About the Artist
Eric J. Heywood began a love for art at a young age, continuing throughout his gradeschool years to earn him numerous local awards and scholarships opportunities. Shortly after starting the art program at Snow College in Utah, Eric was married, and eager to provide for his budding family he pursued another dream and entered Law Enforcement. Eric worked in this capacity for 11 years, serving with distinction as a decorated officer in a variety of positions with multiple agencies. Throughout this time Eric's passion for art never wavered, and he painted prolifically in his private studio and out en plein air. After over a decade in his Law Enforcement career, Eric and his wife decided to make a life change. Eric returned to school to finish his Associate of Arts degree and attended evening and workshop courses on Oil Painting, Portraiture, and Figure Drawing in local studio art academies. The following Spring after acceptance into the Florence Academy of Art, Eric and his wife sold their home, their vehicles, and most of their belongings, and moved with their three young children to Italy.
In Italy Eric began his studies in the Intensive Drawing Program at the Florence Academy of Art, under instructors Simona Dolci, Richard Greathouse, and Simone Olivia-Moritz. Here Eric had the opportunity to study Bargue Drawing, anatomy, oil painting materials, composition, and over 20 hours a week drawing from the nude model. In the evenings Eric attended additional courses drawing from the model with Instructor Vitaly Shtanko.
At the end of the Spring term at FAA Eric received top grades in his Final Critique; however, finding he was unsatisfied with their curriculum and practices, Eric scoured Italy for another school, visiting numerous academies, studios, and ateliers. This search brought him to the Florence Academy of Russian Art. Eric completed the Diploma Program at the Russian Academy with honors, receiving a certificate in Painting and Drawing and was awarded the highest scholarship offered by the institution each year of his studies.
At the Russian Academy Eric studied under Members of the Russian Union of Artists and Master-Graduates of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, including Svetlana Kurbatskaya, Sergey Kurbatski, Svetlana Terekhina, as well as with visiting instructors such as Valerii Beganov and Yurii Diatlov, former chief professor of anatomy at the Kharkiv Municipal College of Arts in Ukraine. The Russian Academic program was an intensive, 50+ hour a week curriculum, which includes color theory, composition/elements of design, mastercopy, drawing, painting, anatomy, and lecture and guided study in the museums of Florence and Rome.
During his time at the Russian Academy Eric supplemented his training by attending night sessions at Studio Chiaro-Scuro to study with Master Artist Sergey Churbiko from St. Petersburg, and portrait and figure drawing sessions in a local atelier on Via Toscanello. Saturday mornings, and every day during the breaks, Eric was out plein air painting either alone or with his friend and fellow artist Max Shamin. Additionally, Eric took full advantage of the treasures of Florence and Rome—daily sketching and studying in the many basilicas, churches, museums.
In 2021 Eric returned to the United States and opened a private studio, focusing on personal work, teaching private and group lessons, and working at the nearby prestigious Baer Bronze sculpture foundry as a bronze patina apprentice. In 2022 Eric accepted an instructor position at American Heritage School, a private institution where he currently teaches courses on art techniques & materials, traditional studio art practices, painting, drawing, and illustration. Eric and his family live in Alpine, Utah where he daily paints and draws en plein air and in his private studio.
Art Education
Associate of Art | Snow College | Ephraim, Utah
In the art program offered at Snow Eric studied figure drawing, oil painting, portrait painting, figure sculpture, human anatomy, and ecorche.
Short Course: Portait Drawing & Painting Workshop | Beaux-Arts Academy | 2018
Instructors Nikki Covington & Andrew Payne
Short Course: Introduction to Oil Painting Workshop | Master's Academy of Art | 2018
Instructor Ryan Brown
Florence Academy of Art | Semester of Intensive Drawing | Florence, Italy
In the 3 months attending the Intensive Drawing program Eric had the opportunity to study anatomy, oil painting materials, composition, and drawing from the nude figure and Bargue's. The study truly was intensive, with 50 hours a week in the studio under instructors Simona Dolci, Simone Olivia-Moritz, Richard Greathouse, and Vitaliy Shtanko.
Florence Academy of Russian Art | Graduate | 2019-2021
The Russian Academy is a program based in Italy, established and directed with the vision of making the methods, curriculum, and practices of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg more accessible, with 50-60 hours weekly study under Master Graduates of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. The curriculum included color theory, composition/elements of design, mastercopy, study in the musuems, drawing, painting, and anatomy. Full-time Instructors included Svetlana Kurbatskaya, Sergey Kurbatskii, Svetlana Terekhina, all Master-Graduates of the Imperial Academy and Members of the Russian Union of Artists, as well as visting instructors such as Yurii Diatlov and Valerii Beganov.
Studio Chiaro-Scuro | Russian Academic approach to Figure Drawing from Life | Florence, Italy
During his studies at the Florence Academy of Russian Art Eric attended this small atelier to draw from the nude model. The Russian Academic approach to figure drawing was taught by Sergey Churbiko, Master-Graduate of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg.
Baer Bronze Fine Art Foundry | Bronze Patina | Springville, Utah
In 2022, from May to September, Eric worked as a Bronze Patina Apprentice. Here he learned the unique art form of applying chemicals, pigment, and varying degrees of heat and abrasion to raw bronze sculpture. Although Eric learned numerous exotic, marbled, and contemporary patina applications, his focus and preferred applications were the different traditional, aged, and classical finishes.
Human Anatomy Education
Snow College, Utah | Dr. Paul Gardner | 2018
This course was part of the Fine Arts Degree offered through Snow College. Held in the science/medical facility on campus, this course included regular study from anatomical models, as well as both male and female cadavers. The instructor, Dr. Gardner PhD, is a former veteran combat medic and operating room technician. He instructs in Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Human Biology, and various medical courses. The course was in conjunction with two other courses taught in the sculpture studio under Brad Taggart: ecorche anatomy sculpture and portrait and figure sculpture.
Florence Academy of Art | Richard Greathouse | 2019
This course was held in the evenings and included both lecture and study/drawing from various nude models.
During the term attended in the Intensive Drawing course at Florence Academy of Art Eric was able to study anatomy under Richard Greathouse, former Director of Anatomy at FAA. Greathouse studied human anatomy in a cadaver dissection course under Dr. Gil Hedley in San Francisco, CA, and taught anatomy at both the FAA in Florence and the U.S. branch, as well as in various workshops.
Florence Classical Arts Academy | 2019-2021
The Russian Academic program at FCAA includes an intensive study of the Human form, with a focus on the anatomical constructive schemes and working from life. Practices include lecture, drawing, and painting from both ecorche casts and the nude model. Instructors include Professor Yurii Diatlov, one of the chief professors of anatomy at the Kharkiv Municipal College of Arts in Ukraine with over 30 years of anatomy teaching experience; Professor Svetlana Kurbatskaya, member of the Russian Union of Artists with over 20 years of artistic training in various schools, including graduation from the Repin Imperial Academy of Art in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Professor Svetlana Terekhina, a member of the Russian Union of Artists and graduate of both the Chelyabinsk Art College and the Repin Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, Russian. Terekhina has taught at various art colleges, schools, and academies since 1994.
Awards
2011 Best of Show, Arts in the Park Show, Orem, Utah
2013 Merit Award, Spring City Plein Air, Spring City, Utah
2016 Purchase Award, Spring City Plein Air, Spring City, Utah
2017 Purchase Award, Spring City Plein Air, Spring City, Utah
2017 Lt. Governor’s Choice Award, Spring City Plein Air, Spring City, Utah
2017 Honorable Mention, Utah Plein Air, Brigham City, Utah
2018 Honorable Mention, 2nd Annual Beauty and Heritage Exhibition, Fairview, Utah
2019 Honorable Mention, 3rd Annual Beauty and Heritage Exhibition, Fairview, Utah
Group & Open Exhibitions
2009: Spiritual and Religious Art of Utah | Springville, Utah
2009: Thanksgiving Point Plein Air | Lehi, Utah
2010: Springville Museum of Art Spring Salon | Springville, Utah
2011: Moab Plein Air | Moab, Utah
2011: Spiritual and Religious Art of Utah | Springville, Utah
2012: Moab Plein Air | Moab, Utah
2012: Spring City Plein Air | Spring City, Utah
2013: Spring City Plein Air | Spring City, Utah
2014: Spiritual and Religious Art of Utah | Springville, Utah
2014: Utah Plein Air | Brigham City, Utah
2014: Spring City Plein Air | Spring City, Utah
2015: Spring City Plein Air | Spring City, Utah
2015: Moab Plein Air | Moab, Utah
2015: Spiritual and Religious Art of Utah | Springville, Utah
2015: Utah Plein Air | Brigham City, Utah
2016: Spiritual and Religious Art of Utah | Springville, Utah
2016: Spring City Plein Air | Spring City, Utah
2017: Utah Plein Air | Brigham City, Utah
2017: Spiritual and Religious Art of Utah | Springville, Utah
2017: Spring City Plein Air | Spring City, Utah
2018: Spring City Plein Air | Spring City, Utah
2018: 2nd Annual Utah's Beauty & Heritage Artwalk | Fairview, Utah
2019: Spring City Plein Air | Spring City, Utah
2019: Springville Museum of Art Spring Salon | Springville, Utah
2019: 3rd Annual Utah's Beauty & Heritage Artwalk | Fairview, Utah
2020: Springville Museum of Art Spring Salon | Springville, Utah
2020: Spring City Plein Air | Spring City, Utah
2023: Springville Museum of Art Spring Salon | Springville, Utah
Joint Exhibitions
2018: Scenes of Sanpete: Duo Exhibition | Hub City Gallery, Mt Pleasant, Utah
2019: Duo Landscape Exhibition | Fairview Museum of History and Art, Fairview, Utah
Shows & Venues
2010: Scandinavian Festival | Ephraim, Utah
2011: Scandinavian Festival | Ephraim, Utah
2011: Orem Arts in the Park | Orem, Utah
2015: Spiritual-Religious Exhibition from the Parliament of World Religions | SLC, Utah
Representation
Eric's work hangs in Private Collections in the United States, Italy, Holland, Sweden, and
The Florence Classical Arts Academy Collection.
Recognition
Recognized Utah Fine Artist, listed in the Dictionary of Utah Fine Artists by Swanson, Poulton, Jones, and Christensen
Member of the Oil Painters of America organization