Eric Santoli

Artist Statement:

"As an artist, my goal is to give my viewers a feeling that they can’t get by any other means. My goal isn’t to paint copies or to mimic photography. I like painting works in oils and watercolor that capture fleeting moments directly from nature. I love painting en plein air, but I also have an affinity for portraiture and figurative work. I am very well versed in art history and have a deep respect for artists of the past who have inspired me, many of whom painted en plein air. I utilize the ideas and methods of impressionism, but I find it best built on a solid foundation of atelier training. I like painting thickly and quickly because I want people to view my work in person and see each brushstroke. I personally love going to museums and seeing artists’ brushstrokes in person because it feels like I have a direct connection with the moment that they created the painting. I think of painting as a meditation and as a way of appreciating the moment; I want to capture that moment of light and color as best as I can with paint."

Education:

• The Florence Academy of Art (July 2021 – *2023)
*MA in Studio Art Anticipated.
• University of Pennsylvania (August 2010 - May 2014).
BFA Received 2014.
• Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (August 2009 - May 2013).
Certificate Received 2013: Painting major and Drawing minor.

Awards & Distinctions:

• Versailles Foundation's Munn Fellowship Artist Residency Award, Awarded May 2021, Residency begins 2023
• Brand Ambassador for Natural Pigments
• Artist Affiliate with Rosemary & Co Artists' Brushes

Exhibitions:

•Just Plein Summertime Exhibition - Huse Skelly Gallery, June 19th - 24th, 2021
• Watercolor & Mixed Media Exhibition - Alfa Art Gallery, Fall 2018
 

Professional/Teaching Experience:

Primary faculty - The Teaching Studios of Art, Long Island, N.Y.
Adjunct Professor - Bergen Community College
Instructor - The Ridgewood Community School

Artistic Influences:

Diego Velázquez (1599 - 1660)
Johannes Vermeer (1632 - 1675)
William Bouguereau (1825 - 1905)
Claude Monet (1840 - 1926)
John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925)
Anders Zorn (1860 - 1920)
Joaquín Sorolla (1863 - 1923)
Hayao Miyazaki (1941- )

Tags:

impressionist, en plein air, figurative, flowers, oil painting, landscape