Yellow Cradles Blue Painting

b. 1974- Nova Scotia, Canada Eric is an abstract artist who works in a loose abstract gestural style throughout all his media, including stone. His paintings and other 2-D works are largely made without any plan other than to keep a constant reverence for composition and open mind. Often his compositions remain non-objective, but spontaneously works will evolve to become abstract figurative forms using a technique of layering paint. While enamel "house" paint is a medium of choice due to its fluidity, he also works with traditional oils, acrylics and mixed media. "Nothing is off limits." He attributes his gestural painting style to the early impact of street graffiti back when it was more popular in the 80s and its stark contrast to his own New England countryside upbringing. Eric Harley Schweitzer (P): 240-353-4606 (E): ehschweitzer@yahoo.com (W): www.schweitzersart.com Studio Address: 6925 Willow Street, N.W. #207B Washington, DC 20012-2000 Bio/ Education: b. 1974- Halifax, NS 1980- Moved to Brookfield, CT 1997-2001- US Navy-Avionics Electronics Technician 1996- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (3-D Study) 1990- Wooster Community Art Center, Danbury, CT (Studio Drawing) 2001-2003- B.A. Communication Research - Social Influence, University of Maryland, College Park 2004- Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD (photography) 2006-Montgomery School of Art & Design, Silver Spring, MD (Art Fundamentals) Artist Statement: "I paint to capture what I feel at that moment and work to manipulate this image further using only principles of composition and spontaneity. I firmly believe that in the act of creating, especially art - one finds themselves closest to a higher power. I am driven to share this spiritual feeling throughout my work, present new ideas and compositions that reveal an immediacy and mood that is continuously dynamic and grows with the viewer. I engage my work, as I wake to each day - clean-slate, fresh, and with an underlying altruistic purpose." Schweitzer is an autodidact in the largest sense. Though he considers himself mostly "self-taught" especially when it comes to painting- he has formerly studied art fundamentals from the traditional studio setting. He did learn to paint on his own through trial and error and this method certainly applies to his style of painting. Eric is an abstract "action" artist who works in a loose abstract gestural style throughout all his media, including stone.