I started my Etsy shop with 5 listings, to have a place to put my work, and as an inspiration to keep going. My daughter was still very young, I was completely sleep deprived, working full-time, traveling for business, learning the ins and outs of eating gluten free, and healing myself through food. Working on my art and my shop revived and refueled me. "Erin, go paint, and you will feel better"... more connected, grounded, joyful!
My daughter, who is now 8 years old, inspired me. I needed to show her that princesses and heroines need not have “pink skin and yellow hair.” And, so that Disney wouldn’t be her sole source of how a princess or heroine could look. I was compelled to create my first multicultural mermaid in her likeness and ended up finding a large audience looking for the same thing.
I believe my illustrations have a very positive influence on how young girls see themselves. Countless clients have told me that their daughters think the paintings are them. The girls get to see themselves reflected as the beautiful princess, instead of a constant stream of images that look nothing like them. It’s certainly not all about beauty, but if young girls can grow up appreciating the beauty that they possess, it will help them to grow into strong and confident women.
Children and fairytales, food, shoes, architecture, animals in unexpected colors, vintage fashion, and positive inspirational quotes all inspire me…With color and whimsy as a constant influence on how I approach a painting or illustration.
Customers can reach Erin via Etsy, Facebook, one of her two websites, and Twitter.
White Sugar, Brown Sugar readers can enjoy 15% off their art print order from Erin's shop by entering the code CUSTAPPRECIATE15 at checkout.
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