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Allen & Patty Eckman both completed their formal education at the Art Center College of Design in 1974, Allen majoring in advertising art and Patty in illustration art. The couple established and operated an advertising company in Los Angeles, California until 1988 when they made the switch from commercial art to fine art.  

The Eckmans are the inventors of the Eckman Method® of Cast Paper Sculpture which is trademarked as theirs alone. Since 1988, Patty and Allen have developed and perfected the medium of cast paper surpassing all other artists in the world. Their work is considered by many critics to be the premier of the industry. They have become internationally recognized as not only masters in the medium but at this time, the sole masters. 

The cast paper process involves mixing an acid-free paper pulp in the studio hydro-pulper from two raw stocks, cotton and, abica. Then the pulp is cast into molds which were made from original clay sculptures. The paper is then pressed under vacuum pressure or by hand in the mold where most of the water is extracted at the same time. After the dry and hardened casts are removed from the molds the exclusive process of chasing, cast additions, cast alterations, sculpting in paper and detailing begins. Some works are so painstakingly detailed they can take many months to complete.

“We have really enjoyed the development of our fine art techniques over the years, and have created a process that is worth sharing. We believe there are many artists and sculptors who will enjoy this medium as much as we have.” - Allen Eckman

Allen and Patty Eckman reside in Rapid City, South Dakota. Their home and studio rests in the beautiful Black Hills, where the couple finds inspiration in the climate, the wildlife, and the history of the area.