from a different angle. Here are two from our roster worth knowing.

Amy Erickson: Figurative Work That Rewards a Second Look

Amy Erickson‘s work sits closer to the quiet end of figurative art — intuitive, emotive, and as much about feeling as form. Originally from Oklahoma, she earned her BFA at the Kansas City Art Institute and has been painting in Seattle since 2018, and her work carries the sense of an evolving, personal practice rather than a fixed style.

Her first solo show, Tuning Stars Within, debuted at Figure Ground Gallery in 2024. Beyond her studio, she’s led workshops for Gage Academy of Art, Penn Studio School, and Warrior Art Camp — experience that shows in how deliberately her paintings invite a viewer to slow down. This is figurative work for anyone who wants a piece that reads as contemplative rather than bold: something that rewards a second look rather than demanding a first one.

Where it fits: a reading nook, a primary bedroom, a hallway — anywhere the goal is a quiet pause rather than a statement.

View Amy Erickson’s portfolio →

Amy Scherer: Figurative Work That Holds Nothing Back

Amy Scherer‘s work sits at the other end of that range — bold, direct, unmistakably about the person in front of her. Working mostly in acrylic, with oils and gouache in the mix, she builds rich, layered portraits and figure studies that dig into identity, vulnerability, and emotion. Her approach was shaped early on by mentorship with NW Master Painter William Cumming, whom she met at the Art Institute of Seattle in 1984 — a relationship that shaped her understanding of color and design as much as her handling of paint.

What sets her work apart is how personal it stays. A portrait by Scherer isn’t just a likeness — it’s an attempt to get at what’s underneath one. That makes her work a strong fit for anyone who wants the art in a space to feel unmistakably alive, not just well-composed.

Where it fits: an entryway, above a sofa, or anywhere you want a single piece to carry the emotional tone of the room.

View Amy Scherer’s portfolio →

Two Artists, Two Ways In

Erickson and Scherer are a good example of how wide “figurative art” actually is. One leans toward mood and restraint, the other toward directness and emotional weight — and both are still, definitively, about the human form. Whether you’re weighing figurative work for your own space or a client’s, that range is the point: the right piece isn’t about choosing the category, it’s about choosing the artist whose approach matches the room.

You can see both in person this month — they’re two of the ten artists in Form Over Function: Held Together, our third annual exhibition.

Let’s Find the Right Fit

If you’re working on a space that could use a figurative piece — quiet or bold, subtle or a statement — we can help you find the right artist and the right piece for it. Reach out and let’s talk about your project, or RSVP for the Held Together opening on October 17.