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| Eric Bjorlin |
Artist Eric Bjorlin has earned a reputation for creating captivating and thought-provoking representational depictions of wildlife and sporting scenes. Art publications, fine art print publishers, television producers, conservation groups, and art collectors have all recognized his skills.
Born and raised in Plymouth, Minnesota, Eric attributes his early passion for art and nature to his father, a professional artist, who was also an avid outdoorsman. That youthful time spent on the water and in the field is at the heart of his artistic inspiration and pursuit. "Memories from time spent enjoying the natural world, despite all the years, never lose their sparkle. They are the types of meaningful events that art should come from," he comments.
Rediscovering a series of drawings, nearly all of them animals, completed at the age of twelve, helped spur Eric to begin pursuing his interest in art at the College of Visual Arts in Saint Paul, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Previously, he had started studying biology and limnology, but wasn`t particularly enjoying all the chemical equations and long hours looking through microscopes. "Those childhood drawings helped me realize, my interest was in the aesthetics of nature," Eric explains.
After graduating from art school, Eric began working as staff artist for Studio West, a premier illustration and design studio in Minneapolis. In those days, Eric would create all manner of illustration during the day, then paint wildlife art during his evenings and weekends. The camaraderie of fellow artists helped further his artistic growth. "It is amazing how quickly you learn when surrounded by gifted people," he says. Later he worked as a self-employed artist, often simultaneously represented for illustration and fine art by RKB Studios, Dimension Creative, Studio Arts, Wild Wings, and The Hadley Companies. For fifteen years, he balanced work between his illustrations and wildlife paintings before fulfilling his dream of becoming a full-time fine artist in 2002.
Eric comments, "Though my illustration career seems like a lifetime ago now, I still stumble across my art at the local grocer, auto parts store, Home Depot, Cabela`s, or driving past on a truck, and I have to smile. That art represents exhausting, but good times, which I look back fondly upon." Wells Fargo, 3M, General Mills, McGraw-Hill, Reader`s Digest, St. Jude Medical, Cargill, National Car Rental, G. Heileman Brewing, SuperValu, International Multifoods, Northwest Airline, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Toro, US Bank, Target Corporation, The New York Graphics Society, and Bell Telephone have all purchased Eric`s art. His images have appeared on limited edition prints, fine art posters, clocks, calendars, apparel, greeting cards, ceramics, and floor coverings, as well as in books, magazines, annual reports, corporate logos, point of purchase displays, and on product packaging.
Today, Eric feels he only has himself to satisfy. "If my paintings come from the heart, and say something, they are bound to resonate with others," he says. Eric's art has been the subject of a television show and magazine articles. He was recently invited to the Artists for the New Century exhibition at The Bennington Center for the Arts. His art has raised over $45,000 for conservation efforts.
Eric continues to live and raise his family in the Minnesota landscapes near his birthplace. He enjoys traveling to research his paintings, knowing there is no substitute for those experiences.
Born and raised in Plymouth, Minnesota, Eric attributes his early passion for art and nature to his father, a professional artist, who was also an avid outdoorsman. That youthful time spent on the water and in the field is at the heart of his artistic inspiration and pursuit. "Memories from time spent enjoying the natural world, despite all the years, never lose their sparkle. They are the types of meaningful events that art should come from," he comments.
Rediscovering a series of drawings, nearly all of them animals, completed at the age of twelve, helped spur Eric to begin pursuing his interest in art at the College of Visual Arts in Saint Paul, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Previously, he had started studying biology and limnology, but wasn`t particularly enjoying all the chemical equations and long hours looking through microscopes. "Those childhood drawings helped me realize, my interest was in the aesthetics of nature," Eric explains.
After graduating from art school, Eric began working as staff artist for Studio West, a premier illustration and design studio in Minneapolis. In those days, Eric would create all manner of illustration during the day, then paint wildlife art during his evenings and weekends. The camaraderie of fellow artists helped further his artistic growth. "It is amazing how quickly you learn when surrounded by gifted people," he says. Later he worked as a self-employed artist, often simultaneously represented for illustration and fine art by RKB Studios, Dimension Creative, Studio Arts, Wild Wings, and The Hadley Companies. For fifteen years, he balanced work between his illustrations and wildlife paintings before fulfilling his dream of becoming a full-time fine artist in 2002.
Eric comments, "Though my illustration career seems like a lifetime ago now, I still stumble across my art at the local grocer, auto parts store, Home Depot, Cabela`s, or driving past on a truck, and I have to smile. That art represents exhausting, but good times, which I look back fondly upon." Wells Fargo, 3M, General Mills, McGraw-Hill, Reader`s Digest, St. Jude Medical, Cargill, National Car Rental, G. Heileman Brewing, SuperValu, International Multifoods, Northwest Airline, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Toro, US Bank, Target Corporation, The New York Graphics Society, and Bell Telephone have all purchased Eric`s art. His images have appeared on limited edition prints, fine art posters, clocks, calendars, apparel, greeting cards, ceramics, and floor coverings, as well as in books, magazines, annual reports, corporate logos, point of purchase displays, and on product packaging.
Today, Eric feels he only has himself to satisfy. "If my paintings come from the heart, and say something, they are bound to resonate with others," he says. Eric's art has been the subject of a television show and magazine articles. He was recently invited to the Artists for the New Century exhibition at The Bennington Center for the Arts. His art has raised over $45,000 for conservation efforts.
Eric continues to live and raise his family in the Minnesota landscapes near his birthplace. He enjoys traveling to research his paintings, knowing there is no substitute for those experiences.
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