The love of a line holds a common excitement for many artists, we love the curves and flows, bends and breaks that come with the body, structure and composition of our favorite works, Eric Sundin has refined this skill with his own splash of genius!
An early appreciation of comic strip art inspired Sundin, as a child, to recreate the superheroes who inspired him, he told me - “I was fascinated by how an artist could create an image that would come to life through the movement and action printed in a 2d comic book.” He subsequently worked as a draftsman for a mapping company in Houston, creating maps of The Intracoastal Waterway using airbrush and drafting techniques. Then later in the oil and gas industry, which included working as part of a team of artists creating large hand drawn renderings using inks, pens and templates, and then eventually in 3D visualization centers dealing with sub surface images, presented on a curved screen and viewed with 3D glasses!
After an art hiatus of 18 years, Sundin rekindled his play of creativity and returned to drawing and painting. His foundations in draftsmanship are apparent in his work, and he enjoys using tools from pre automation times in his augmentation of lines. His initial linear structure is complimented by a poured paint technique in which acrylic paints are diluted to a workable fluidity before being literally poured onto the canvas. The paints ebb and flow together forming alluring organic patterns and configurations. This is a popular abstract technique, but Sundin sets his work apart by using it as an accent rather than the entire composition. The linear framework, coupled with the flow and play of the poured paint, completes the balance of formality and fun, making for a pleasing rhythm to his work.
Inspiration can strike at any point, in any location, and the “liquid motion” series of works were unexpectedly triggered by stop motion photographs he observed whilst grocery shopping! Mesmerized by the liquid captured in the moment of mid pour, he carried out the initial drawings and then progressed to paintings. The result being a series of 13 paintings, striking, opulent and lively with either black or white backgrounds. These paintings exemplify Sundins graphic arts background. Cherries, ice cubes, slivers of lemon and olives are submerged in the fluidity and dash of liquid, contained in the finite linear glasses, these large paintings evoke feelings of happy times, celebrations, luxury and relaxation.
I enjoyed talking art with Eric Sundin and when asked about his technique he told me -
“One of the tools used was a French Curve, a ridged plastic guide that has allows artists to draw smooth curved lines. Once the wine glass has been drawn, I can begin to pour the paint onto the canvas. The canvas needs to be completely level, so the paint will not run to a low spot, for the mixture of paint, water and flow medium, each color needs to be mixed to the same consistency. I can now drizzle the paint within the wine glass image, and I can push it around or manipulate it with a pallet knife. It takes about 24 hours for the paint to dry.”
The “liquid motion” paintings are just one series of Sundins collections. A recent collaboration with Tomball gift store Cloud Chief has resulted in the creation of reinvented thrift store paintings - by adding unexpected elements to traditional scenes and landscapes. UFOs, monsters and modern-day trash culture make an appearance in these off trend works of art, giving them a contemporary edge where the narrative has been completely transformed. The recycling and repurposing aspect takes it into a whole new level.
Sundin also enjoys teaching art, his “paint and sip” classes at the Bluebonnet Tasting Room in Tomball are immensely popular. A portrait of the TV show Dallas, J.R. Ewing, enjoying a glass of wine, hangs inside the venue, painted by Sundin! The “Halloween Paint and Sip” event will take place on October 12th, 6-9 pm, where you can create your own take home original piece of art! Make your reservations online.
Sundins art can be seen in The Woodlands Children’s Museum, where a mural of a tree greets visitors in the entrance. He is also represented by the new Ardest Gallery located at 25200 Grogans Park Drive, where he exhibits his latest paintings. Ardest Gallery hours are 10 am - 2 pm, Wednesday thru Saturday.
He has an informative website, Facebook and Instagram presence.
https://sundinart.com
https://www.instagram.com/sundin.eric
Cherries, ice cubes, slivers of lemon and olives are submerged in the fluidity and dash of liquid, contained in the finite linear glasses, these large paintings evoke feelings of happy times, celebrations, luxury and relaxation.
