When we shared this painting by Charlie Easton on Instagram last fall as part of a partnership with Canadian fine art specialists Gibson Fine Art, the British-born creative told us that he is “utterly blown away” by Canada’s scenery.
Everywhere he turns, he said, he finds inspiration — from “the epic coastal battles of rock and water, to the lurch and thrust of the mountains, to the soaring Milky Way that is so visible in remote areas of this country.”
Today, on Earth Day 2022 and with special regard to our little blue planet suspended in space and surrounded by stars, we’ve decided to further share Easton’s painting here, along with a few words from the artist about his creative process.
We hope you enjoy! T&C
T&C: How do you describe yourself to those who haven’t met you?
Easton: I like to say I’m a landscape painter. “Artist” always feels so grand. Landscape painter seems to fit.
The overarching theme to what I do centres around seeing a place and then trying to channel the emotion I feel, along with the technical knowledge I possess, into creating something that resembles the experience.
In the end, this is just a convoluted way of saying “I play with paint!”
T&C: You arrived in Canada from Great Britain in 2006, became a Canadian citizen and haven’t looked back. What captured you?
Easton: I moved to Vancouver and immediately fell in love with the scenery. Much to my mother’s chagrin, I was hooked.
Then I fell in love with a Canadian girl and now we have two small children. We live in Vancouver but we spend three months a year with our children on an island off the west coast of Vancouver Island. It’s a place that is very wild and free.
T&C: What inspired “Lake Milky Way?”
Easton: The night sky blankets us all. I am moved by the infinity of it, but also by the connectivity of it. Here, I deliberately made the painting feel like it could be many places.
T&C: With the night sky in mind, how did you approach the canvas?
Easton: I wanted to concentrate on the infinity of the Milky Way, so I gave the sky as much space as I could. The lake and trees are contextual elements. I believe in the power of focus. Scenes around us have so many elements. It’s the selection of these elements that makes or breaks a painting.
T&C: This painting fills us with wonder. What does a star-filled night sky do for you?
Easton: When I find myself looking up to the Milky Way at night, it makes me consider the series of events that brought me to where I am today.
It strips me down to my essentials. I feel awake and extremely grateful.
Toque & Canoe is an award-winning digital platform featuring stories about travel culture in Canada. Feel free to follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
