Interview with Eric Rosner

q)Introduce yourself, name,age, location.

a)Hello my name is Eric Rosner (44), I'm a New York City Artist. I illustrate the Gilded Age of Manhattan from 1880-1910. I also illustrate flowers and iconic pop art.

q) Can you describe your path to being an artist? When did you really get into it?

a)I've always loved to draw, starting from grade school. I continued drawing much more intensely during college, it was a lot more satisfying to illustrate a hand or soda can then study an accounting class.

q) Describe your ideals and how they manifest in your work.

a)I love the depth of history that New York City offers. There are so many layers and so many different worlds that have been created here: from the trades of the Dutch, the take over by the British, the boldness of the colonists, the massacre of the indigenous people. America was battled for in lower Manhattan, it was also the capital of the US for awhile. The abundance of wealth, the power of the industrial revolution, epic structures soaring towards the sky, women's suffrage movement, labor day, scandals and villainy, the birth of Vaudeville and entertainment and so much more. The shear magnitude of events and people is staggering. Manhattan was the true city of the future and it delivered. I love to get lost in it's embrace.

q) Is music a part of your studio time? What do you listen to?

a)Definitely! I love to be carried away by listening to great tunes. I love an eclectic mix of different genres.

q) How would you describe your work to someone?

a)I try to capture lost historic pieces, freeze them in time. I imagine a street scene or doorway corner or perhaps a store window and conjure up all the events that must have played in front of these areas and these buildings.

q) Influences?

a)Winsor Mccay is my idol. That man is a GOD. I also love Norman Rockwell.

q) Describe your process for creating new work.

a)I search for an interesting photo reference from the Gilded Age 1880-1910. I try to find a epic buildings or street scenes or maybe an iconic object. I illustrate everything on a fine tooth paper pad with an ultra fine ink marker.

I try to build the objects with a structure, create deep shadows that help the 3d aspect. Sometimes it feels magic as if a great spirit guides me along, other times it's pure Butkus and nothing works but when it does work it's a high that you simply can't purchase on the street, simple bliss.

q) What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?

a)I see a lot of stuff that seems to be a rehash of other rehashes. I really think you have to create a fresh approach to get noticed. Maybe your thing is drawing tiny straw mushroom caps, well, then bust it out and make it interesting. You have to get your audience to say "wow". You can't fake good art, either its "wow" or go home.

q) What are you really excited about right now?

a)I love creating illustrations for new media like iPhone and iPad. I have made a few apps and it's a lot of fun. I'm working on a new iPad book now with the new iBooks Author software from Apple.

q) What do you love most about where you live?

a)I live in the epicenter of NYC that has so much history. And it is chaos. I love the fast pace of it.

q) Best way to spend a day off?

a)I love to get a cup of coffee, listen to music on my iPhone and illustrate something.

q) Upcoming shows/ projects?

a)I have several shows coming up. The next one is at a high-end salon/gallery "Midoma" and the following one is on Fab.com

q) Where can people see more of your work on the internet?

a)www.erosner.com

http://www.erosner.com/product-work/

http://www.erosner.com/blog/