Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Calande

Hi Eric, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

The journey to being an artist is seldom an easy one. For me, art was just always part of my life from a very young age. Art and creative projects were a way to entertain myself and challenge myself while bringing joy and a sense of accomplishment. As I grew older, the desire to create remained. At the time I didn’t really have a roadmap as to where art might lead me, but I knew art would always be an important part of my life and identity. When it came time to consider colleges my main focus was choosing one that had a great art program. I believe a teacher maybe mentioned considering the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts which is America’s oldest art institution and in the heart of Philadelphia. At the time they didn’t accept students direct from Highschool. I believe they required a minimum of two years of college before you could apply. I applied anyway and at just 17 years of age, I ended up being the youngest student to be admitted into the the Academy. That was largely the start of my art career and a life-long pursuit of artistic opportunities.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

Challenges can always be expected on every career path. The fairest weather and smoothest seas don’t last forever. My career as an artist started in the computer industry creating graphics and animation for screen savers and children’s software. I worked with a small startup initially and we worked long hours but also had a lot of fun. As the years passed I had the opportunity to work with larger companies and eventually broke into the handheld video game industry. That was kind of a dream job at the time. I was working on projects I loved and was working with really talented people. But the videogame industry is very volatile and rife with office politics and poor leadership. Artists are unfortunately at the bottom of food chain and don’t get much respect. This was always curious to me as a products artwork is the very first thing that’s seen and judged. Game box artwork and game screenshots can solidify opinions quite quickly. One would think the talents of a capable artist would be more celebrated but that seldom seemed the case. And this is no reflection on me personally, this is an observation on the industry as a whole. The biggest challenge working in the game industry were the constant layoffs. You could find yourself working at a great game studio, working with fun, talented people, making really cool games and then the axe would just suddenly drop. Sales of something they released maybe didn’t do as well as expected, or they didn’t manage to secure the funding they needed for future projects in the pipeline, or they wanted to sell the company and needed to trim down etc. This often meant that the more talented veterans would be let go because they cost more to keep. From what I’ve seen, the industry hasn’t changed much in that regard.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

Currently I’m working mostly with acrylics but have also started dabbling with multimedia. I’ve never been the type of artist that creates a series or attempts to explore and exhaust a concept. I prefer to approach each project as a separate and unique opportunity. Because of this I also don’t specialize in any one thing. I don’t draw or paint only people, or only still lives, or only landscapes etc. All too often I see artists get stuck on something. They latch on to a concept or something they feel is working for them and they just keep regurgitating the same thing over and over with slight variations to their theme. They essentially begin making a “product”. I like to think of the bigger picture. For instance, if you were to bring all of an artists work together for a show, how interesting would it all be? I can assure you that a museum gallery consisting of 100 pieces of artwork of similar imagery and similar concept would bore the viewer quite quickly. For this reason I prefer to draw inspiration from the world around me. From the places I’ve been, the people I know, the things I read, from the music I hear. If something moves me enough or sparks a creative thought, it might become the subject of my next project. On previous occasions I’ve talked about the Red Dot Charity Art Auction which I participate in each year. It’s hosted by The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. Chuck Jones was of course the legendary artist, animator and director who created and developed many of the beloved Looney Tunes characters. He also directed the classic 1966 animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. 2025 will mark the 15th year of the Red Dot Auction and I’ve donated art to the cause almost every year. The funds raised support vital art and creativity programs for seniors, people on the autistic spectrum and the community at large. It’s an effort I’ve been proud to participate in and support.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?

I think risk taking and creativity go hand in hand. If you want to grow as an artist you need to take risks. You need to get out of your comfort zone and try new things, wander in new directions, explore new concepts and work with unfamiliar mediums. Complacency is the artists enemy. In my own work I’ve embraced these philosophies. Some of the projects I’m currently working on are using materials that are completely foreign to me. I’ve also started incorporating more 3D elements into my work where historically I would have maybe been content with simply working only in 2D. The risks don’t have to be huge to be effective. Even small shifts can lead to grand discoveries. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to fail. You can learn a lot from the projects that fail. They teach us what pitfalls to avoid as we delve deeper into our work and grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ericsgallery.com

Image Credits

All images Eric Calande