We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erin Barracuda. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erin below.

Erin, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I grew up in small town Wisconsin and was never really exposed to art at a museum level, but I loved art. I grew up with a crayon in my hand and my coloring books just an arms length away. As a kid, I never realized that art was a viable career. The phrase, “starving artist” was ingrained in my brain so deep that the thought of being a professional artist was never even a consideration. Fast forward several years, I was still creative and artistic but it was just a hobby for me. I had taken numerous art classes all through school and some in college, but even then, I never thought it was an actual career path. My art teachers and professors always encouraged me to continue making art, but they never suggested that it could be anything more than that.

I met the love of my life and the man of my dreams, Austin, a couple of years before the pandemic. About a year into our relationship our standard poodle, Cody, needed surgery for a lipoma that was growing at an astronomical rate. In the midst of the pandemic, we were broke and scared along with so many others all over the world. We definitely didn’t have the funds to get our dog the help that he needed. One of our dear friends was hanging out at our home and saw Cody and offered to borrow us the money to get his surgery. As we were paying him back, Austin suggested that I draw a portrait of their dogs as a thank you. At this point in my creative life I really didn’t think that I could do it. So I immediately said ‘absolutely not!’ No way could I draw his dogs and do them justice.

A few days later I was at my easel, thinking, and I decided to grab my charcoal and see what I could come up with. Well a few days later it was finished. My first official pet portrait. Jack and Georgie, alive in charcoal staring right back at me. I framed it, packed it up and we went to our friend’s home for dinner. They opened the gift and immediately started crying. They literally hammered a nail in the wall by the front door and hung up the portrait, still in tears. It was at this point that I knew I created something special and I never wanted to let go of that feeling. I wanted to spread that joy to everyone. Along with that feeling—which still lives in me to this day—and the unwavering support of my hubby, I made the decision to follow my heart. In that moment, I knew exactly what I wanted: to pursue art and become an artist.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Erin Barracuda and I create charcoal drawings of flora and fauna, with a focus on pet portraits and private commissions. My style ranges from surrealism to hyper-realism with a minimal and timeless feel. I stumbled into a career as an artist almost by accident. My husband suggested that I draw a pet portrait for our friends who were generous enough to help us financially with our pup that needed surgery. Never having drawn a pet portrait in my life, I decided to play around with it to see what I could create. A few days later it was done, and I was actually happy with how it turned out. Ever since I revealed the portrait to our friends, I was hooked and I knew that I wanted to pursue art.

My mission is to spread joy through my art while shining a light on animals in need. I donate 10% of every order to animal shelters and rescues, and I also love giving back by donating artwork or custom portraits for fundraising events. A few organizations I’ve been honored to support over the years include the SPCA of Fredericksburg, TX, the Colorado Pet Pantry, Max Fund, and Hill Country Horse Rescue.

My passion isn’t just art—it’s animals too. That’s what sets me apart. I pour my heart into every piece I create, with the hope of spreading joy and making a difference for as many animals as I can. From the daintiest florals to the slobbering mastiff, I truly love what I do and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I grossly underestimated the power of other artists and the artist community. Being an artist can be lonely, most often we create in our studios, alone, and go through our creative journeys, alone. I wanted to meet other creatives to learn from them, to hear their stories, and to find other people that were just as passionate about art as I am.

I started a group called Artist Unclassified, inviting any creative from the fine artist, to the graphic designer, to the musician. We would meet monthly and talk about art, our business, our struggles, our wins, and of course some tips and tricks of being an artist. It was the most rewarding time in my life, connecting with others and knowing that I wasn’t alone in this pursuit of what felt like an impossibility at times. AU felt like home and the people in it were exactly the support that I needed. Never underestimate the power of community—or the magic that happens when creatives come together.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I think it’s safe to say that most people are not fond of social media – myself included. Figuring out the algorithms, creating content, when to post, what to post, it can be exhausting. So I threw aside the frustration and the need to “figure it all out’ to keep my sanity. I decided to look at social media as another creative outlet. So I took the time to study my audience – who was I posting for? What did I want to tell them? What did I want to share? I believe that coming from this perspective is a way of sharing and not just saying “look at what I can do”. My audience matters and I want them to continue getting quality posts. If I end up having 100 followers or 1 million followers, I can feel great about knowing that they are happy and will continue loving my content. It’s more about them and not about me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ebartwork.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e.b.artwork/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erin.pretasky/

Image Credits

I have rights and permissions to share my artwork, it is original and I created it.