Easton Bound

Hunter heads to the Eastern Shore for one of the best-run plein air events of the year.

Dear Friends,

On Wednesday, I drive to Easton. Driving from Vermont to Maryland for Plein Air Easton is not particularly my idea of a good time, involving, as it does, unpleasantly sclerotic highways and endless Northeastern Megopolis. But the alternatives are equally unappealing: the Vermonter train does leave right from Bellows Falls, but discharges one in Wilmington, Delaware after eight hours, requiring a taxi/Lyft to a hotel, then to car rental place the next day, etc. etc.; and while the flight from BDL to BWI only takes an hour, it takes two hours to get to BDL, and then paying for parking, taking a shuttle from parking lot to airport, waiting around at least an hour before the flight, taking another shuttle to the car rental place at BWI and then, in an unfamiliar vehicle, crossing the Bay Bridge (seldom a problem outbound; very much a potential nightmare returning)….

SMITH & HARRISON, 12x24, oil on muslin, mounted on panel, 2024. Available at Trippe Gallery, Easton, MD

So driving it is, this year. Instead of my increasingly unreliable Honda Elephant, which got about 20 MPG, I will have my new-to-me 2019 RAV-4 Hybrid, which is a pretty great car, averaging about 42 miles per gallon, and has tons of room. As of today, I am pretty well packed. Surfaces? Check. Frames? Check. Painting for the Variations show at Trippe Gallery? Check. Easels and paints and brushes and tools and sun shades and rechargeable fans and sunscreen and tick repellant? Check and check and check and check.

My friend Garnet Rogers once described the act of songwriting as “trudging up a hill every day with two pieces of bread in your hands, standing at the top with arms outstretched, hoping to catch a lightning sandwich.”

Painting is kind of like that, especially painting at an ostensibly competitive event like PAE. My plan is to create two paintings a day - a smaller piece in the mornings, a larger one each afternoon/evening. I tell myself I do a couple of these events each year in order to keep my eye/hand coordination in top form, which is true, but of course one also wants those paintings to be at least good, and certainly one would be happy if one or two managed to be pretty great. And one will be surrounded by one’s compatriots, and hoping to maybe win an award, and it would be nice to sell enough to make the whole thing worthwhile…

Say hi during Plein Air Easton and relieve me of one of these!

As well, more and more, these events are a chance to meet or reconnect with folks who follow my work on social media, have taken workshops, or have purchased paintings. I am so very grateful - for without an audience, I wouldn’t have a career. As a thank you, I will be packing a selection of stickers - the Late Great Studio Cat Corduroy (and late great home cat SLAS), REASONABLY FINE ARTIST stickers, Bellows Falls: Not Nearly As Bad As You Thought stickers, and Donald Trump pointing at things, saying “I DID THAT!” stickers (I can’t stand Trump, so I stick him pointing at things I don’t like, but, being very ecumenical, it’s okay with me if you have him point at things you approve of). The only thing I ask is that you not ask me for a sticker while I am actually painting, but otherwise, all the nextt couple of weeks I’m fair game.

I would urge friends who are part-time painters and are in the area to register for the Quick Paint, scheduled for Saturday, July 18, 9-11 am (there are separate awards for the juried artists, the open category, and for youth). If you’re not a painter but are on the Eastern Shore from the 9th to the 19th, check out the wide variety of events going on during Plein Air. Maybe I’ll see you at one - if so, I hope I have the stickers with me!

My 2022 moment of glory. It was hot. Everyone was sweaty. Nonetheless, if it isn’t eighty million degrees that night, I’ll try to dress slightly nicer this year.

In 2022, I was off, um, powdering my nose at the moment that it was announced that I had been awarded the Timothy Dils Grand Prize. Now, chances are about one in a thousand that one would again receive that honor, but, just in case you were wondering, I plan to use the facilities prior to the start of the awards this year.

Hope to see you down the line.

All best,

~ Charlie

PS: This monthly missive is always free and freely given, but each month I also offer an Absurdly Discounted Original Painting ($450 plus tax and shipping; as opposed to $1400+) from my inventory to paid subscribers. All proceeds from this largesse goes to charities of various stripes. I’ll be sending out that email tomorrow, so if you are interested in owning a Charlie original, you might consider becoming a paid subscriber today.