Eric Ulteig

“People like my art, and this makes me happy. My art may be around for 100 years, but I won’t be. Art gives me a sense of legacy.”

Eric Ulteig has been attending our open studio for the past 7-8 years. After a stop-and-go college education, he got a job after college with Applied Materials where he learned to fix Implanters. For Eric, a self-proclaimed bachelor who has never married or had children, art is what he leaves to the world. For him, making art is “doing something that conveys emotion, this is what I like about art. I like evoking positive emotions … I like evoking happiness in people. There is so much darkness in the world I think we need less of that.” Eric's newfound hobby is botany. He says “When people get old, they either start painting or they start gardening. I did both.” His art style is greatly influenced by nature as he strives to make his pieces feel and appear organic. Eric lives in a home here in Austin, and though he has lived on the streets. Eric is in a good place in his life now and as a give back to Art from the Streets he donates the annual sales from his art to them. One of his many new goals is to make 10K a year to pay the organization back for everything they have done for him and for the community.