Ernie began serious drawing in 1975, concentrating on technical drawings and architectural renderings. He studied under Ray Atzet and David Hatfield. In 1983 he began studying pastels with D. Johnston Hays, a local pastel and watercolor artist who became Ernie’s mentor and inspiration. Ernie’s primary focus at this time was portraiture, but in later years he expanded his subject matter to include still life (especially paintings of food), landscapes, and some figure painting. Animals are also a favorite.
Since January 2001, Ernie has sold over 1,200 drawings and paintings, many of which include tasteful nude studies; celebrities (Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jerry Seinfeld, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Johnny Carson, Britney Spears—to name a few); Star Wars (Yoda, Darth Vader, Jar-Jar, etc.); baseball greats (Ted Williams, Troy Glaus, David Eckstein); animals (horses, cats, wildlife); and still life (mainly food!).
Quite the Renaissance man, Ernie got his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from San Diego State University in 1982. His major instrument was composition and piano, and under the mentorship of David Ward-Steinman he has written pieces for chamber music, orchestra, and big band. Between 1993 and 1999 he wrote and self-published three novels. Totalling 700 pages, the works are mainly in the genre of sci-fi/horror and fantasy.
In 1996 he became a member of the Southern California Pastel Society, and two of his juried pieces won Best of Category for Still Life, and Honorable Mention for Figure Study/Animal, respectively. His works have been on display at local coffee houses, retail frame shops, the Brava Gallery in Old Town San Diego, the Redlands Art Association, and the Del Mar Art Center. He has done commissions for clients as far away as Great Britain, and has sold pieces to customers in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, Taiwan, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Singapore, and Iceland.
Click here to e-mail Ernie.
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