Ercilia Medeiros is fine art painter in Santa Cruz County, California. With ancestry from the Portuguese Azores Islands, Ercilia was raised in California with an upbringing inextricably shaped by the deep traditional folklore of her parents’ culture and the unparalleled natural landscapes of the Central Coast and Northern California.
Ercilia is interested in the ways the natural environment influences identity, invokes ancestral knowledge, and shapes individual spirituality. Ercilia’s idea of heaven is the coastal terraces and pocket beaches north of Santa Cruz.
Originally a watercolorist stretching the boundaries of the medium with rich, saturated colors and layered details, Ercilia has expanded her work into acrylic paintings on canvas.
For current updates on my newest artwork and upcoming events, please follow @ercilia_art on Instagram.
Newsletters:
Selected Events/Features:
Ercilia is interested in the ways the natural environment influences identity, invokes ancestral knowledge, and shapes individual spirituality. Ercilia’s idea of heaven is the coastal terraces and pocket beaches north of Santa Cruz.
Originally a watercolorist stretching the boundaries of the medium with rich, saturated colors and layered details, Ercilia has expanded her work into acrylic paintings on canvas.
For current updates on my newest artwork and upcoming events, please follow @ercilia_art on Instagram.
Newsletters:
- 3/17/2026 - Ercilia Art - A Summoning of Bees 🐝🌻 Latest Paintings & Updates
- 11/21/2025 - Ercilia Art - The fog comes on little cat feet
- 10/7/2025 - Ercilia Art - With Gratitude + Bird Festival, New Paintings
- 9/15/2025 - Ercilia Art - Open Studios, Birding Festival & Updates
- 4/22/2025 - Ercilia Art - Upcoming Events & Wildflowers
- 1/15/2025 - Ercilia Art - Let's Hope So
Selected Events/Features:
- 2026 - Art in Bloom - April - Wilder Ranch State Park
- 2026 - Hot Off the Walls - March-May - Pajaro Valley Arts Association
- 2026 - Heart and Mind Exhibition April 2026 Santa Cruz, CA
- 2026 - "Welcome Home" Group Exhibition - Pajaro Valley Arts Association
- 2025 - Santa Cruz Art League "Step into Santa Cruz" group exhibition, November - December
- 2025 - Cabrillo Gallery, 12x12 Group Exhibition - November
- 2025 - Watsonville Center for the Arts "Solo El Pueblo Salva El Pueblo" group exhibition November
- 2025 - Monterey Bay Festival of Birds, October
- 2025 - Open Studios Art Tour, October
- 2025 - Tannery Spring Art Market - Saturday, May 10, 2025
- 2025 - Art in the Park, Wilder Ranch State Park - April 26 ~ 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
- 2025 - First Friday, February 7, 2025 at Big Basin Vineyards Tasting Room
- 2025 - Solo Exhibition "Oxalá - Let's Hope So" January- March Big Basin Vineyards Tasting Room, Santa Cruz, CA
- 2024 - December Holiday Art Market at The Art Factory - Aptos, CA
- 2024 - October Open Studios Art Tour, Santa Cruz
- 2024 - May "By Land or By Sea" Group Exhibition, Pretty Girls Making Cool Shit
- 2024 - January "40 Years of Inspired Expression" - Pajaro Valley Arts Association Group Exhibition
- 2024 - March, Midtown Optometry, Santa Cruz - solo exhibition
- 2023 - November Cabrillo Gallery 12x12 Exhibition, Aptos CA
- 2023 - Moved to new Live Oak art studio
- 2023 - Atlantico Expresso Article, Azores Publication Interview / Feature (Portuguese)
- 2023 - January - February Pajaro ValleyArts Council "New Beginnings" members exhibition
- 2022 - November Cabrillo Gallery 12x12 Exhibition, Aptos, CA
- 2022 - August Solo exhibition Fruition Brewing, Watsonville, CA
- 2022 - July Summer Art Show, 17th Ave Studios, Santa Cruz, CA
- 2022 - "Envisioning a Green Future" - original artwork for Green Foothills publication.
- 2022 - January / First Friday at Treehouse, Soquel, CA.
- 2021 - December / First Friday at 17th Avenue Studios, Santa Cruz, CA.
- 2021 - November / Cabrillo Gallery 12x12 Exhibition, Aptos, CA.
- 2021 - Studio Open House at 17th Avenue Studios, Santa Cruz, CA
- Art Queens Society / Create Collective Member 2021-2025
- 2021 - January-March “Featured local artists” Treehouse, Soquel, CA. (Group)
- 2019 - Joined 17th Avenue Studios, Santa Cruz, CA
- 2017 - September, Cover Art for South Valley Magazine - "Joan for the Hills: Community Honors Joan Baez"
- Pre 2017-present - graphic design and digital vector custom illustrations for various projects
Some of my favorite materials:
