Featured Artist Eric Oliver

Painter Eric Oliver shares a boldly colorful and energetic abstract portfolio and his journey as an artist. Find more by visiting his website.

 

 

Creating has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My father, an avid amateur photographer in the days well before digital, instilled in me a lasting interest in exploring the world visually. Although I’d always loved art, after receiving a degree in fine art photography, my career path led me to a less creative role in film and television production.

 

 

I’ve been fortunate to find opportunities within that field to explore different facets of creativity while still maintaining my own artistic practice. Now, as I approach retirement from production, I’m excited to focus more intently on art.

 

 

Photography has always been a primary means of exploration for me. It is a form of creative exercise and a way to spark new ideas. While I rarely use photos as direct references for my paintings, the shapes, marks, and compositions I observe through the lens inevitably find their way onto the canvas. They inform my artistic vision in subtle but significant ways.

 

 

With this foundation in visual exploration, my work explores the extraordinary within the ordinary. I find inspiration in the everyday, the often overlooked, and the creative clutter that surrounds me. I instinctively try to capture the beauty and intrigue I see in the mundane.

 

 

These days, while I still create photographic images using a large format scanner—exploring the beauty of everyday objects and phenomena—and will always find refuge and inspiration behind a camera, painting has become my primary focus. These paintings are like “big picture” impressions, a wide-angle view of the world. Though they may often appear cluttered and haphazard, they are generally the result of careful contemplation and a deliberate process.

 

 

Recently, I’ve realized that my paintings are all landscapes in some way, conveying the vibrancy, life, and juxtapositions of the physical world.

 

 

My paintings rarely begin with a fully formed plan. They usually grow organically from simple concepts centered around color and form. The initial marks are considered and restrained; a blank canvas is always a little intimidating to me. The painting process is a constant, instinctual balancing act, working to integrate the various colors, lines, shapes, and patterns as they emerge. Each is inspired by what came before, creating harmony within the apparent chaos.

 

 

A current challenge, and a future goal, is to become more comfortable painting over things. I find it surprisingly difficult to paint over elements that already have their own place and intrigue, perhaps because they represent a stage in the painting’s evolution, a piece of its own history.

 

 

This resonates with my fascination with photographing old urban structures and fixtures, where every detail hints at a story of the past. Just as those buildings carry the marks of time, my paintings reflect the layered process of their creation.

 

Eric Oliver invites you to follow on Instagram.

 

 

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