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! ;)

I'm glad you're having a baby...

...and I'm not! I am very happy to be awaiting the birth of a new niece or nephew very soon! My lovely sister-in-law Vanessa and her husband Glen are expecting a baby in June. Myself, Vanessa's sister Caitlin, and some of Vanessa's close friends had been planning a surprise baby shower for a few months. We decided on a baby animal theme. Since I didn't want it to be too "pastel" or saccharine, I thought baby jungle animals would be a fun way to go, and then we all realized that was perfect, since Glen and Vanessa played Guns 'n' Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" at their wedding. The jungle colors also worked well since the baby's nursery will be green.                                                                                                                       

I had so much fun looking up the photo reference for this project– I mean, just look at a Francois Langur baby monkey– they're ridiculously cute! I also created Thank You tags for the favors (little foot cookie cutters) with three different variations, and a game for guests to play, which was actually kind of difficult. Vanessa's very talented friend Jenny made a gorgeous and delicious red velvet cake based on the theme as well– if you're in the NYC/Long Island area and you want an amazing cake check out Little Mrs. Cupcake!

All in all I think it was a really wonderful baby shower and an indication that this baby is going to have a ton of love, including from the crazy aunt. ;)

I Heart Brooklyn

Well I've been a bad blogger again– but also again, I've been working on some exciting secret projects. In between projects I was working on this I Heart Brooklyn design. I recently found out about the CitID Project, and thought it was a really cool idea that I wanted to be a part of. The concept is to create a logo for your city or town, so that designers (and others) can learn about each other and the world. 

Obviously, since I'm from New York City, I can't create a logo that would ever come remotely close to being a fraction as awesome as the world-renowned Milton Glaser "I Love NY" design. So I decided to do the next best thing and pay homage to Glaser's logo and represent the city-within-a-city of Brooklyn, where I've lived for almost a decade. 

Plus, I really do heart Brooklyn!

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.

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)

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.

The Crucible

Recently (okay, over 6 months ago) I did a project for SparkNotes, which is kind of like the Cliff's Notes I remember, but more hip, and I was just informed that the project is now live on the website! SparkNotes is so hip, in fact, that they are now creating Video SparkNotes, to make studying "faster, prettier and sound-ier". I was asked to create illustrations for the Video SparkNote for Arthur Miller's classic play The Crucible. It was a lot of fun to work on, even if I had more than a thousand things going on at the time. I hope to work on more Video SparkNotes in the future– you know, to help the kids with the "book-learnin".

Check out the video here, and take a look at my 5 favorite pieces out of the 30 illustrations that I did below:

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!

Sneak Peek!

Sneak peek of my sexy sci-fi painting. Now working digitally...can't wait to get it done!

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.

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!

Half-Naked Blue-Haired Zombie Woman!New painting! This piece is based on characters described in Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin. I'm a big Atwood fan, and I loved the multiple story-within-a-story device used, especially the sci-fi pulp stories written by the 1930's & 40's leftist political fugitive in the story. The "nude women who've been dead for three thousand years, with lithe, curvaceous figures, ruby red lips, azure hair in a foam of tumbled curls, and eyes like snake-filled pits..." was a visual I couldn't pass up illustrating.

Girly Stuff...

Just some quick girly studies I've done recently. The cocktail girls were done with copic markers, and the bride is a watercolor (I may re-scan. It's hard to get all the nuances of watercolor when scanning.) Fashion, flowers and pinks...
...but fear not, men! The crazed-half-naked-zombie-woman painting is a-comin'!

"Amma" means MotherThis is the original watercolor painting I did for Imagine: A Benefit Art Exhibition (see the previous post for more information). The word "Amma" means Mother in Sanskrit, one of the oldest written languages. To me this image represents the simple yet powerful contentment of motherhood– being able to provide nourishment for your child. Unfortunately mothers in so many parts of the world are unable to uphold this basic human right for their families without help. This piece, and many others, will be for sale to help raise money for the Whole Planet Foundation, established by Whole Foods Market.

"The Whole Planet Foundation's mission is to create economic partnerships with the poor in those developing-world communities that supply our stores with product. Through innovative assistance for entrepreneurship - including direct microcredit loans and tangible support for other community partnership projects - we seek to unleash the energy and creativity of every human being we work with in order to create wealth and prosperity in emerging economies."

New Watercolor Piece in Show!I will have an original watercolor painting for sale at the Imagine Benefit Art Exhibition in New Jersey. Profits from the pieces sold at the show go to the Whole Planet Foundation, which gives micro-loans to women in developing countries so they can start their own business and break the cycle of poverty. The opening reception will be on Saturday, January 3rd, from 6–11pm, in Ridgewood, New Jersey. My friend Lauren Roth spearheaded the show– great job, Lauren!
For more information about the Whole Planet Foundation, click here.