About Erica Eriksdotter

Hi, I’m Erica. A pet portrait painter dedicated to helping you find inner peace with custom pet portraits and creative joy.

A third-generational painter, I’ve painted for over 35 years. Painting is my passion and customers often remark on the extraordinary heart I put into each piece and how they can feel the love emanating from each painting.

For me, to paint is to breathe.

In fact, I sold my first painting at the age of 10 in Sweden where I was born and raised.

Through my custom pet portrait paintings, I help pet parents transform their grief into beautiful tributes. Together we create a powerful artwork that not only honors their beloved pet’s memory and helps the grieving parent through their own healing journey.

With my pet portrait painting course, it’s all about the process, spiritual awareness within the art, and following through with a finished portrait of a dog that takes 9 weeks to create.

Loved and Lost

Much of my desire to paint pets, to capture their essence and that uncomplicated relationship comes from my love for my own cherished dog, Lucas.

For 12 years he was everything to me. Having experienced the profound grief of losing my own cherished dog, I empathize deeply with those going through a similar loss.

That’s why I approach every painting with a personal touch, ensuring that every detail reflects that unique bond between you and your pet.

That’s how Lucas lives on through my art.

I’m proud that my pet portraits are in high demand and have been wildly featured in national and international media to inspire millions with my story.

YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN ME ON

I believe creative energy is an abundant resource for us all to tap into. It’s the key to a fulfilled life.

My true passion lies in painting custom pet portraits that help others find solace and healing during their journey of pet loss and to teach others the painting process, the spiritual transformation and how to follow through with their art.

Erica Eriksdotter and her custom pet portrait paintings are live on ABC7 Washington DC

ABC7 GOOD MORNING WASHINGTON

I was invited on Live TV to share my pet portrait process and surprised news anchor with a portrait in memory of her beloved dog.

WASHINGTON POST

The 2 page feature covered my life, the inspiration behind my pet portraits and the process that lead customers to a place of healing.

Image from Fox channel's coverage of Erica Eriksdotter life and custom pet portrait paintings

FOX47 EVENING NEWS

My story of helping my customers heal as a professional pet portrait artists made lots of evening news around the U.S.

ABOUT ERICA ERIKSDOTTER:
your compassionate pet portrait painter

Born-and-raised in Eskilstuna, Sweden, surrounded by nature and Viking runes, I loved to paint from an early age, painting watercolor landscapes at my family’s dining table at the age of 7.

I sold my first painting at age 10 of a small simple landscape with a single red balloon floating in the air. I continued to paint throughout my teens, finishing watercolor pieces while on the phone with my girlfriends (and our yorkie, Lucas, in my lap), and while traveling in Europe with my parents and two sisters.

For me, painting was as essential as breathing. It supported and nurtured me.

As a third-generation painter, to be creative was valued and normal in my family. My mother was always busy with a new creative project (we did an art exhibit together in 2011), and my grandfather was also a fine arts painter. Their art hangs in my studio as a reminder of my creative roots.

Born-and-raised in Eskilstuna, Sweden, surrounded by nature and Viking runes, I loved to paint from an early age, painting watercolor landscapes at my family’s dining table at the age of 7.

I sold my first painting at age 10 of a small simple landscape with a single red balloon floating in the air. I continued to paint throughout my teens, finishing watercolor pieces while on the phone with my girlfriends (and our yorkie, Lucas, in my lap), and while traveling in Europe with my parents and two sisters.

For me, painting was as essential as breathing. It supported and nurtured me.

As a third-generation painter, to be creative was valued and normal in my family. My mother was always busy with a new creative project (we did an art exhibit together in 2011), and my grandfather was also a fine arts painter. Their art hangs in my studio as a reminder of my creative roots.

Everything I’ve learned along the 35+ years of painting I’ve taught myself through a commitment to show up for my art every day.

My art continued to hold me while moving away from Sweden to attend college in Virginia, U.S., losing my father at the age of 21 and landing a demanding entry-level job in Public Relations in Washington D.C.

I picked up commissions again in 2005 following my first art exhibit in Reston, Virginia. I merged the watercolor techniques I’d taught myself with acrylics and felt the energy shift inside me. I bubbled with creativity and my art flowed, without falter, directly from my heart out through my brush.

I officially launched Studio Eriksdotter in 2009 and my husband and I traveled up and down the East Coast participating in National Juried Art Shows where I exhibited large statement pieces of flowers, and sold prints and notecards.

During this time I also auctioned off painting-a-day to my art collectors.

My art continued to hold me while moving away from Sweden to attend college in Virginia, U.S., losing my father at the age of 21 and landing a demanding entry-level job in Public Relations in Washington D.C.

I picked up commissions again in 2005 following my first art exhibit in Reston, Virginia. I merged the watercolor techniques I’d taught myself with acrylics and felt the energy shift inside me. I bubbled with creativity and my art flowed, without falter, directly from my heart out through my brush.

I officially launched Studio Eriksdotter in 2009 and my husband and I traveled up and down the East Coast participating in National Juried Art Shows where I exhibited large statement pieces of flowers, and sold prints and notecards.

During this time I also auctioned off painting-a-day to my art collectors.

Signed Eriksdotter

My last name, Eriksdotter, means “Erik’s daughter” in Swedish, and my dad’s name was Leif Erik Larsson. He inspired me to dream big and ‘just go for it,’ as he used to say. Signing each pet portrait with Eriksdotter fills my heart with pride and compassion, and I’m honored when customers say they have an “Eriksdotter” in their home.

The desire to paint pets started with a longing to memorialize my cherished childhood dog, Lucas, in 2011. The pressure to get his essence and character just right felt too overwhelming. He meant so much to me I’d be heartbroken. Instead I started painting other people’s pets to heartfelt reviews, and documenting the behind-the-scenes on instagram.

I continued to show art in galleries and began teaching fun in-studio painting classes in 2013 while climbing the corporate ladder. Seeing how my compassionate coaching opened my students eyes to a whole new world, realigned their focus and released any self-doubt expanded my heart and gratitude for my long art experience.

After nearly a decade of painting custom pet portraits, The Washington Post did a 2-page feature on me in 2019 and how my pet portraits lead to a place of healing for the customer. I was flooded with more commissions from all over the world from grieving pet parents. (read 150+ heartfelt reviews here)

My pet portraits and my life as an artist continue to be covered in the media, from live TV on Good Morning Washington to the hometown paper in Sweden.

I had the honor of speaking at several Art Leagues about my pet portraits in 2019, and the desire to teach was reborn. With two small children, and a move to Richmond, Virginia, saw me transition to teaching online.

Artist, Erica Eriksdotter, holding a portrait of a white and red Jack Russel dog on canvas.

Close-up of an artist sitting below her custom pet portrait painting of a black dog on canvas.

I launched How to Paint a Dog Portrait online course in 2021 to teach my painting process and the meditative joy of painting to more students and to all skill levels.

I’m deeply grateful to have a long waitlist for my custom portraits and my online course. Painting pet portraits and the process of teaching are deeply personal and intimate to me. I want you to feel completely confident in your decision to work with me, which is why I offer a 100% guarantee on both my paintings and course.

My passion for giving back has always been a cornerstone of Studio Eriksdotter. When you invest in my art, you support women, children and animals in need. (For more on giving back, read this.)

If I could thank Lucas, my childhood dog, I would tell him: Thank you for leading me to a life of fulfillment and service. Every pet portrait I paint is a ripple effect and result of how much you loved me.

This brings me to you…