This week’s artist spotlight focuses on local artist and Millikin student Eric Weatherford. Weatherford is a B.F.A. Studio Art major who is known to work with many different forms of media including: graphite, ink, charcoal, colored pencils, chalk, paint and computer design. He uses these varying forms to create drawings, graphic designs, paintings and more. This artwork varies from still life to designs of anything and everything that he can think of. Eric Weatherford describes himself as being a keen observer with a great eye for details who also has the ability to adapt to any media and still be able to transfer exactly what he sees, and what he creates in his mind successfully onto paper. These are great skills for him to have as an artist. It is admirable for him to be able to give his viewers the exact image he was intending for them to see in a successful, well-drawn picture. Since art has been a part of Weatherford’s life for as long as he can remember, these skills have had a long time to grow and improve, and this love of art probably lead to his decision of applying to the Studio Art program.

Upon his acceptance into the Studio Art program at Millikin, Weatherford hoped to become more involved in the art community and acquire the knowledge and skills of the multitude of techniques used when creating art. These dreams have already started to become a reality. Last March, Weatherford had some of his artwork hung up at Donnie’s Homespun for a while, and at the end of last school year, he was one of the students to receive the Dorothy Sellers Art Award at the 2014 Distinguished Faculty Lecture and Honors Convocation. However, this is not where his success ends.

If you were at Arts in Central Park on Sept. 21, you may have seen Weatherford near the Blue Connection tent promoting his Oct. Chalk Art show, his most recent accomplishment. On Friday, Oct. 3, Blue Connection’s After 5 Live will be featuring Weatherford’s artwork. This event lasts from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m. There will be some of Weatherford’s original artwork along with affordable prints at the event. Every month, the Blue Connection picks one artist that they will feature, so this is a tremendous achievement for Eric Weatherford. With everything Weatherford has accomplished thus far, there is no doubt he will continue to be successful in the world of art. Who knows where his artwork will be featured next.