We recently connected with Eric Santoli and have shared our conversation below.
Eric, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
As a painter and a teacher, I have spent a lot of time thinking about my own purpose. I used to wonder if what I’m doing is important, worthwhile or even sustainable. When I was growing up I honestly wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do; I liked sports, writing, drawing and working with my hands. I bounced around a lot, but I always liked making things. Also, my Mom’s side of the family had a lot of artists and it made me feel like I could be an artist also. In high school I took my first painting class and I was instantly hooked. I remember thinking at the time: this is what I want to do with my life. I still played a lot of sports and loved other activities, but painting became my obsession. After college, I was guided to teaching by family friends, which is another thing that I’m very grateful for. To share the things that I’ve learned with others is extremely rewarding. Now, I feel like painting is almost like breathing to me. I can’t even imagine living without it. I always feel like I’m learning something new and making discoveries.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m a painter, teacher and art historian. I spend most of my time painting and traveling, but teaching is something that I plan to do for the rest of my life also. When I was in college, I had a few professors who were in their 90’s and still full of passion, that’s what I’d like to be able to do also. For my painting, I currently show at galleries and sell my paintings online also. Over the summer, I was Artist-in-Residence at Claude Monet’s estate in Giverny, France. Claude Monet (1840 – 1926) was a French Impressionist painter and created a beautiful home and gardens in a small village called Giverny. Now it’s open to the public so you can see his water lily pond and famous Japanese bridge. I lived there for 3 months over the summer of 2023 and it completely changed my life and career. I painted in his garden every morning and evening, which was magical. As a side note, I never expected to be able to do something like this so when I was invited to go there it was a real paradigm shift for me. I should also add that I have a color deficiency in my vision which is pretty common in men, but it affects how I see the world. I’m not quite sure how things are supposed to look, but there are tests that you can take to see if you’re colorblind or not. It’s a pretty strange thing to be color deficient, but I actually love color and I don’t think about it too much.
I love painting landscapes outside, but I also paint a lot of portrait commissions for clients. Portraiture is something that I’ve always loved and I consider it one of the ultimate artistic challenges. For me, I am most concerned with painting directly from life. This is most important for my portraits. In the past, artists painted with the sitter in front of them because there was no photography until about 1840. Nowadays, the common practice is to take a photo and paint that. But then you get a painting of a photo instead of a painting of a person. I’ve painted from photos also, but they always come out stiff and lifeless. This is something that I care deeply about and I feel is very important for my own art making. My other goal is to encourage everyone to see art in person. Go to museums, galleries or wherever you can see art directly.
For my teaching, I teach at a few schools and I also teach travel workshops. Travel workshops are really fun because it combines great locations with the joy of painting outside (en plein air). It’s one of the most exciting parts of my life. As I said, I plan to teach as long as I can.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Number one has to be reading. I have learned so many things purely from books. And I’m not even just talking about art, you can learn about everything from books (fiction and non-fiction). There’s also certain things that can only be found in books. Reading wasn’t the easiest thing to develop. It takes consistency and patience. But I can say it’s the most important thing that I’ve developed in my life.
Number two is learning the craft of painting. When I was younger, I spent a huge amount of time studying the craft side of painting. By this I mean the materials and process of making a painting. I think a lot of people just focus on the outcome of art being a pretty picture or sculpture. But they neglect the importance of the process that’s involved to create that work of art. It’s like a chef who cares about the quality of their ingredients, knives or other tools. Learning this information is crucial.
I think number three would be social skills. There’s a saying that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. I think that’s generally true for most situations. Getting to know people and connect with people in a real and sincere way is very important. I know it can be intimidating, but it’s extremely important for living a happy life and for creating a successful business. I don’t mean that I like everyone or get a long with everyone, but I always try to get to know people in order to connect with them.
My advice for people who are early in their journey and who want to develop or improve these skills: start small. I remember in college when I decided that I wanted to be a reader. I looked around the house I was living in and pulled out Moby Dick, unabridged. I sat down and started to read. To be fair, I read about a quarter of it over the course of two weeks or so before I gave up. I should have started with a lighter book. Starting with Moby Dick was like trying to bench press 300 pounds after never bench pressing before. Start small and work your way up. Baby steps are still steps.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
A book that has had a huge effect on me is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I first read it back in college and I usually read it every few years just to remember the lessons in it. It’s not a very long book, but it is filled with amazing knowledge. The main lesson of the book is to keep trying. One of my favorite quotes from it is: “The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” There’s so much more in the book, but I recommend everyone read it and discover it for themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ericsantoli.com
Image Credits
M. Jean Gaumy Ms. Sarah Flannery
