Eric was born in St. Ives and continues to live and maintain a studio there.  Until 1988 he was a fisherman, then became the St. Ives harbourmaster and in 1989 a RNLI lifeboatman.

He began painting in 1987 and studied with the St. Ives School of Painting under Rob Ray.  Eric describes his work as ‘between figurative and abstract, subject matter is not the most important aspect but is a vehicle by which the painting surface may be explored’. 
A member of the Chelsea Arts Clubs he has exhibited both in London and the provinces.  In 1992 he was the subject of BBC 2’s ‘Video Diaries’, a series about his life at sea and as a painter.