Eric was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1953. He comes from a family of artists dating back to his paternal great grandfather, Heinrich Von Schmidt, who was a landscape painter. Eric’s father is an industrial designer who specialized in auto design.
From an early age Eric wanted to be an artist. His studies started in Detroit at the Center for Creative Studies of Art and Design. Armed with Illustration as his major, Eric earned advanced standings at the prestigious Art Center in Pasadena, California. Immediately after graduation, Eric began his career as an Illustrator when he was offered a job at the Disney Theme Park Design Center in Glendale, California where he created renderings of the interiors for the Japanese show and ride at EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland. Since that time, Eric has worked on a wide variety of creative projects, including, designing and creating renderings for the interiors of two jet liners for the King of Saudi Arabia, and designing and providing art direction for Universal Studios’ 75th Anniversary logo which was used for the next ten years in the opening sequence of its films. In addition, Eric has been called upon to use his unique design and illustrative talents in the fields of Advertising, Special Effects, Cell Animation, High-end CGI Computer Animation, Film, Video, Set Design, and TV Broadcasting.
Currently Eric has found inspiration in the works of painters such as John Singer Sargent, Joaquin Sorolla, and many others. Eric is now on a personal voyage of growth and discovery to find his own voice and spiritual connection to his subject matter. Now living in the Rocky Mountains Eric is creating plein air and studio oil paintings.
AWARDS
Telly Award
Emmy Nominated
Many Best of Shows
SHOWS
2007 Two Person Show, Aspen Colors Gallery
2006 Two Person Show, Aspen Colors Gallery
2005 Glenwood Springs, City Hall, One Man Show
2005 Glenwood Springs, Civic Center, One Man Show
2005 Aspen Art Museum
2004 Main Street Gallery, One Man Show
2004 One Man Show, Avon Colorado
2004 Minturn Colorado, Art Gallery
2003 Plein Air Paint Off, New Mexico, Valley of the Ute’s and Nichols Taos Gallery
1999 Grand Junction, Art Center, Best of Show
1998 Glenwood Springs Art Show, Ribbon
1997 Burbank, California, Art Club, Best of Landscape
1997 Burbank, California, Art Club, Best of Show
1997 Monrovia California, Celebrate the Arts Gallery
WORKSHOPS
Dan McCaw
Craig Nelson
Scott Christensen
2002 The Plein Air Painters of America,
Ken Auster, George Strickland, Ralph Oberg, Matt Smith
2009 Weekend with the Masters
Scott Christensen, Jeremy Lipking, Frank Serrano, Skip Whitcomb
AFFILIATIONS
Outdoor Painters Society
California Art Club
American Society of Portrait Artists
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association
Graphic Artists Guild
Society of Illustrators
COMMISSIONS
Landscapes
Animals
Portraits
Architecture
Transportation
