Meet the Artist

Erin Darling is a storyteller and illustrator from Tacoma, WA. She uses watercolor and ink to share original anthropomorphic characters. She is a queer Christian and single mom. Themes of community and inclusivity are important in her work.

When Erin started this website in 2009, she blogged primarily about simple living and homemaking. She still spends most of her time at home, cooking meals from scratch and thrifting up a storm as she raises her kids with the help of a fuzzy grey cat.

How You Can Experience Erin’s Work

Erin is most well known for her Affectionate Animal series, in which she takes vintage photographs of real people and illustrates them as queer storybook characters. This series was initially developed for a gallery showing at PCAF, formerly known as Pierce County AIDS Foundation. Through her partnership with this nonprofit and others she is continually raising money through fundraising efforts.

Erin’s first storybook was Coco and Olive: The Color of Love, a book by international adoption advocate Michelle Madrid-Branch, telling a story of blended family and borderless love. In this children’s book, a family of dogs adopts a new puppy as their youngest family member.

Erin is always thinking up new ways to cultivate community with her work. Join her community on Patreon to support her artwork, and to gain access to exclusive perks.

Get in touch with Erin

To get in touch with Erin, click here for her contact page.