Steven Vanderbosch

Eric Sturtevant, licensed artist at SZL.

Eric's love of illustration and animation can be traced back to his early "education" in Rhode Island, where classes were held in front of the television every Saturday morning. Countless hours of Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and Woody Woodpecker, to name a few, provided not only limitless entertainment, but also a fascination with the art form itself. In particular, the specific styles of certain artists and how recognizable they were in the characters they helped to create. Pioneers, like Chuck Jones, Walter Lantz, William Hanna, and Joseph Barbera, all had very distinct elements in their characters that separated each, while working together to advance the art form. These observations instilled in Eric a true appreciation for their craft and the desire to create a recognizable style for himself.

But there was an even greater lesson occurring that had a lasting effect on Eric's personal and professional philosophy. These creative minds were accomplishing something that all artists dream with their work in one way or another. These "silly" images had an honest, heartfelt effect on people.

In other words, they made you smile.

They created a lasting, emotional connection with the viewer. They breathed life into these characters and made you laugh in the process. This became Eric's main goal with his work. He sought to create images that appealed to everyone, that would attract the attention of children and help revert adults to childhood with his style and substance. He, too, wanted to make them smile.

As a professional "touring" artist since 2007, Eric has had the privilege of accomplishing that task. He travels throughout the year participating in art and craft festivals, both locally and nationally, in a grassroots effort to expose his work to the public directly. When not traveling, Eric continues to live and work in RI, where he draws inspiration from his family and those early Saturday morning lessons.

For Eric, acknowledging the spirit of his early influences, while continually moving forward to develop his own talents, is extremely important. With pencil in hand, he strives to create a body of work that holds true to his style and sense of humor.

People love animals! Eric's characters have mass appeal and will look fantastic on your products.

Just look at these awesome quilting fabrics by Studio E.