Artist Erin Bonsteel

I created Claw & Clover to explore my fascination with local wildlife, antiquities and Celtic, Gothic and Victorian art. 

I work exclusively in scratchboard illustration with some digital enhancements and color. 

Every piece I work on is a journey of light and dark, sensation and sensibility. 

My work is solemn and deep, but alive with line and texture. 

I started making scratchboards while studying for my Masters in Illustration at Savannah College of Art and Design. 

As a former abstract expressionist painter, I was captured by the physical, textural process of scratchboard art.

I appreciated its tangible boundaries with specialized tools and limited tones.

I wanted to see what was possible within this medium and it became an obsession.

I began illustrating patterns and textures found in Celtic, Gothic and Victorian design.   

I depict vintage and antique objects- illuminating their beauty and intricacy

These elements are balanced with images of animals- creating a gritty and ethereal symmetry.

This work is part of my ever-expanding Claw & Clover portfolio.

Currently, I create children's book stories and work on commissioned illustrations and sell my prints at local shops or markets. 

In addition to my artwork, my time is dedicated to my two children, my husband, our three cats, our dog and our home.