Marc Thomas Eckel is most widely known for his role as a Christian performance artist with Splat Experience. The ministry, established in Pierceton in 2002, has led him all over the world painting 8’ x 8’ paintings with his hands to music. Videos of his paintings have surpassed five million views on YouTube and other Internet channels. To date, Eckel has done more than 900 performances, including two tours with Grammy-winning Christian band Casting Crowns. Now his creative talents are taking flight on the printed page in more ways than one. “In May of 2007 I was inspired to write a novel based on a sermon I heard in church. The passage was Luke chapter five, where Jesus healed a leper. That fall I went out on the road on my first tour with Casting Crowns. There is a lot of down time on the road, so I chose to write this book on that tour,” Eckel said. During the 85-city tour, Eckel wrote on the tour bus, in dressing rooms, in basketball stadiums and hockey arenas, in airports, in hotel rooms and during off tour breaks at home in Claypool. The initial writing was completed in spring 2008, though some reworking was done in 2010 and 2011. The novel, titled “Leperd”, features a foreword by Casting Crowns’ lead singer/songwriter Mark Hall. “I really feel fortunate to have Mark’s foreword. He is one of the most creative and talented people I know. It’s an honor to call him my friend, and to have his help promoting this book,” Eckel said. This novel is the leper’s story, a fictional tale based on historical fact. The official release date for the book is June 11, though it is available now through the publisher’s website at tatepublishing.com It is available in print and in digital formats. “I always wanted to be a published author before the age of 50,” Eckel stated, who turned 50 in early April. But having a novel released was only part of the plan. As well as writing novels, Eckel is also writing a series of children’s books. The first story he has illustrated is titled “Stan the Snowman’s Plan for a Summer Tan.” It will be the first book published in the Train Tales series intended to train kids how to live for a lifetime. The first book is a story about dealing with difficulty and working through hard times. An audio CD version of the book is featured on Train Tales • Volume One, along with 12 other stories in the series. Several students from Eisenhower Elementary were involved in this project. It is available at splatexperience.com “We hope to release this book sometime during the late summer,” Eckel said. He is currently running a fundraising campaign through kickstarter, a website that helps fund creative projects. You can pre-order a copy of the book by pledging toward the project at kickstarter.com Search for “Stan the Snowman” and click on the link that says “back this project.” Several illustrations from the book are there for viewing. “We can only accomplish this project with the help of our friends,” Eckel says. “Thanks for your support.” The campaign will end May 18. Both books are an extension of Eckel’s creative arts company, Blue Spaghetti, LLC. The company’s next endeavor will be a 45-minute school assembly program about the life of Abraham Lincoln. This American history lesson with a twist of performance art will be debuted May 10 at Claypool Elementary School. This program is available for booking in public or private schools (for any age group) any time after the debut date. Contact the artist at marc@splatexperience.com
