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VUENJ.COM 51 Cire B is the artist. Eric Barnett is the drill sergeant. Far from being two separate personas, Eric has integrated these identities to actualize the caliber of artist he is today. "I see them as complementary," Eric explains. "ey're similar because they come from the same core values. e same discipline, drive, curiosity, and desire to operate at a high level exist in both." Drawing from his military career, Eric incorporates the same stamina, determination, and discipline that served him in the army into his present-day career as an artist and visionary. "I don't approach the canvas casually," he states. "Even when the finished piece feels spontaneous, there's discipline behind the process. at experience has also shaped how I approach the business side of being an artist." Creating art has always been an important part of Eric's life, recalling his early days in Jamaica where he would draw in the sand and watch the waves wash away his impermanent creations. While the demands of life impeded his creative expression as he grew older, a near-death experience led Eric to do some soul searching. As he shares, "it wasn't until I reached a point in my life when I needed to slow things down and reconnect with myself that I picked up a paintbrush." While stationed in Texas, Eric happened upon a gallery, where he shared some of his creations with the owner. Impressed with Eric's artistic acumen and background, the gallery owner offered to exhibit Eric's work and even have him help out in the gallery a few days a week. While his time in Texas "gave me my first real look at the business side of the art world," Eric also came to the realization that "there were many ways to create opportunities around art and connect people through creativity." Eric took this energy and revelation back with him to New Jersey, where he opened Cire B Studios and began orchestrating events that drew creatives, entrepreneurs, business owners, artists, and musicians into the same space. These experiences extended beyond an opportunity to display his own work; rather, Eric saw it as a way that others "could discover art, build relationships, and create opportunities with one another." When COVID hit and everywhere shut down, Eric didn't stop; he simply pivoted by creating the Art Box, an at-home paint and sip experience that shared his creative process with participants. Each box contained art supplies, an instructional video, curated playlist, snacks, and other surprises sure to lift the spirits of fellow artists during such an uneasy and uncertain time. With word of his art boxes spreading, Eric encountered a whole new host of collectors interested in purchasing his pieces. Barnett began to host live auctions on social media, releasing limited-edition prints. When the world started to open back up, Cire B Studios jumped right into action, transforming atypical commercial spaces (think law offices, mechanical shops, and medical practices) into pop-up art galleries. "At its core, Cire B Studios grew out of my journey as an artist," he says. "I saw an opportunity, kept creating, adapted when circumstances changed, and continued finding new ways to bring art into people's lives. What started with exhibiting my own work eventually became a platform for connecting art, people, businesses, and opportunity." For Eric, art is so much more than a beautiful image to behold; "it can also become a mirror to have somebody confront something they probably never gave themselves permission to feel," he explains. e mirror motif has certainly underpinned Eric's artistic journey; the name Cire is what looked back at him when he held his own, Eric, up to the mirror. Acknowledging that the name Cire forced him to confront different aspects of his own being, it also allowed him to integrate versions of himself that others may not see. "We are all blank canvases," he says, "we can paint ourselves whatever way we decide. We are limitless." His perspective shines through various pieces of his artwork, especially when it comes to Osito. A multi-eyed teddy bear, Osito is a representation of the many sides of Eric, aka Cire, himself. "You see that big exterior, but when you look at the character, his heart is exposed, this multi- colored bear with multiple eyes," Eric details his signature character. e motif of multiple eyes represents the different ways in which we view the world, not only through a physical lens but also a spiritual one. "If you've ever been through some shit and ask, 'why did I experience this?' you're looking with your current set of eyes. Look with your spiritual eyes and the answer can reveal itself," Eric shares. Fire, hearts, and eyes are prominent symbols throughout his artwork, communicating themes of transformation and spirituality. Eric says, "as I reflected on my experiences and what I felt the world needed more of, I kept coming back to love. at became the inspiration

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