Erin Gallagher Illustration & Design

2012-03-21T14:19:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-11-10T16:46:00.000-05:00

Busy Bee...

I've been working on quite a lot of different projects lately, and neglecting the blog. But it's all for good, because who doesn't want to be a busy freelancer? One of the things I'm working on is a new site, that is a bit more streamlined but at the same time showcases all of the work I do. The new header up above is a preview.

I debated not showing any new work until my new site is completed, but I decided why deprive people? :) So here is my latest painting, a portrait of Lovefoxxx, the fun, sexy and talented front-woman of CSS, the rock-pop Brazilian band.

Okay, now back to work, and by work tonight I mean attending the American Illustration party!

2011-09-20T19:02:00.000-04:00

Bike Lanes Rule!

I was recently contacted by the lovely folks at BQT Shirts, a tee shirt company specializing in Brooklyn, Queens and NYC themed shirts. They asked if I'd like to create some designs that would fit with their theme and aesthetic. Of course, I was thrilled they asked!

BQT Shirts already has some very cool bike tees, but with the "Great Bike Lane Wars of Brooklyn" this past summer I thought it would be cool to create a tee celebrating the urban cyclists roadways. The lanes in my design create the letters BQT, and the little cyclist is merrily on his or her way. Pick up your Bike Lane Tee here.

I'm currently working on my next designs for BQT Shirts, which should be "yummy".

2011-09-09T17:37:00.001-04:00

Chalk Art Mural

I have been very bad about updating my site and blog– but it's not because I've been lounging at the beach with a drink in my hand....ahhhhh...that sounds nice...

What? Oh, right– I've actually had a very busy summer involving screen printed wedding invitations, freelance production work for Scholastic, illustration conferences, designing, planning, scheming and more.

One of those "more" things has been doing chalk art for Juice Generation stores in Manhattan. Juice Generation is a mini-chain providing all natural and organic juices, smoothies and food. Btw, the Peanut Butter Split with whey protein is a super delicious lunch. Eric Helms, the man in charge, has been expanding his business with stand alone stores and with Equinox gyms, and each new store has more and more chalkboard space– which is great for me!

Check out the latest chalk art wall (apologies for the poor quality iPhone photos) I created for the brand new location inside the Equinox Soho location on Prince Street, which opened today:

2011-07-20T19:44:00.000-04:00

Lotus & Pearl Wedding Invitations

I recently completed a suite of custom designed, hand screen printed wedding invitations for a good friend of mine. Check out the full post at Lotus & Pearl!

2011-06-30T17:33:00.000-04:00

27 / Lennon

I've been working like mad lately on custom, screen printed wedding invitations (which I can't wait to show off soon!) so I am pretty excited to take a little break tonight and go to the 27 Release Party tonight. For those who don't know (although it seems that's not too many people) 27 is a comic written by Charles Soule, whom my husband and I had the pleasure of meeting a few years ago in New York City comics circles. The story centers on the guitarist of a hugely popular band who suddenly, at age 27, mysteriously loses his talent.

The covers of 27 have all referenced famous photos of rock musicians, so I thought I'd do my own version on the theme, and present my 27 / Lennon sketch in time for tonight's party. I have been meaning to paint this idea for some time, and I am really looking forward to finishing it, as soon as my brides are taken care of. And then I've gotta do a Strongman piece! Rock on, people!

2011-06-20T17:18:00.000-04:00

Father's Day Cards

Yesterday was Father's Day, and I was fortunate enough to spend time with my dad, my step-dad-in-law, and my brother-in-law, who's a brand new papa (his beautiful girl is just over a week old. I made greeting cards for each of them. They were printed digitally, but next year I hope to have them available for purchase as screen printed cards.

The top one was for my dad, and is inspired by the fact that he likes to refer to himself as "the King", even though in my house the Queen was really the one in charge. The second one was for Kenny, who is a fun-loving guy. And the final card is for Glen, who is over the moon about his brand new baby girl, Ella. Unfortunately I couldn't make a card for Richie, my father-in-law, who isn't with us but is in our thoughts.

2011-05-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

I just made my new site Lotus and Pearl live. I've been working on wedding (and other) invitations recently for a few friends and I'm really enjoying it, so I decided that the custom invitation portion of my work needed it's own name and space. Check it out, and if you need any custom art or invites for your next event drop me a line at erin@lotusandpearl.com

2011-05-15T18:38:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-05-06T17:15:00.000-04:00

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! ;)

2011-04-29T17:33:00.000-04:00

The Kills

The husband and I are going to see The Kills tonight at Terminal 5 in Manhattan– a pretty awesome blues-rock band comprised of Allison Mosshart and Jamie Hince. Blood Pressures, The Kills' recently released forth album, has won a lot of praise from critics for being sexy, edgy, dark and fun. We saw Allison Mosshart play with Jack White in the Dead Weather last year, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing her play with her original musical soulmate.

I did a pencil sketch portrait of the duo that I'll be finishing as a mixed media piece soon. Now, I've gotta go get ready to rock!

2011-04-18T12:02:00.003-04:00

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. ;)

2011-04-04T18:55:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-03-13T14:05:00.000-04:00

For ALL the Lovers, Revisited.

I haven't posted in a while, since I've been working on a few fun things I can't show just yet. Then I realized I hadn't finished up this sketch I had started on Valentine's Day! I had originally wanted to post three Valentine's Day sketches featuring superheroes, one of a hetero couple (for which I chose Big Barda and Mister Miracle) one of a lesbian couple, and one of a gay couple.

Unfortunately there's not a long list (okay, it's crazy-short) of gay superhero characters to choose from, but a recent addition is Kate Kane, aka Batwoman– who's become a pretty major character for DC Comics. She also has a really badass get-up. Also on the DC line-up is Renee Montoya, a former Gotham City police officer and currently operating as the Question. Kate and Renee once had a relationship, and so I thought I'd do a little tribute of what they once had (and may have again...?).

And don't worry, fellas, I still plan on doing a sketch for you, too! <3

2011-02-14T22:45:00.000-05:00

For All the Lovers Out There...

...hope you enjoyed this year's mandatory date-night holiday. My celebration of Valentine's Day involved drawing one of my favorite super-hero couples: Big Barda and Mister Miracle. They are pretty damn awesome, designed by the legendary Jack Kirby, and I don't care if they are technically dead right now– their love lives on!

2011-02-02T14:39:00.000-05:00

The White Stripes: Inspiration

It was just announced that Jack White's first band, the White Stripes, have officially broken up. The first concert I ever when to with my husband was a White Stripes show in Coney Island. I am a huge Jack White fan, and as much as I love his other bands, I am really bummed that I won't ever see or hear the White Stripes play again.

Although it was a classic blues song recorded by Son House, the White Stripes' version of "Death Letter" was the first I had heard. It inspired me to make a comic during a really difficult time in my life: my mother's final months fighting cancer. I think creating that comic helped me more than I realized at the time, even though it's a small thing, and I have the White Stripe's music to thank for it. So, for anyone that hasn't seen the comic before here it is, and the song is below.

2011-02-01T21:08:00.000-05:00

Wolverine!

I've been painting and doing a lot of vector art lately, and felt like using my g-pen and some ink for a change. I've also been drawing lots o' ladies lately, which I love, but I felt like I needed to switch it up and draw some arm hair. Hence: Wolverine!

We all know he's a bad mother, and not one to mess with– especially if you interrupt his cigar break. Wait, what? He doesn't smoke cigars anymore because it's a bad influence on kids? Oh. Well in any case, he could disembowel a baddie in two seconds flat, and if that's not good for the kids I dunno what is!

2011-01-27T17:38:00.000-05:00

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.

2011-01-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

Capricorn

I am a little late with this next Zodiac piece, and I blame the Christmas spirit! Actually, I did get caught up in holiday hub-bub and getting my new website in order, but hey– it's still Capricorn's time. (Don't pay any attention to that "new horoscope" nonsense.) Gotta get this one painted soon though; I wouldn't want the Capricorns to feel slighted!

2011-01-18T13:49:00.000-05:00

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!

2011-01-06T19:00:00.009-05:00

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*

2010-12-30T00:28:00.005-05:00

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.)

2010-12-25T14:41:00.003-05:00

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)

2010-12-22T19:52:00.006-05:00

Kitty Pryde Kicks Ass!

So, I haven't posted in a while, due to holiday craziness and feeling under-the-weather, but I did want to post the finished drawing for my new Kitty Pryde painting– whoo hoo! I'm super-psyched to paint this– and I've gotta do my next Zodiac piece, and another Shop Your Closet post and bake that apple crumb pie, and wrap those presents, and make those brussels sprouts...and...and...

2010-12-05T14:15:00.009-05:00

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. ;)