Born in Calgary, Alberta in 1959, Eckart studied at Alberta College of Art and Design before completing his Masters in Fine Art at Hunter College in New York in 1986. Eckart refers to himself as an "icon painter". By employing materials and techniques traditional in religious artworks of the Renaissance in combination with contemporary materials such as industrial paint, plexiglass and formica, he links contemporary painting with historical and transcendental themes. The paint process used in his more recent works is one developed by Rolls Royce early in the 20th century and based on the techniques of Chinese Lacquer Ware. Eckart's minimalist paintings achieve an erotic presence through voluptuous proportions and the fetishism of their manufacture and finish.