This is an illustration done for Eques Inc.,to be used for educational and commercial purposes. Each rhino is drawn first with pencil, then I use gouache to lay in the value areas and finish it off with colored pencil. Each one is probably 9″x12″ and shows the 5 living rhino species in our world. Left to Right: the Sumatran, the Javan, the Indian, the White and the Black rhino both in Africa.

The Indonesian Javan Rhino preliminary sketch.

The Javan rhino finished drawing. These rhinos are almost extinct and were only recently discovered in the wild on the island of Java. There are thought to be 50-60 alive, none in captivity.

This is a Black African Rhinoceros (The Black and White rhinos are neither Black nor White, but more of a muddy gray color)

The Sumatran Rhinoceros sketch.

The finished Sumatran Rhino drawing. They are the smallest and are kind of furry looking pretty cute for an ancient creature. Doing these drawings and studying rhinos basically led me to now believe in the existence of Unicorns, not that I ever doubted them in the first place.

article on pheromones and their power to attract

religion as a vice

the age of innocence and playfulness

(these are all sketches from photos, altered to an extent, but drawn just for fun, it’s the same kind of line drawings i do when staring at people on the bart or a cafe, quick, loose and simple, these are a bit more refined because they aren’t moving, but same concept)

small sweet people busy with life get distorted by my pen

This piece was a collaboration with 3 other artists, Donovan Clark, Casey Cripe, Forest Stearns and myself. It was in Humboldt at the annual fire art party out in the woods on someones property. They gave us a big wall and we each took a section to paint. I painted the giant woman and various patterns across the piece. Of course being Humboldt it rained which gave us a bit of a challenge. There was continuous live music behind us and fire balls shooting into the sky periodically and people juggling and eating fire.

seriously.

This is a series of paintings completed a couple of years ago, but they are still worth sharing. I spent 3 weeks on the road with Forest Stearns and when we got back we locked ourselves into the studio and spent a furious 7 days completing 15 or so paintings. We started with a printed black and white simplified photo as a background image on paper, glued to wood, glazed shiny and then each added one or two elements on top with acrylic paint. This is just a sampling of what we did.

Some are still available, most have sold, but it’s always great to collaborate with other artists.

I’ve been drawing and drawing and drawing, animal after animal, some with success, others just not quite right for this company I’m working for, it’s all good experience though. Since I’m not allowed to post the ones that are accepted for print, I decided I should do a post of some of the ones that haven’t worked. I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to look at sea otters, I’ve drawn 3 so far, each one getting better, still none quite right.

This sea otter illustration was the first attempt, cute-ish, but totally overworked, the feet aren’t right, and I used paint when I’m supposed to be using pencil, oops.

The next sea otter illustration was a mom and baby otter together, almost ok, but again, not quite it, the legs were too dark and the babies face wasn’t fuzzy enough.

And then the next sea otter drawing, was even closer, but still not quite the look, it’s flat on it’s stomach because it would have been illustrated with kelp across it. The arms and face were right on, but the legs were a bit overworked. One of these times, I’ll get it.

I’m on a dead hero memorial kick, 1st sadie, now Robert Rauschenberg   who left this world May the 12th, 2008. This artist is one of my all time favorites, creating his own language in art and a unique look that has since been emulated  numerous times and inspired many people. Using assemblage and paint in a profoundly symbolic and poetic manner, this artist sparked an interest in me when I was just starting out. My work doesn’t resemble his in the slightest, but it was the feeling he created from his work, the energy put into the making of his art that grabbed my attention. I first saw one of his pieces in the Baltimore Museum of Art in 1996. It was this sculptural painting object/thing on the floor of the museum with a (stuffed) goat standing on this painting turned platform, a tire around its neck, and loose paint caked on its fur that made me step back and have a moment with this strangely wonderful thought process. He contributed to the dialog of  art immensely and along with Sadie, will be missed and appreciated my many.

I was honored to have 10 years with a very special furry friend (best dog ever) named sadie who I have to do a post on because she was so great and taught me quite a bit about myself. She passed on last week after coming down with a lungtumor/cancer beast that had it’s nasty way with her. It was a difficult thing to decide the end fate of my friend, but it seemed like the right thing to do??.. still bizarre and controlling feeling for me although I feel better now that I’ve had time to reflect.

So here’s to Sadie, may she move on with grace, and enjoy where her molecules take her next, she was honorable, loyal, quiet (except when she sang to go outside), loving, and the biggest, sweetest old soul, deserving only the best.

Much love you little fur-ball of good times, I will always miss you and your tiny teeth and velvet ears.

ink, digital color, erin hamilton

acrylic painting Erin Hamilton

I just started working for a company drawing fine art/scientific animal illustrations and since they purchase the rights to the piece, I don’t have permission to post the images online, so coincidentally not a lot of new work to post, not that I mind since the work is great, I’m having fun and I’m learning a lot about animals. A little strange for me to give up rights at first, but I love the work I’m used to it now and my work will see a larger audience as some of it will end up in different aquariums and zoos in printed form like posters and clothing. I might have my own gator tee soon. So far I’ve illustrated an american alligator, 2 florida manatees, monarchs, mola molas, harbor seals, and am working on a sea lion, harbor seal, sea otter trio. The name of the company I’m working for is EquesInc. I’ll be sure to post images of any clothing my art makes it on to especially if I can be wearing a manatee shirt soon.

Painting collaborative, “Power Lines” by Erin Hamilton and Forest Stearns

This painting was a commission completed in 2007 for a surfer/botanist who wanted a “stacked vision” of the jetty in Eureka CA in the background up to the power lines surf spot in the foreground, stacking a view of the power plant and pulp mill buildings that line the coast in Eureka. The goal was to show nature in it’s relationship to humans and the contrast between these elements when most extremely juxtaposed. Forest Stearns was responsible for the buildings, power lines and the jetty with some line work in the grass and shading on the beach and ocean. I painted the grasses, beach, ocean and the specific birds chosen by our client. This painting is 4ft w x 1 1/2ft h and was done with acrylic paint on wood.