It's so hard to say goodbye...

...which is why I'll say "I'm moving!" instead. I have enjoyed using Blogger for many years, but the hot new thing the kids are using is Tumblr, so I've decided to switch all of my blogging activity to my Tumblr site. I will keep this blog up, so that anyone who wishes to can see the previous posts, but it will no longer be updated. (not that I've been doing enough of that, anyway)

Also, I am creating a new website, so my Erin Illustration site will be temporarily shut down for a while, while I furiously add all the recent work I've been making to a shiny, happy new site.

You can find me at the following interweb locations:

Thanks! See you around the internets!

Sleigh F***ing Bells

I'm super psyched to see Sleigh Bells and CSS tonight at the Bowery Ballroom, so I did a portrait of Alexis Krauss and Derek E. Miller, who are both adorable. I've got a pretty sweet tee shirt design inspired by the band that I have to finish– you'll see it soon! Gotta run so I can get ready for the show!

The Kills! 

Here's the final portrait of Allison Mosshart and Jamie Hince of The Kills. They played a great show last week– although I definitely get cranky dealing with the jerks at live NYC shows. I'm looking forward to doing more portraits like this– fun and loose. We're going to see Sleigh Bells and CSS perform at the Bowery Ballroom next week, so I think I may do a portrait of Alexis and Derek next...and prepare myself for the too-cool-hipster-a-holes at that show! ;)

Capricorn, painted

Although late, I think this Capricorn piece is perfect for the cold, snowy, winter day we've had (and been having a lot of!) in New York. Capricorns are Earth signs known for being practical, ambitious, patient, disciplined and reserved. On the not-so-nice side they can be moody, pessimistic and somewhat self-centered. The symbol associated with Capricorn is the Goat, and while my husband suggested I paint a girl eating a can to convey that point, I thought unusual goat eyes and some sturdy yet sexy gams would be a better choice.
click here to see this piece on my website.

Drum roll, please!

Announcing the new, improved, spectacular Erin Gallagher Illustration website! The new site features all of my recent illustrations, comics, graphic design and sketches– plus it will be updated frequently. Feel free to browse around and please let me know what you think!

I owe this fantastic example of modern technological wizardry to my friend, Rob Harrigan, who knows his way around code but also happens to love vinyl records, old fashioned cocktails and typography of the 60's. Rob [aka Undercard Productions] has done an awesome job and I highly recommend his services for all your website and design needs. Thanks again, Rob!

Sandman

I've recently been going through a lot of my old files (getting them ready for something new and exciting!) and when I found my ol' Sandman tee shirt design I decided to revise it. I don't usually like to revise past work, but there were a couple of pieces that needed sprucing up. I created this design before I even knew how to use illustrator, so it wasn't nearly as clean as I'd like. Sandman being my favorite comic series of all time, I thought I'd better make it as good as possible.
Plus, I have it on pretty good authority that Neil Gaiman himself saw this design at a convention years ago and said he liked it! *melt*

Shop Your Closet: Holiday Edition!

The holidays are a time for parties and get-togethers, and those usually involve dressing up. The husband and I usually have a holiday shin-dig at our place, and I'm always happy when awesome people like my buddy Jamie can make it. While all of the ladies at the party were quite well dressed, I chose Jamie to guest-star on Shop Your Closet because it's a great way to illustrate how important personal style is.

Jamie and I go way back– to about 7th grade, and it's safe to say that even then we had very different personal styles. Over the years, as I wore everything from baggy jeans and boy's flannels to red pleather pants and corset tops, and from peace sign necklaces to spiked cuff bracelets, Jamie's style tended to stay a little more grounded.

Nowadays, when home working I'm always in a tee shirt and jeans, but I still have a more flashy style when it comes to special occasions. And while Jamie can certainly rock a cute dress, she's most comfortable in, well, comfortable clothes. Comfortable, of course, definitely doesn't have to mean boring or less stylish, which brings me to Jamie's look at the holiday party: a pair of dark skinny jeans paired with a cozy but flattering red & blue plaid flannel, and to top it all off– a great pair of tall brown riding boots. Plus, the outfit looked great with Jamie's new shorter haircut.

I usually like to buy a whole new outfit to wear for the party; however, that was not a financially sound idea this year. I went through my closet and realized I had a super-cute green silk tiered ruffle top that I got back in the summer on a super-sale from Victoria's Secret, and that it would be perfect for the holiday party. I had only worn it a few times, and I planned on dressing it up even more for the holiday party. I paired it with black linen shorts, new lace "leggings" (there's that shorts in winter look again!) and of course, my favorite shoes: my grey Jeffrey Campbell booties. So I only bought one new piece of clothing for the party, and it's a very versatile piece.

So the lesson for today is: whether your style is extravagant or classic, make sure you're comfortable in your clothes, and you'll look great! (Unless you're a man wearing "jeggings". Even if it feels good, don't do it.)

Merry Xmas & Happy Holidays!Just a quick note to say Merry Christmas!
May your holiday be warm & bright,even when it's cold & dark.

Peace & Love,
erin (and tom)

Shop Your Closet: Guest-Starring Caitlin!

When I married the wonderful Tom Valente, I not only got a great husband, I got his great family, too! And the best part is, after always being the youngest (of three brothers, of all first-cousins) I finally had two younger sisters. Okay, Vanessa is only 6 months younger than me and is definitely more mature than me, but Caitlin is 12 years younger than me. Whoo hoo! Someone to torture and boss around as had been done to me as a child! Except that Caitlin is a super-cool kid and we get along great. Oh, well. I guess I'll have to save the torture for my future children. Anyway, now that Caitlin is growing up, she's getting more sure of her personal style, and I have to say, I approve!

One of the trends I like right now is the shorts-with-tights look, and it's a great way to Shop Your Closet, since you can keep wearing your shorts in a new way for another season. I have a cute pair of trouser-like tailored shorts that are off-black with golden pinstripes. Last year I found a really cute tee at the Brooklyn Flea that's black with a sparkly gold silkscreen of an cartoon child and panda on a rocket (awesome, right?). I cut a wide neck and cap sleeves on the standard box tee to give it a better shape. Add fishnets and my old brown motorcycle boots and bam! you've got a cute fall/winter outfit.

Caitlin's look is also a cool trend right now–the romper–another all-season pick, because as fun as it is in the summer with cute sandals, it's pretty awesome how Caitlin wore it this Fall. She paired her dark grey/black romper with a white ribbed tank, sheer dark hose, light grey leg warmers (another fave of mine) and awesome super-shiny patent leather heels. Perfect! I'm looking forward to seeing what new outfits Cait comes up with, and I'm sure she'll be guest-starring on Shop Your Closet again soon.

*Disclaimer: while I draw myself much skinnier and prettier than I am in real life, I assure you that Caitlin is more beautiful than my drawings of her. ;)

Sagittarius!

Happy first day of Sagittarius! This piece was a lot of fun, especially the sequined Native American-inspired shirt. Sagittarians are said to be optimistic, good-humored, moral, honest, straightforward, intellectual and philosophical. On the not-so-great side they can be impatient, boastful, blindly optimistic and tactless.
Yesterday was my mom's birthday, so while technically she was a Scorpio, those on the cusp of the change in signs are known to take on some traits of the sign coming before or after them. I wish I could show her this, since I think she would have said it was beautiful; she always said all of my work was beautiful...I guess that was either honesty or blind optimism. Either way, I was always happy to hear it.

Purr...

...Ms. Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, is very content with herself after a hard night's work collecting some shiny, sparkly baubles. Not to mention getting home safe to her kittens after a run-in with a nasty Bat. ;)

Zodiac Series: Taurus

Taurus is the second of the Sun Signs and it's the first associated with the element Earth. You are a Taurus if your birthday falls between April 20th to May 21st. Those born under the sign are generally described as being determined, slow, sensual, stubborn, romantic, artistic, loyal, materialistic, practical, and most importantly: appreciators of beauty, taste and touch. Taurus is also associated with the Emerald. Being a Taurus myself, I can say I definitely buy into the description...both the good and bad qualities, of course!

This is just the first of a complete series of Zodiac paintings that will be available for purchase soon as greeting cards. So, what's your sign?

The Dead Weather

I am happy to finally present my illustration of Jack White & Allison Mosshart, aka "Baby Ruthless" of the Dead Weather. This was a ton of fun to work on, since it was inspired by an awesome, hard-rocking band and two performers with tons of stage presence and charisma. I've had the pleasure of seeing the Dead Weather twice now, recently right in my backyard of Prospect Park, and they don't disappoint.

Sneak Peak! The Dead Weather

This piece has been a long time coming, but it got put on hold for a bit with summer traveling, etc. I've still got a little more to go, but I'm really psyched about this one so I thought I'd share a sneak peak with you. It's an illustration of Jack White and Allison Mosshart of the Dead Weather, who my husband and I have seen live twice, recently in Prospect Park. Rock 'n' Roll!

The Future is Sexy...Who doesn't love green alien babes and cocky-yet-goofy space captains? I know I do!

Paris Chic

I haven't been posting too much lately, because I've been working hard at a nice, big freelance project, which I'll post about in a few weeks. But recently I was able to do a really fun piece promoting La Vie Parisienne Nouveau and Deco-inspired jewelry for Whole Body at Whole Foods Market Chelsea. This jewelry is amazing– so elegant and interesting– and I wanted to create some really stand-out signage for it.

As much as I enjoy doing full-color work, I would often find that there would be a little nuance from the original sketch that was missing from the finished product, so I've been experimenting with layering some of my sketches into the finished paintings/color work, and so far I like the results. I am also continuing to use vector art in my illustrations, which I enjoy doing, to switch it up.

So, if you know a girl who loves shiny, sparkly things (that's most of us), get some of La Vie Parisienne's gorgeous jewelry for her, at Whole Body at Whole Foods Market, Chelsea. I may have to get a pair (or two) of the earrings myself to get me all set for my trip to Paris this Fall!

M.I.A.M.I.A. has intrigued me since I first happened upon her videos for Bird Flu, Sunshowers and Boyz online (way before Pineapple Express!). She is definitely one of the most unique musicians to emerge in the last few years, and I love her tendency to push the envelope in everything she does, while still being perfectly authentic. Apparently other people feel the same way, too!
I hope I captured some of her swagga in this piece.

Whoa!Holy dinosaurs, explosions, zombies, winged ladies, and lazer guitars! This commission piece was definitely a challenge, but a really fun one. It's a mixed media piece with watercolors, copic markers and digital trickery used to create the ultimate apocalyptic fantasy portrait!

M.I.A.I am currently in the process of painting an M.I.A. illustration– but it will most likely take a bit longer to finish, since I am also working on a commission. This illustration will be a mixed media piece combining watercolor, vector, and who knows what else! I'm also excited since this will be the first in a series of music-themed illustrations.
Rock 'n' Roll!

KING CON 2009!King Con was this past weekend at the Brooklyn Lyceum in Park Slope, and it was awesome! The husband and I had a great time seeing old friends and meeting new people. It kind of reminded me of how MoCCA felt the first year or two, which was nice. We sold a few comics, buttons and some prints, but the extra fun part was doing commissioned sketches. I did one of an Indian dancer, inspired by the Indian-themed paintings in my portfolio, and one of the Marvel character Modok (a weird ugly giant-headed flying machine with tiny arms and legs), which was fun since I never draw things like that. The person who commissioned the dancer was kind enough to send me a photo and scan of the drawing:

I also did some fun small trading card-style color sketches, which I'll post later. Hope there's going to be another King Con next year!