Artist For Hire - Portrature, Interior Murals & Specialty Finishes

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Artist Erik Filban

Artist Erik Filban

Erik is a professional artist and painter who has worked continually since his art school education. His first employment was for an Outdoor Advertising company painting billboards in New York City.

Of notable consequence, he was asked to show his painting skills to the immensely talented Design Director of Tiffany & Co., John Loring who commissioned him to paint 11 life-sized portraits in oil of Tiffany personnel.

These were displayed among the Spring Bridal Table Settings at the flagship store in Manhattan. Portrait commissions soon followed including Leonard and Evelyn Lauder and other notable people.

In time, he met the versatile and talented painter and designer, Richard Gillette, working on a wide range of interior painted projects.

Over the years, many mural, portrait and elaborate decorative painting commissions have been accomplished. Erik has been painting stretched canvases and created a body of oil paintings while living in Japan. He has been exhibiting work alongside the artist and printmaker, Usui Kunihiko in Japan as the duo “Futari no Kai”.

He is able to travel for projects when required in the United States and abroad.

He now makes his home in Central Florida.

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Portrait Artist

It has often been said that a successful portrait requires more than rendering a faithful likeness of a person, but must also represent the human condition. We have been blessed with a wealth of wonderful portraiture through the ages.

Contemporary portraits range from the simplified and suggested to complicated representations.

The observation of facial details is critical to painting the character of the person. Then through the painting process, the important aspects come into focus. When painting moods and emotion, photography as a reference is important in capturing what is unique to an individual, and also what we can recognize as universal emotions.

When commissioned to paint a portrait, it is preferable to meet the person, make sketches and take notes before using photography as a reference source.

Even so, success has been attained painting soley from photo references.

The preferred medium is oil paint on linen canvas.

Prices are based on size and complexity, and are quoted upon request.

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Portrait Artist
Interior Murals

Interior Murals

Most mural work for the home interior is painted on Artist’s canvas, which is glued to the walls or ceiling in the manner of a heavy wallpaper. The artwork can be painted in a separate studio or at times in the intended space.

Thorough discussions with the client are necessary to stimulate interest and develop ideas. Final artwork should have a firm basis in illustrations rendered to scale. Otherwise confusion may result, and all surprises are not happy.

The wall should be carefully prepared and smoothed, with proper primer coats of paint. The canvas and pigments should be of the highest quality to insure permanence.

Varnishes, where desired should be flat (mat) so that the painting can be viewed from all directions without glare.

The mural should feel that it fits into the design and architecture of the room, so as not to feel superficial.

As well, the design should consider that people move about and an arbitrary fixed point of view mostly should be avoided.

The advantage of working in acrylic paints is that it dries quickly, and is speedier less expensive than oil paints. One of the positive characteristics of oil paint is the open drying time which allows for more active, expressive and whole rendering of the subject. The pigments are luminous and rich.

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Specialty Painted Finishes

Erik’s painted finishes have covered a wide range of subject material. From grand Sitting Rooms, Libraries, Entry Halls, and more intimate rooms, he has employed various glazing techniques, as well as painted stone, faux-marbre, faux-bois, faux- tortoise, and other techniques.

With faux-marbre finishes, complicated stones have been analyzed and reproduced when required. In other instances, playful suggestions of marble and stone are a delight. His technical mastery and astute sensitivity to color strive to embellish without ostentation and harmonize elements of the interior.

His painted work includes furniture, the decoration being suitable to the period style. When distressing furniture, it is understood that good furniture, while suffering wear and damage over many years of use has been well cared for. This is the look and feel that should be achieved in the newly painted piece.

His ability in gilding includes an eye for subtle hues in the precious metals, and the suitability of aging and browning the various golds.

Erik has painted faux- tortoise finishes where alternating layers of oil glazing and shellac are used to great effect.
See: Wendy Moonan’s book “New York Splendor” for the example of Erik’s faux- tortoise library with tetra negra painted bookcases in the Pierre Hotel.

The artist believes that any material can be successfully replicated, or used as an inspiration for a fanciful rendering in paint.

Specialty Painted Finishes

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