Reflections on being featured in The New York Times and the deeper meaning behind these portraits.
Tonya and Larry Smith holding Rusty’s portrait in their Georgia home. The commissioned heirloom portrait by Erica Eriksdotter was featured in The New York Times. Photo by Erich Martin for The New York Times.
They Received Rusty’s Portrait the Same Day He Passed Away
At first, Tonya Smith wasn’t sure she could look at the portrait every day.
Rusty, their beloved King Charles Spaniel, had just passed away after a battle with cancer.
But over time, something shifted.
As she shared in The New York Times:
“It’s just a joy to be able to see it and remember him.”
Over the past few days, Rusty’s portrait and story were featured in The New York Times as part of a piece exploring the deep connection we share with our animals, and the growing role portraiture plays in honoring that bond.
Seeing this work held so tenderly in the home it belongs to is something I’m still taking in.
More Than a Painting
These portraits are never simply about likeness.
They become part of how people continue loving their pets after loss.
A way of holding onto presence.
A way of softening grief.
A way of bringing someone deeply loved back into the home in a tangible, lasting way.
This is the heart of why I paint.
The Experience of Creating Rusty’s Portrait
Larry and Tonya reached out to me after learning Rusty had cancer.
From the very beginning, they approached the process with so much love and openness. Throughout the painting, we stayed closely connected, discussing his expression, his softness, and the feeling they wanted the portrait to carry.
Tonya later shared:
“Erica has given us a way to hold onto his spirit forever.”
And that is what I hope every portrait becomes.
Not simply artwork.
But a continued relationship.
A Moment I’m Still Taking In
A part of me keeps thinking about the little Swedish girl who sold her first painting at ten years old, never imagining where this work would one day lead.
Over the past few days, messages have arrived from collectors, childhood friends, former colleagues, and people who have quietly followed this journey across many different chapters of my life.
There has been so much kindness.
And beneath all of it, one feeling keeps rising to the surface:
Gratitude.
Because this work does not live in isolation.
It lives in your homes.
In your stories.
In the quiet moments when you walk past a portrait and feel something soften inside you.
Featured in The New York Times
If you’d like to read the full article, The New Family Portrait Has Four Legs and a Tail, you can read it here:
With Gratitude
Thank you to Dorie Chevlen for writing such a thoughtful and beautifully observed piece.
Thank you to Larry and Tonya Smith for sharing Rusty’s story and allowing me to create something so meaningful in his honor.
And thank you to photographer Erich Martin for capturing this moment so beautifully.
Most of all, thank you to every collector who has trusted me with someone they love deeply.
I never take that trust lightly.
With love,
Erica Eriksdotter
Some bonds never really leave us.
They simply find new ways to stay close.
Begin Your Portrait Conversation
If you feel drawn to honor your beloved companion in this way, you’re invited to learn more about commissioned heirloom portraits.
