Inside of each of us there lives a wild spirit.
It’s easy to overlook this intangible part of our being, but it creeps up into our awareness, through our nicknames, our slang, our childlike imaginations. We often use animals to help us describe the otherwise indescribable aspects of ourselves.
What is the difference between a hug and a bear hug? What do we mean when we say one person is sheepish and another is foxy?
Animals make terrific analogies for the different parts of the human spirit or the different personalities that people exhibit. Animals are fun. They are whimsical. And the anthropomorphism of our favorite critters is something that has been around ever since children sat around a fire listening to the first fables and stories known to man.
We tend to compartmentalize our concept of The Physical apart from our concept of The Metaphysical. But what if the two were intertwined all along? What if the skin on our faces reflected the face of our souls? What would that look like?
Maybe it looks something like this.
There is someone special in your life and, to you, they are magical. But it’s oftentimes difficult to find a way to express that to them. Here is where I can help.
When I paint a portrait, I don’t just put color on paper. I pour my heart and soul into the portrait. At the end of the day, the portraits are important because of the PEOPLE in them…and that is something I never lose sight of. These portraits aren’t just about turning a person into an animal. They are about using my unique vision and way of seeing the subject in order to find a way to express the inexpressible.
Let’s be honest: turning people into animals is kind of hilarious. Animals are cute, cuddly, and approachable. They make us feel all warm and fuzzy.
Even so, under the silly surface, there is a deep river of connection and meaning involved when we capture an aspect of our identity in the face of a creature. Animals are not-human, but they make us think about the truth of our human nature. The fairytale-like quality of an animal/person hybrid helps us represent something that we are otherwise incapable of seeing in our ordinary lives.
Our bodies are the vessels we use to connect with the world. Who we are, how we appear, what we love…these are all aspects of our identity. I like to think we can be many things at once: silly and serious, sensory and symbolic, fully human and full of dreams. The same is true of these animal personality portraits. They are whimsical, but also wonderful.
These portraits are special because they combine humor and playfulness and spirituality and insight in a charming and unique way. And maybe that is just what you need in order to show your loved ones just how special they are.
Click here for information on commissioning your own Animal Personality Portrait!
Plus, if you order your portrait by August 17th, you will receive 12 free stickers of your animal portrait AND you’ll be guaranteed to receive your painting in time for the holiday season.
General information about the animal personality portraits can be found AT THIS LINK.
Let me come into your life and help you find the wild spirit you’ve had hidden there all along.
— Erin
The artwork featured above are all watercolor and ink paintings on 9 x 12 inch watercolor paper. The portraits are as follows:
- Dear and Sable portrait of Rachel from Poppy and Fern and her husband, Joshua.
- Mouse and Lion portrait of Allie’s kids, Poppy and Henry, (allieroyal on instagram).
- Deer and Wolf portraits of Louise’s boys, Archie and Jody (loopygibbens on instagram)
- Bunny and Fox portrait for Kirsten Rickert of her girls, Elle and Maya.
- Hummingbird portrait featured in the stickers is of my daughter, Phoebe.
Are you interested in commissioning a painting? Email me to get started at hello@darlingillustrations.com. You can also check out this page for general information on the animal portraits.
Comments are closed.