Brewtifully Made
Here, Tracy Dawn Brewer shares creative insights, discussions with creative souls who are invited to doodle along with her and share their creative processes, and more.
Adding a twist, each episode begins with a doodle prompt and you can catch the final pieces from the episode on her YouTube channel, linked on the website! If you choose to also create along with her during an episode, share your work with the hashtag #brewtifullymade so she can shout out YOUR awesome creativity too!
Brewtifully Made
Eric's Creative Path from Classroom to Concrete
Experience the mesmerizing world of concrete art with Eric Strickland, the visionary behind Funky Designs, Unique Concrete. Eric takes us on a journey from his early days as a math teacher to becoming a pioneer in transforming industrial materials into vibrant masterpieces. Discover how an art degree and a passion for Prince led Eric to challenge conventional perceptions of concrete, creating stunning decor, jewelry, and abstract wall art. His story is not just about art—it's a testament to innovation, adaptability, and the surprising beauty that can be found in the most unexpected places.
Eric's path wasn't always paved with creative freedom; it took a leap of faith and some family inspiration to rekindle his artistic ambitions. Navigating the challenges of running a business, he shares insights learned from his entrepreneurial father, emphasizing the importance of time management and the occasional chaos of a cluttered workspace. But it's not only about the art; Eric's commitment to giving back shines through as he recounts his efforts to support LGBTQ youth, both in the classroom and through his rainbow jewelry line that benefits the Trevor Project.
Join us as we celebrate Eric's unique fusion of art and activism, offering listeners a chance to engage with his work through upcoming events like an opening reception and a concrete earring class. With an innovative blend of industrial materials and elegant design, Eric's creations captivate and inspire, setting a new standard in the world of concrete artistry. Get ready to be intrigued by the beauty and versatility of concrete, and learn how Eric Strickland is making an impact both artistically and socially.
The Prince painting in the office was by John Young of johnyoungdesign.com
Eric’s links:
http://www.funkydesignsoh.com/
https://www.facebook.com/funkydesignsoh/
https://www.instagram.com/funkydesignsoh/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/funkydesignsoh
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Portfolio website: Brewtifully.com
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Hello everyone, welcome back to a new episode of Brutally Made. I am super excited, always excited, to bring you a new artist and this is our November exhibiting artist with me today, eric Strickland. Welcome, eric.
Speaker 2:Thank you, I'm so excited to do this.
Speaker 1:Oh, I am so excited to have you share everything that you do under Funky Design Concrete or Funky Concrete Design. I don't want to mess up your business name, so I'm going to throw it over to you. I would love for you to just share some basic information how you got your name for your business and what you do.
Speaker 2:So my business name is Funky Designs, Unique Concrete, and so what I do is I use oh, I'm adding pigments into my artisan concrete mix so I get swirls of these bright colors of concrete and I use it for three things. So first of all, it started with making decor, so I make things like planters and incense burners, bookends just things you can place around your house or your office. And then I also have a line of jewelry that I do with these colorful pigmented concrete stones. I call it concrete and steel because I use my colorful concrete stones and then I use stainless steel, and I think you know what goes better with concrete than steel.
Speaker 2:So I went with this theme of concrete and steel and make just really unique jewelry pieces. Every piece comes out different because I let the colors do what they want to do. And then, most recently, I've come back to my art degree, where I used to paint and things like that, to use my pigmented concrete as wall art. So I'm doing what I call concrete on canvas and I'm basically abstract painting with colors of concrete, and so there's a lot of color and texture that I use in there and it doesn't look like anything else.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love going through the gallery on your website, which we will share in the show notes so everyone can see all of the items that you've already described, and thank you for confirming what the name of your business is because I forgot the word unique, and it really really is. I found you years ago, I believe, on Etsy, and I purchased one of your bracelets and didn't even realize that you were at local shows. So when.
Speaker 1:I had this beautiful bracelet and I ran into you I think it was at Chris Crindle Market or something like that I was like, oh my gosh, I have one of your pieces.
Speaker 1:And then it was just, and you're, you know, this big grid on your face. It was just phenomenal. And over the years just followed what you've been doing. And then, when I opened the studio and then we got to connect again, you were so interested to exhibit and I said absolutely, and oh my goodness, it was just like I had no idea that you did this wall art. And as I've been like slowly telling people all of these artists that are coming in and rotating out per month, I'm letting people know Eric Strickland, he does concrete art. And they just look at me and they're like it's going to hang on the wall, you can wear it. They have no clue. And I'm like, trust me, yeah, trust me, yeah.
Speaker 2:People have this concept.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm sure they do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's one of the first questions I always get is well, is it really super heavy, like the earrings? They think it's going to rip their ears out or whatever. And no, concrete actually turns out is lighter than natural stone. It's just used for these big heavy things, and so that's how your brain kind of processes concrete as this heavy thing.
Speaker 1:But you know, that's why it's so useful is, it's not necessarily heavy.
Speaker 2:I just love that there's stories about. You know it's always like a design project for a lot of these schools or engineering project to do like concrete canoes and things like that, and you know it is a really, really useful material.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Also one of your first questions there that kind of got thrown in there, was where did the name of my business come from?
Speaker 1:Oh yes.
Speaker 2:So I started my business as a business in 2018. And this was not long after the passing of the musician Prince, and I am a lifelong Prince fan. I've been there on release day for every single release since 1982. For every single Prince album and Prince single and all of the stuff, and if I had my camera going which it's not, but if you'd see a big Prince mural on the wall behind me and lots of artwork. So, anyway, I started the business in 2018, and what I decided was I was going to go through the entire Prince catalog and find just the right song. And so there's an obscure song that came out during that period where everybody thought he was silent but he was releasing music online, and the song was called Funky Design and it just kind of described what I do so well, and so the name of my business is kind of an homage to Prince.
Speaker 1:That story. I've never known that about him. That is so cool, oh my goodness. And you're welcome to send me a picture of that mural and, as we're talking, I'll have it part of the slideshow on the.
Speaker 2:YouTube channel Okay.
Speaker 1:So when they see the visuals, because I'm not doodling, I'm sharing the artist's work whenever I get to have y'all on the podcast, so I will throw that in there. I would love to see it.
Speaker 2:It's terrific. It was done by a Cleveland artist and it's not actually a mural, but it looks like it because it's so big in comparison to the size of my office. Oh shoot, I'm going to forget his name, but I'll put that information.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely yeah no problem, we roll with the punches around here. So, that'll totally get added to the notes. That's great. So I love to know, like how long have you been an artist? Because you go back to your canvas and say, you know, adopt part of your art, but also how long like the concrete influence, and that as a medium, I mean like how did that start? And that as a medium I mean, like, how did that start?
Speaker 2:So how long have I been an artist? I've always. I don't. I can't remember a time where I didn't think of myself as an artist. You know, even like, you know, five, six years old, I was drawing stuff and it always kind of was part of my identity, my, you know my self image, who I am, yeah, identity, my, you know my self-image, who I am, yeah, um. So I, I got a degree in studio art from Marietta College, uh, in 1994.
Speaker 2:Um, I didn't know what to do with it, that's so, as a studio artist, and that was my, there was no, um, no business, no marketing, no marketing. No, it was just I could paint, I could draw, I could sculpt a bit, um, so I, you know, I just basically was qualified to be a starving artist and, uh, so, and, um, you know, pair that with a, with a philosophy minor, and you know, it was like it felt like the most useless degree ever. And I actually went back to school and became a math teacher for 16 years. Why math? Because most schools only have one art teacher and I needed something a little bit more marketable, just because I was at that point where I was starting a family and all that. But what I discovered was that, well, a few things One, I didn't have time for an artistic outlet and as somebody that self-identified as an artist, it was kind of soul crushing. And then teaching. I'm so glad that I spent that time of my life teaching, but it also.
Speaker 1:You know, I burned out.
Speaker 2:You know, it's just this, all of the pressures from. You know, there's always somebody different in the administration with different expectations, parents that thought they knew teaching better than the teachers did, and so they're just all of the government trying to do their thing. And so it was very frustrating to be a teacher and just as I was getting to that point where I can't do this anymore, I'm halfway through, and if I keep going, the stress of all this is going to kill me. I was introduced to my sister who, her husband, was doing tiling on the outer bags, but then he started doing some concrete countertops and working with pigments in there and getting these really fascinating effects from it, and my sister was doing some really cool decor stuff with it also, and she invited me into her studio and I saw what they both were doing. She taught me some things, he taught me some things.
Speaker 2:I threw myself into doing some research about this process of working with concrete as an artistic medium, and we were fortunate enough to have our mortgage paid off, and it was. You know, if there was a time where I was going to walk away from teaching and start or return to being an artist, this was the time. And so I just I threw myself into it and, um, it started with doing the decor stuff I did, you know, early on, it was trying to copy what my sister did, which you know there's, there's an element of I need to find myself, I don't want to steal her cool thing, I want to make it myself doing. You know, within the first two or three months of doing this, you know, as you know, going out and doing craft shows and things like that, I always have a little bit of concrete left after casting a piece. And so, well, you know, it wasn't enough to do anything substantial with. But I, you know, kind of try some things. And I think it was my wife that suggested, well, maybe you could do some jewelry with it. And I laughed, I thought, well, concrete jewelry, that's so. Anyway, I tried it and the results were really very striking and it wasn't heavy or anything like that. And so I started doing some little pendants and things.
Speaker 2:And then, you know, it just kind of evolved and each success would lead me off into something else. And I frequently tell customers, you know, where do you get your ideas? Well, it all starts with well, that's a stupid idea, let's try it anyway. And so you know all these, you know, sometimes the experiments go well, sometimes they don't, and I learn from them, but at any rate it always, you know, moves me forward. And so the jewelry kind of became a thing. And that's actually the jewelry is what let me actually make a living doing this. And then, most recently, getting back to my art degree of working on canvases and things like that, using my design eye and all that to actually do artwork with this is, you know, kind of getting me to where I want to be.
Speaker 1:That journey.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:Kudos to the wife, because, as we speak about what you're going to be doing in the gallery studio brutally, I also have to thank her for pushing you towards the class.
Speaker 2:So I think that continuing to run.
Speaker 1:Those ideas by her are perfect, because you're, you know, you're hesitant as an artist. You know, uh, am I going to be able to do something with this idea? And we always just let fear creep in slowly, and I'm glad that you're battling that and just going out there and trying because that's what we need to hear that you know. You're giving people permission to just try. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:And that's, that's a huge part of. Well, you know, art is not. You hear this all the time Art's not a product, it's a process. And you know, and, and so you know, every time I do, I I had a situation where I had this canvas that I felt like was almost done. I was so happy with it. It just needed one more element. And then I, you know, I hemmed and hawed over it for a couple of weeks and then I'm like, okay, I'm just gonna do this thing. And, as I was doing, I'm like I'm ruining this and, and I probably did. But then like, um, so I did a bunch of things to that canvas. I sanded it down, I uh, I did some scraping on it and and, and it's back to being one step away from something that I'm really proud of. So, you know, it's, it's, it's that. Ah, I just got to get. I got, I got to get past my fear of ruining things and just do it and see what happens.
Speaker 1:Get out of our own way. Yeah, we are the worst. I swear I totally have been there. I understand that so deeply, my gosh. Well, so before the concrete, what was your main medium?
Speaker 2:So I guess I really I mean, I did oil and acrylic and watercolor.
Speaker 1:Okay, so painting.
Speaker 2:Excuse me, I like to draw and stuff, but I think watercolor was probably my medium of choice.
Speaker 1:Really so that's just such a juxtaposition, where the concrete, the heaviness, the texture, and then the light and loft. You know, lofty watercolor.
Speaker 2:I love that. I mean just amazing. I'll tell you what the most obvious thing about my artwork is the foreground and these really bold, striking lines. But if you look past that, at the background that I've created, behind it there's a lot of like flowing colors and blending, and so there's. You know that it's still in there, that it's just it's not obvious.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's good, though, the depth that you get to capture, and while you're looking at a piece, I think that that's a great thing to let people know to look for when they're seeing them, because I love your dimensional pieces as well as the jewelry, so when we get to see the canvas at the exhibit, that's going to be first for me. I don't know that I've ever seen any of your canvases, so I'm very excited that we're going to get to see that, because that's going to be new for me to see.
Speaker 2:Oh my goodness yeah, it's, it's a process moving those around and setting up. So unless I'm doing a multi-day show, I don't bring them out on the road with me.
Speaker 1:Makes sense. That makes sense. Where? Where do you find your inspiration for, like, what to make or the color combinations that you create?
Speaker 2:So a lot of my inspiration is actually the material itself. You know I'll be doing something like, wow, look at what that concrete just did. And then I try to recreate it. Sometimes it's conversations with people that you know they see something else and then I, oh, that's really neat. I recently have started going into the local rock shop and picking up like colorful gravel and stuff like that, like I just did a piece with some green quartz glitter in it and I sold one this past summer that had some amethysts in it, and so doing like, because you know, know, concrete it's, the concrete itself is fairly matte in its finish, and so getting some of that, uh, you know, the natural stone in there to add it a little sparkle or whatever, it gives it some some more depth of things. Um, so there's um.
Speaker 2:So sometimes I'm inspired by the materials. Sometimes, you know, as far as color combinations, um, I'm looking at, you know, sunsets, or I see a cool piece of artwork. I'm a big music fan and sometimes I'll just flip through the records and, oh, look at this album cover. I love these colors together. Um, and it because, um, so when I was painting, I'd have a whole array of colors before me, you know, any color of the rainbow is just a matter of squeezing some paint out onto the palette or mixing the right color. You know watercolors or whatever, working in concrete, because concrete wants to cure very quickly. I have to pick a palette. It's got to be a fairly limited palette. I have to pick a palette. It's got to be a fairly limited palette. I have to work fast and so getting, you know, a selection of like three or four colors and yes, I can blend some as I work, but it's because I work so fast, you know it's it starts with getting the right set of colors to work with.
Speaker 1:It seems like a fun challenge. You know, you know you've got a time limit, you know that there's these stipulations that you, you know, are kind of framing your work, and that's a cool challenge to have.
Speaker 2:It is in the, in the material. I'll have to show you this, this pair of pieces. When we set up that, I did these two smallish square canvases I think they're 10 by 10 or 12 by 12 or something like that. But anyway, I did one piece right after I made the mix and there's like blue and red and white and black and a little bit of purple in there and the colors.
Speaker 2:When I poured them onto the canvas they just flowed and made you would swear that my intention was to make these this beautiful cloudscape, and it really it looks like the sun streaming through the clouds.
Speaker 2:And then, like maybe 10, 15 minutes later, that color had started, all of the concrete had started to start to set a little bit, and so I poured onto the canvas and it did not want to move, it didn't flow, flow, and I was actually like banging that canvas on the floor, trying to get it to spread across the, uh, the canvas, and, and so what it did was it kept its tight line, that there was no blending of the colors, um, just these really cool swirls. And so the two pieces together, I told you, one looks like the cloud, the other one looks like the swirl, like the surface of the water underneath those clouds, and so they're such an excellent pair because not because of anything I did intentionally, but because of how the material acts. Yeah, you know, and that's how that, like, like I said, the material becomes its own inspiration yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I can't wait to check this out. I can't wait to see this and I love the explanation of, like how it you know became and how they complement one another even though they're you know the intention was to have the similar colors but the, you know, final pieces look totally different but still relate. So happy accidents, we love those Serendipity, my favorite.
Speaker 1:That's right, my favorite word. I love that word. Oh, my goodness. So what do you feel like? Your biggest challenge is just as an artist overall, not just you know working with that medium, but what's your, what's your biggest challenge?
Speaker 2:Um, so I make um my money out on the road I do. This year I'll have, um I think, 53 dates where I'm actually out doing a show and I like something like Yankee peddler. That's six days right there, um, but so, but to what I do, and I don't have employees, it's just me. So I have to do all the jobs and that's all stuff and do promotion and social media and make the packages that I sell my stuff in and then building displays so I can manage my in-person shopping experience and all these other things that you know I had no concept of.
Speaker 2:You know it's, you know it's, but on the flip side, that's the challenge of it. But that's also what makes it fun and exciting for me, because I'm not doing the same thing every day and if I don't feel like working at Canvas, I can be doing the web design. I can do, I can be photography, photographing, I can be shooting pictures of my work so that I can, you know, put it up on the web or, you know, promote on the website or or whatever. But, um, there's so much that's involved in having a business that you know and and fortunately, you know my father, um, he started, he, he had a business that he ran out of the house. You know he had a convenience store up in Booth Bay, harbor, maine, where my high school years were and you know.
Speaker 2:So I got to see that it's not just the front facing stuff.
Speaker 2:I mean, there's all of the behind the scenes work that goes into doing something like this, that nobody ever sees, work that goes into doing something like this that nobody ever sees, and but as far as challenge goes, I mean I've got a list of things I want to try. So the inspiration is the inspiration for years and years and years was like what am I going to do? What am I going to do? And then I figured out what I'm going to do and now I've got more things to try as and I have time to do. So it's, it's time management, it's all of the other stuff that goes along with um, doing, doing this as a business.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, On the business side I I hear you loud and clear. I get that too I my heart is in the art, but I still have a business to run.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the other. The other thing that comes to me as far as a challenge is, because of all of these things, because of my kind of chaotic nature of working, keeping a clean workspace is all but impossible for me. And so, like this weekend, my wife walks into the room. She's like I just look like just a ball of stress, like what is the problem? I said I've just spent 45 minutes looking for a pair of wire computers. I never did find them. I like I had them, yeah, two days ago, and then they're gone and I'm trying to, you know, put new wire up my canvases so that we can display them at brew to flee, and just you know, just the chaos of it all.
Speaker 1:And you know, put new wire up my canvases so that we can display them at brew to flee, and just you know, just the chaos of it all, and you know and you probably carried them in another room and didn't even realize it, or something right, right, yeah, so you know that's.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's the other big challenge, but that's more of a me challenge. Than uh, than uh. You know running a business my own, a than a, you know running a business, my own. I'm just a chaotic person, I guess.
Speaker 1:You don't seem chaotic now, Eric, you're very organized. I don't believe that, so I would love to let everybody know, like how I know you're at shows you do a ton of shows, but where can they find, like, where those shows are and where you're at? How do they find you and follow you?
Speaker 2:okay. So my website, uh, is probably you can find everything else from there uh, my website is funky designs, oh for ohio. Funky designs, ohcom. Um, all of my social medias are also funky designs, oh H, uh. So that's on Instagram and Facebook and threads and whatever. And then, um, all you can find some of my work on Etsy. Um, it's the. The frustrating thing about the web is, you know, like I said, most of my income comes from doing the jewelry, but every piece of jewelry is different, and so there's not actually a lot of jewelry on the website, because I would have to do separate listings for every single piece because each one is different. So the best.
Speaker 1:I have been at your shows and you have a lot of selections, so I do not blame you for placing them all on there Definitely.
Speaker 2:So, oh goodness. But yeah, my calendar is up on, is also up on the website, and, um, you know, between now and the end of the year I've got shows in akron and canton, uh, in pittsburgh, not columbus, cleveland, and then you know, I that's I do all over, you know, the eastern half of the country, or the country, the eastern half of the state, and then into Pittsburgh, and so you know, if you want to see all the jewelry, that's the best place to catch me is find me on the road.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree Totally. So I also want to talk about how you give back to organizations. Can you explain some of the ways that you do that and some of the organizations that you support.
Speaker 2:All right. So as a teacher, I always tried to make my classroom a very safe space, which with high school students can be a challenge, and it turned out that my LGBTQ students were so incredibly grateful to that for that and it made a big impact on them. And so, you know and I taught in a pretty rural place and so there's, you know, there wasn't a lot of that kind of safe space mentality going on. So when I left teaching I wanted to find a way to continue to help those students. The LGBTQ population is the highest suicide risk amongst our youth, and so there's an organization called the Trevor Project and that is their goal is to end youth LGBTQ suicide. And so that kind of became the organization that I casting rainbow stones to do rainbow jewelry, and I donated 25% of all of that to the Trevor Project, and each year I add in a new flag.
Speaker 2:So this past year was the fifth year of doing it. I have rainbow, I had trans Bi Lesbian of doing it. I have Rainbow, I had Trans Bi Lesbian and Pan. So it's become like a whole line of jewelry that I do and all of that I donate 25% to the Trevor Project. So to this point I've raised about $2,800 for them with this goal of ending youth LGBTQ suicide, and it's one of those things where even having that kind of thing out in a mainstream event helps them feel included, feel seen, and that's so important. And so I don't have a whole lot to share at this point, because it's usually a pride month thing, but I do have the rainbow pendants up on my website and I'm, and I will continue to, donate 25%, so if you go to funkydesignsohcom, you'll see some of that work up there, and so, like I said, each year I added a new one, and right now I basically take votes for what to add next year.
Speaker 2:Okay, basically take votes for you know what to add next year. Okay, and the leading vote getter for next year is shoot. I've forgotten that's okay.
Speaker 1:We'll catch it up on the show notes because I'm definitely going to call out that pendant, so people know exactly where to find that. And then also put the link for the Trevor project on. I absolutely love that you're doing that. That has my heart.
Speaker 1:That's where I got my rainbow bracelet was from your shop when you had it for Pride Month, and I absolutely want to make sure people know that my space is inclusive and accepting and a safe space for everybody, and so I just wanted to reiterate how much I love that you're supporting the Trevor Project and how I'm going to be sure that that information is in the show notes, because that is just tremendous. I love that you're doing that, eric notes, because that is just tremendous. I love that you're doing that, thank you.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so do you have any preferred ways people contact you if they have a special request? Do you even take special requests like holidays are coming up? What if somebody wants something specific? Do you do things like on a commission basis?
Speaker 2:So it's one of those things where I'm always open to it and people say, well, I'll reach out, and it's very rare that it actually happens. But if you want to email me, my email address is eric at funkydesignsohcom. That's really the best way to get a hold of me. Designsohcom, that's really the best way to get a hold of me. Please, if you do so, let me know that you heard me on the Brutally.
Speaker 2:Made podcast, just because I get spam like everybody else does. And there's this unfortunate trend I'm seeing of targeting artists who are, you know, we're not a wealthy group folks, and you know and so that happens a lot. Oh my gosh, it's terrible. So, um, yeah, so let me know specifically where you heard me and what you have in mind, so I don't, uh, you know, throw that in the spam folder. Yeah, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely, and we'll have their contact information in the spam folder. Yeah, I appreciate that. Yeah, definitely, and we'll have your contact information in the show notes as well. Okay, so, eric, did I miss sharing anything that you wanted to share other than on November 3rd, sunday, that is, your opening reception at brutally at Oakwood square, from one to three?
Speaker 2:Sunday afternoon.
Speaker 1:Please come out and see his work. Oh my goodness. I'm excited, so excited about that yes, and then on November 12th in the evening 6 to 8, we have a concrete earring class.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so what I've done is I've made up a bunch of like. I went through my stones and I found I don't know 100 pairs of of stones that match because that's part of the problem is like even two stones they don't. I can't make two stones that are exactly identical, but I can get them pretty close. So, yeah, I went through and found a bunch of pairs of stones that and then we'll get all the parts out and I'll teach people how to assemble them and Mount the stones.
Speaker 1:And you'll get to use the metal and the concrete right, If that's the, that's the just love that urban like look and feel of it. It's just so cool yeah.
Speaker 2:I like the irony of you know these very industrial materials, but it's kind of a, it's a very finished. Look when it's done and it looks it kind of. Look when it's done and it looks it kind of um, beautiful. I love the matte finish of it oh yeah, yep I, it's elegant it makes it look different than other other stuff.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, I love that you, uh, have not once said that you're following this trend. You are setting a trend. You are setting up a whole beautiful look all on your own, and I'm just very excited to introduce it to the community if they have not got to experience it yet.
Speaker 2:So thank you so much, absolutely Thank you. It's been a pleasure and I look forward to November.
Speaker 1:I know it's here already Thanks again.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, thank you.
