Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddie Bruckner.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Eddie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Creating art for me has been a lifelong passion. I’ve always loved art. I’ve been an artist all my life, mostly self-taught. I have a great photo of me as a 7 or 8-year-old sitting at my easel painting. When I think back to some of my first pieces of art, they were created in my high school art class, or at least inspired by my art class and art teacher. I was fortunate to have had an amazing high school art teacher, Mr. David Brodman. He had a reputation of being tough, but I always enjoyed his constructive criticism, his approach to teaching, his passion for experimenting with new materials, and his constant prodding to push the limits with my artwork. I would skip lunch to spend more time in the art room as well as staying after school to paint, draw, and create.
But rather than attend art school, I chose a different path and focused my creative energy on building a career in major gift fundraising. I still found time to create, paint, and even had my first gallery exhibit at the Boston Architectural Center in 2003. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to have been part of a number of Juried Art Shows over the years like the Cambridge Art Association’s National Prize Show and the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts Annual Juried Exhibition. Yet, while I loved fundraising in the non-profit sector and the thought of building community and helping people in need, my passion for art persisted and kept growing stronger over time. I could tell my art was becoming more important to me, more and more people were interested in my art, and I realized that art is what truly makes me happy, so I decided to jump in and make something out of it. My passion for creating art told my heart I needed to make a change. That change launched my business, Eddie Bruckner Fine Art.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One challenge is determining which part of my business to focus on; creating new paintings, public art projects, or teaching art. To date, I’ve launched my art career solely on my own. Yet I often wonder if I should seek gallery representation to broaden my reach and exposure throughout Boston, nationally, and internationally. I’d love to expand and continue showing my artwork in order to reach a broader audience. My approach has been to do what feels right at the time and see what opportunities present themselves. I’m constantly looking for new ways to connect and inspire a love of art.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Eddie Bruckner Fine Art – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My business is comprised of four areas: Selling Original Acrylic Paintings and Commissioned Artwork; Creating Public Art, Art Merchandise, and Art Education.
People ask me, “So what do you like to do most? Painting, Public art, or teaching?” I love it all. Each informs the other and inspires me to strive for excellence. Teaching children, visiting art museums and galleries drawing inspiration from notable artists, participating in open studio events, and trying something new and different with the materials I’m using are all things that inspire me and my creative process. Being able to relate to and having an emotional connection to a piece of art is an incredible feeling.
Observing the first time a collector sees my artwork in their home is something that thrills me. It’s an inspiring reminder of the transformative impact a painting can have on the overall look of a room and the pleasure it gives people.
People commission artwork from me, which is something that I enjoy doing; creating something unique and special to them that complements their home or office and still maintains the integrity of my artwork and creativity. I’m often contacted to create art that is more personal, either for a special occasion, or to address an interior design need in one’s home.
While I love to create paintings, I discovered my strong interest in creating public art when I first was selected to create a painted piano for the Celebrity Series of Boston and the global art exhibit “Play Me, I’m Yours” art installation, created by artist Luke Jerram. I painted my piano with enthusiasm, fun, and hoped that it would engage people and celebrate the great city of Boston. I made my piano uniquely “Boston” by using my signature style and showcasing some of the wonderful landmarks or icons of the City of Boston. For me, the chance to work alongside other artists made the project a special experience. It almost felt like being on a reality TV show! All the artists worked out of the same studio in the Boston Design Center, which was a great opportunity to meet new artists, learn about new opportunities, and see some incredible artwork come to life.
It was a huge honor to learn that my piano was chosen for the Boston City Hall Plaza location and the official kick-off and press conference for Street Pianos Boston. Seeing Mayor Martin Walsh speak at the press conference beside my piano was a dream come true.
I recently completed painting an electrical box for the City of Boston. It’s located at the corner of Yawkey Way and Boylston Street, just steps away from Fenway Park. It features iconic Boston images like the Citgo sign, the Prudential building, the State House, the MBTA, and the Zakim Bridge. What I loved about this project was that painting it on-site allowed me to interact with people walking by, take photos together, and share my artistic process with them. Following this success, I’ve also been commissioned to paint a Marathon-themed electrical box along the Boston Marathon route in Natick, MA, and am looking forward to completing that project soon.
Being part of the Celebrity Series Street Pianos exhibit and painting the electrical boxes is particularly meaningful to me because I am really enjoying the process of creating public art and am excited about the possibilities for other terrific public-domain art projects in the future.
To broaden my reach, I’ve created a handful of items like limited edition prints, greeting cards, mugs, calendars, coasters, playing cards, etc. with images of my artwork and sell them at open studio events and other art shows in the Boston area.
My love and enthusiasm for art have drawn me into educating those who want to paint and draw for themselves. I am dedicated to helping both beginners and experienced artists explore their creative potential, inspiring them to discover their innate artistic ability. I provide private, in-home art instruction for children and adults focusing on both drawing and acrylic painting. I’ve found a lot of personal satisfaction teaching art with a customized and personalized approach.
My website (EddieBruckner.com) was a big part of launching my art business. I have an art blog and I often write about the artwork I see in Boston as well as in cities I visit, whether Miami, New York, Barcelona, or Arizona. My blog can be found at EddieBruckner.com/blog and I encourage everyone to check it out. I also have an active Facebook Page, & Instagram and Twitter accounts. One recent success was filming the creation from start to finish of a painting using time-lapse video and posting it online. To date, it has been viewed nearly 7,000 times!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m excited to add a new segment to my business. I’m currently working on two projects in the film industry, both in the early stages of development. I’m excited to work with the producers and set designers to feature some of my artwork in these movies. Stay tuned for more information! Overall, I’m excited about the prospects for the future and advancing my art career.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.EddieBruckner.com
- Email: Eddie@EddieBruckner.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddiebrucknerfineart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EddieBrucknerFineArt
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/EddieBrucknerFA
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