Today we’d like to introduce you to Erick Cruz.
Erick, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I am a father foremost. I have two young children that drive me through all of my endeavors. I can only call myself an artist these days because my two Treasures have given me the true confidence and reasoning to pursue a talent that I have allowed to lay dormant in me for many many years.
I am a portrait artist, and it has always been my niche. I enjoy rendering people that I care about, and in effect have found drawing the loved ones of others very rewarding. The sentimental value of my portraits has kept me dedicated to this type of work and have drawn them on and off over my childhood and young adulthood. But it was something I never realized how to value myself on, thanks especially to my own esteem issues, so my art was always a back-burner hobby. Before my first child was born seven years ago, I concentrated solely on making a living and maintaining a family. I stopped drawing entirely.
Fast forward through a marriage that eventually failed. Being thrust into the most challenging times I’ve ever experienced both emotionally and financially, I started picking up on blatant and bombarding signs from the Universe that I may be able to rekindle my portrait talent and go into business for myself. Starting right at the beginning of August 2018, I quit my full-time job as a marble installer and started working on a series of commissions. Now, come six months later in January 2019, I have completed 70 commissions at a greater value than I can ever have imagined. I have drawn more pieces in this period than I have before in my entire life combined.
I market myself tirelessly. I meet as many people as I can. I draw in public for greater exposure. And I still adore the sentiment shared in my portraits. I am happier now than I have ever been. My heart is stronger and my mind is more secure than I ever remember being. But the greatest benefit of doing my art for a living is, without a doubt, all the time I get to spend with my children and the fact that I can siphon onto them a much stronger sense of faith and self.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am a portrait artist who creates tributes/memorials for the families who miss their loved ones. I work exclusively in pencil point so graphite and Prismacolor pencils are all I ever need to accomplish what I do. I ask my clients to share with me their most favorite and energetic photos and I render their portraits with immense consideration and love. It’s my hopes that these portraits will be well kept and passed down through the years. It’s also my goal to put my work into as many Houston homes as possible, so I try to keep the scale and price low enough for anyone to be able to obtain them. A lot of times under tragic or personally impactful reasons I will gift my portraits to families. The hope is to connect with the families that hire me, as I am really a lover of people. Another of my favorite things to do is to draw children, to capture their essence in these innocent but fleeting stages in their life because it goes into helping me remember and appreciate this time in my own children’s lives.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
Like I said, I am a father foremost. For general success, I need my energy and time to go into something viable. As an artist, I would feel successful if I can keep the public interested in commissioning my work. I strive piece after piece that family after family after family become aware of my heartfelt tribute products as a must-have for their own living rooms. To maintain this momentum, its essential for me to keep up the pace. Whenever I am low on commissions, I must find ways to do portraits for other reasons. Sentimental for my own family or to share reverence for someone I admire deeply or pay homage to someone that has touched my life or has benefited others in general. Keeping myself busy keeps my eye sharp and my time tight. Timing is especially important for me these days because before this professional endeavor . . . a single portrait could take me months to complete. Now I can fulfill a large and beautiful collage piece in 2-3 days. Don’t give up. And Never Say Die.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Thank you for asking!!! My online gallery is currently only on Facebook and Instagram under my business name, “In Peace Portraits” But 2019 is here and with my steady progress its an excellent time to finally build my own website.
However, I am asking for support on an exciting new mission for my art! I have just become interested in starting a career in forensic art (the police sketching used to identify suspects in crimes). After some research, I learned that the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD holder for most arrests made from her sketches is a HOUSTONIAN. Her name is Lois Gibson and she is still currently working for HPD! What’s more exciting is that she is teaching a course in this field starting February 25, 2019, and it may be the last time she is teaching it herself!!! I’m super stoked to discover the opportunity to learn from her personally, and have started a crowdfunding campaign to raise the tuition in time! I think it would be great to take my talent and apply it to a trade taught by the World’s Best. The course is fast approaching and I only have a month to make the money so I’m rallying up donations and commissions to make it in! I’m asking anyone who believes that police sketching is a valuable tool in criminal justice to visit my gofundme and make a donation or purchase a commission from me there! www.gofundme.com/
Another one of my favorite things in the world is live music, so many times I can be found working off the side at a rock show. I looooove cover bands, so I get a lot of people visit me while I draw and headbang during Beetle at Continental Club or following Nick and the Groove wherever they may be. As a music lover, I hope that some of these bands that I attend and draw to become interested enough to commission some liner or album art one day! And if your band is ever interested in a band portrait, please invite me to a show! I’m a biiig dancer!!
Contact Info:
- Address: 2934 Knotty Oaks Houston, TX 77045
- Phone: 7136359626
- Email: inpeaceportraits@gmail.com
- Instagram: @inpeaceportraits
- Facebook: facebook.com/inpeaceportraits
Image Credit:
Erick Cruz
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