artist illustrator painter

About the Artist

Erin is a painter & illustrator located in Raleigh, NC with degrees in Painting & Printmaking and Fashion Design from Virginia Commonwealth University.

A lover of post-modern artists from a young age and active in the arts through her life, over time she’s found a more cohesive emotional outlet in painting and illustration by focusing on self-empowerment and emotional vulnerability, often relating to her experiences from a female perspective.

In questioning the group perception of aesthetic and how it relates to human form, psyche, and the internal ego, she frequently seeks scenes and portraiture which highlight what is perceived as undesirable. Blending bright colors and strong figures with macabre moods, one can frequently find a quiet resonance within the subject and mood of the pieces.  By exploring this idea, she is seeking to redefine the often negative self-perception of the feminine form by driving the viewer to introspection. 

Through playful brush strokes and bold form, she is focused on self-empowerment and the emotional depth of the female-identifying, tenuous connections can be made from depression and anxiety to self-love and self-awareness in otherwise uncomfortable and sometimes confrontational scenes.

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Nice to meet you!

I am a illustrator and painter, born, raised, and currently living in the southeastern United States, often nicknamed “The Bible Belt.” I have a dual degree in painting & printmaking, and fashion design; both earned at Virginia Commonwealth University, however art has been a lifelong passion of mine. 

As a woman living in the bible belt, I’m constantly confronted with the societal and religious lens in which many people view human nature - bodies, morals, emotions, actions, and mannerisms. This lens does not operate in a silo, however. It can be striking and oppressive, and tends to inform the outlook people have about themselves and each other, creating a culture of shame, fear, and discomfort. 

Over the course of my career, my work has begun to push back against these norms. With fluid, soft form and a rainbow of colors, I bring into existence work which seeks to challenge the lens which covers the human condition. I want to pull people in before they realize the contrast between the evocative form and color and the subject matter itself. 

My goal is to challenge viewers to sit with the discomfort and seek to discover why subjects such as the natural human form and negative emotions, such as anxiety and depression, cause them fear or discomfort. In this, I hope to lift the veil again, unraveling all of the toxic work society has done to compartmentalize and oppress us all into submission.

In conclusion if you ever see me on the streets - don’t tell me to smile.