Television and Radio appearances
Stroke of ingenuity is toast of the town
By LZ Granderson ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION October 16, 2003
BEER GOGGLES AREN'T NECESSARY to see the beauty of Eric Waugh's work, but they're available in case you need them. Waugh, a self-taught Canadian painter who has sold more than 20,000 works of art, returns to Atlanta this weekend with his mixture of music, wine and live painting in front of an audience.
The 39-year old begins his performance-painting schedule tonight at Churchill Grounds Jazz Cafe. "I've painted to blues and jazz and techno with smoke and strobe lights," said Waugh, whose work is also featured in the cow parade. "when you get up there, you're really focused. A lot of artists can't imagine doing this. They want to be locked up somewhere quiet, but I love it." Waugh, who lives in Montreal with his wife and three sons, holds the Guinness world record for the largest painting on canvas by a single artist. "Hero" covers 41,400 square feet and was created to benefit a camp for kids with HIV and AIDS.
"My favorite moment came when I did this benefit for The Starlight Children's Foundation, and Tony Bennett was performing while I painted him and his band," said Waugh. "He signed the painting when it was done, and we auctioned it off and received $15,000 for the charity. It's always rewarding to use my artistic skills to help those in need."
