Birds of a Feather!
From a sly smirk to an annoyed look to sultry side eyes, personality shines through each of Eric Doggett’s paintings. Vibrant colors draw you in to the storytelling behind each piece as the three main characters travel the globe on their adventures, sipping drinks, and making friends along the way!
The journey to becoming an artist was anything other than conventional for Eric Doggett. Spending his early adult years as an Air Force Lieutenant, Eric spent most of his time stationed at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. It was during his tenure there that he picked up some basics of photoshop that he has continued to use in drawing up concepts of artwork prior to painting. During his school years, Eric had an interest in various creative outlets such as art, music, and photography, but he only took a handful of classes during his time in school.
Following his move from Washington D.C. to Austin, Texas in 2002, Eric took his interest in various areas of creativity and explored further into what he could, including creating film scores for independent films and games, as well as trying his hand at photography. He spent 15 years working with clients and photographing them in a multitude of genres including family, high school seniors, and weddings, as well as advertising and editorial. Once he reached his early forties, and during the last few years of his time being a photographer, Eric became more focused on developing his skills of painting.
Some of Eric’s inspiration for his artwork came from the multitude of Disney art that his relatives began collecting. Shag, Noah, Mcbiff, Jeff Granito, Eyvind Earle, and Tom Oreb were just a few of the artists that Eric would take the time to examine their pieces and attempt to discern the styles and techniques used to pull together the composition and create the final product. Beyond the Disney artists Eric was also heavily influenced by the likes of Drew Struzan and John Alvin and the movie posters these two artists created.
After 18 years in Austin, Texas, Eric and his family decided it was time for a change in scenery. Having spent years going back and forth visiting the theme parks in the Orlando area, and considering Eric grew up in the Pensacola, Florida, Eric and his wife figured that moving back to Florida was their best option, and they have been here ever since!
If you ask Eric which of his pieces is his favorite, his very first piece that incorporates his bird characters is at the top of his list. “Trouble at the Treetop Lounge” encapsulates the various personalities of the three main characters and is the segway into the various adventures these characters embark on. Per Eric, “My love of tiki had a strong influence on creating artwork with birds. To me, they are a fun group of characters that I would enjoy hanging out with in real life. Whatever is going on in their lives, there’s always a drink and good times nearby!” In this piece, Eric identifies that the “trouble” the characters are about to get into is reflective of the plans the characters are concocting for a big weekend getaway. Of the eleven bird paintings that Eric has created so far, this was his very first one, therefore it will always have a special place in his heart.
The force has been with Eric as well! Not only has Eric mastered creating his own characters, but he has also brought those characters to life in conjunction with Skywalker Ranch. In 2022, Eric was commissioned to create the artwork for the first-ever private Skywalker Ranch overnight wine tasting event! The following year, in 2023, Eric was selected to be the first Artist-In-Residence at Skywalker Ranch! Following this designation, Eric was commissioned for a second piece that highlights the main building on the property. The original piece that Eric painted is currently on display at Skywalker Ranch in California!
Eric’s talents have also caught the eye of the artwork aficionados at Disney. In 2023, Eric was selected to a prestigious cast of artists known as the Disney Fine Artists. It is with this next chapter of his art career that he is working on, including a new tropical-inspired Mickey piece that will contain many of the same elements as in his bird pieces. Using his video-editing talents, Eric just released a new YouTube video showcasing one of his most recent pieces, “The Incurable Adventurer”.
In his downtime, Eric enjoys editing videos he creates showcasing topics of interest as it relates to his journey as well as creating behind-the-scenes videos of his paintings. One video of particular interest that was fascinating is a video he created giving a tour of an animation desk that he purchased. These desks are in a similar style to those used by the early animators at the Walt Disney Company giving rise to imagining how the animators spent their time creating the wonderful works of animation we grew to love. Eric’s style of editing and storytelling really draws the viewers in and wanting to learn more! Beyond the scope of his work, Eric and his family spend as much time as they can at the multitude of theme parks and restaurants in the area, as well as spending time with their close-knit friend group.
Soon, Eric wants to delve into the possibility of creating artwork where people are his main characters. Per Eric, “I haven’t done a piece like that in several years, and the idea of telling new stories through painting that we can all relate to sounds fun!”
Even with as much success as he has had, for Eric, becoming an artist has not always been easy. His focus has been creating something that connects with the viewers. However, at the same time, there are many things that Eric would like to create for himself as well as what an art collector could connect with. Finding a happy balance between the two can be tough. Which is why Eric’s advice to up-and-coming artists is to decide who you are painting for. Are you painting for yourself or are you painting for others? By painting for yourself, you are less constricted as you can paint anything, and you can do it on your own schedule. You are not tied to the idea that somebody must purchase your artwork for you to deem that piece a success. On the other hand, if you paint for someone else, your goals change to now needing to make the client happy, create income, and serving the customer to meet their requirements. Both options are legitimate options for creating art, but it is up to the artist to determine where they will get the most creative fulfillment.
Be sure to check out Eric’s social media pages as well as his fine art website!
Website: https://ericdoggett.com/
Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericdoggettart
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericdoggettart
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