Eric Buechel grew up in New Jersey, where his artistic talents became evident at an early age. He had the privilege of learning many techniques from his father, Ernest J. Buechel, Sr., a skilled artist and master ship-modeler. As a youth, Eric frequently traveled to New York City to immerse himself in the works of the great masters at various museums. After completing high school, he received a scholarship from the New Jersey Art Directors Club and enrolled at DuCret School of Art in Plainfield, New Jersey. There, he studied under Dr. Furman J. Finck, a presidential portrait painter and Dean, from whom he acquired invaluable knowledge about attention to detail. Later, he transferred to Broward College in South Florida to earn a fine arts degree. Eric launched his professional journey in Manhattan as an illustrator and eventually as an art director. In 1991, he shifted gears to pioneer a recycling company that reclaimed electronic waste, including CRT scrap, effectively preventing millions of tons of lead from entering the environment. His company, Advanced Recovery, also extracted precious metals from discarded circuit boards. His work garnered significant media attention, including a feature article on the front page of The New York Times on April 14th 1993 along with coverage from Recycling Today, The Chicago Tribune, Forbes, CNN, ABC and other major newspapers and Network News programs worldwide. In the same year United States Senator Lautenberg nominated Eric for the New Jersey Science and Technology Award. Although his career took a detour, his passion for art remained. In late 2002, he sold his company and moved to Tennessee, allowing him to fully devote himself to his artistic pursuits. A nationally recognized artist, Eric has received multiple awards, including Best in Show at the Knoxville Dogwood National Exhibition and Best in Show from the Arts & Culture Alliance of Knoxville. When not creating, he enjoys spending time on his property with his wife, tending to their bees, and seeking inspiration for his next project.