Once Upon a Mermaid

Once upon a time there was a toddler who flitted from activity to activity like a bird from flower to flower. 
Focus was something she rarely showed.
Until the day she saw The Little Mermaid movie.  She was captivated, mesmerized, watching it with almost unblinking eyes. The music and story were magic to her and she fell in love with Ariel and all things mermaid! She wanted to watch it over and over until she had every line (and every song!) committed to memory.

It was the beginning of her love of mermaids, but she took all that she saw very literally.  At 2 1/2 she assumed a mermaid had to have red hair because that is what she saw.  And when she started seeing other movies and other princesses she believed that to be a princess (and to be beautiful) you must have peach skin and yellow hair. 
What she was seeing was starting to define her idea of beauty... and that's when we stepped in!

We tripled the amount of books in the house with princesses, heroines and main characters of color. The Happily Ever After series on HBO became (and remains) a favorite for a fairy tale fix.

On a whim I painted a mermaid girl in her likeness. She was enchanted with the idea that SHE could be the mermaid, and that a  mermaid could look like her!

I continued to create more and more art in her likeness, and we watched her beliefs shift and expand.
The power of exposure.

Celebrating National Adoption Day

In honor of National Adoption Day all art prints and cards in my Etsy shop are 25% off now through Monday November 25th.
Use coupon code 4EVERLOVE25

Wishing everyone a beautiful weekend!

Princess and the Frog - Part II

Will she kiss him?  I don't know... what do you think???

Princess and the Frog - Part I

I envisioned a Princess and the Frog illustration that would...


1. show some Tiana influence in the dress but not be a replica
2. have a cape
3. be wearing a crown
4. and a cornrow-to-beaded braids hairstyle


Actually #4 was my first requirement... since that is how I was seeing her in my imagination.  I'm super happy with the results and anxious to bring her to life with paint. 

What do you think??

Super Girl!

"Super Girl with Natural Hair" watercolor and ink on paper, 8x10, copyright erin rogers pickering

Super Girl... what's the source of her strength...?

Her brains


Her curiosity

Her style


Her attitude


Her amazing hair!


Guess you'll have to ask her!



Inspired by my 5 year old daughter who continues to give me terrific material to work with. Forever costumed, inventing stories and characters.


A true adventure girl!

 

Cleopatra... the emerging Queen

Here she is about halfway complete.  Scanning and looking at a painting on the screen gives me a fresh perspective that I don't get as I hover over a piece.  And I do tend to hover over the details... This way I get a better look at the work as a whole.


Tomorrow I get to paint all her beads and jewels- and the Cobra!  Looking forward to working on the decorations.

Rapunzel II and the 2 strand twists

"Rapunzel II", watercolor and ink on paper, 8x10, copyright Erin Rogers Pickering

My art director (my 5yr old) on this project has pronounced her finished!  Actually screamed and squealed when she saw it!  And, she won't let me touch her with another drop of paint.  

She believes it's perfect as is.  I appreciate that!  Normally I would have to be the one who proclaims a painting complete (Ok, I always decide when its complete) but for this project I let go and followed her direction.  My gut said to go with her gut,  so the background will not be painted... and am very happy with the finished piece.  And enjoyed the process of following her direction.

The original will hang in her room, the prints are available in my etsy shop.

Rapunzel II - its all about the Hair!

Had to show her hair!  Rapunzel is obviously ALL about the hair, but once the dress is painted it may have to share the limelight. 


My daughter LOVES the hair and went crazy when she saw this stage of the painting.   The hair which was inspired by her recent 2 strand twists.  The twists took me forever to do, but I intend to keep practicing.