PHOENIX — A young Phoenix artist is doing big things on canvas. In fact, Erin McLoughlin’s work recently went viral.
“I started painting my junior year of high school,” Erin said.
She is now a senior at the University of Arizona. She is an obviously talented painter; in particular, for someone with relatively little experience. Her work brings athletes and celebrities to life.
“I also really love painting people in the moment -- like Lebron James shooting the basketball,” she explained. “Also like getting their emotions in the painting.”
Her work’s detail is second to none. Each piece captures the subject’s likeness as if it is through a high quality camera lens. Yet, she says a career in art is more of a dream, not the primary goal.
“My plan was to go to PA school in the next year or two. So I do art as kind of a side hustle and just going with the flow and seeing where that takes me,” she said.
So far that approach seems to be working. She recently shared her painting of Lebron James on Twitter. Overnight, it went viral and national media picked up the story.
“Bleacher Report DMed me at the gym,” Erin said. “And I was like, ‘No way!’ So they posted it while I was at the gym, and it blew up. And I didn’t get any workout in. I was so distracted,” she explained laughing.
The World Wide Leader in Sports also picked up the story.
“I do have Zoom classes,” she said. “And some people like private messaged me in my lectures like, ‘Hey, I saw you on ESPN!’ I was like wow”!
Her social media following has spiked by tens of thousands of followers and athletes are now reaching out to her!
“I’ve also had some really cool offers,” she said, “but nothing’s been finalized yet but hopefully soon.”
In the meantime, she is working on a painting of Phoenix Sun Devin Booker!