Artist Eric Saint Georges captures the essence of the pose in his figurative sculpture and 2D mixed media drawings. Visit his website to see more.
I have always loved drawing and building things.
After completing my engineering studies, I went to study sculpture and drawing at the Ecole des Beaux arts in Paris for a year. It was, however, a several months stay with the sculptor Petrus of France that really triggered my passion for sculpture.
At the time though, I did not think that having a career as an artist was an option. So I pursued an engineering career for 35 years before deciding in 2015 to go back to art full time.
My main focus is on abstracted figurative sculpture and drawing.
For my sculptures, even though I enjoy carving a piece of wood or a beautiful stone once in a while, I work mostly with water-based clay. My favorite tools are a simple kitchen knife or a spatula. These tools allow me to move quickly, without worrying about details.
When I work with a model, I often do a realistic study first, before going on to create more and more abstracted versions in which I try to capture the essence of the pose.
I love to cast my pieces in bronze. It is time consuming but very rewarding.
For the past couple of years, I also have been working on my Life is Short sculpture series. In this series, I explore the emotions, remorse and regrets we have and our vain attempts to cling to our youth, as well as the certitudes and expectations we have before we realize how uncertain and short life is.
Most of my drawings are executed from life, my preference being very short poses, typically a couple of minutes. Drawing quickly is for me a way to keep my art expressive and alive. Another body of work I started during the pandemic is my Meditation series. I prepare a sheet of paper on the table, dip my brush in the black ink, hold it above the paper, close my eyes, relax, trying to let go of any preconceived idea of what I am going to do. Then I let my hand move quickly and freely. Later I often add some splashes of acrylic in order to balance the composition.
Along with creating art, I also teach figure drawing and sculpture, which I enjoy a lot. I live with my wife in Santa Barbara where I have my studio. We moved there very recently, and doing art has been for me a wonderful way to meet people and quickly connect with the local community.
Artist Eric Saint Georges invites you to follow him on Instagram and Facebook.