Mr. Tim Eaton has been painting landscape scenery for as long as he can remember. The works he produces are conceived entirely from recollections and imagination. Though constantly studying nature through observation and the use of digital photography, there are never any visual references near his easel. He is able to work this way following many years of traveling and painting watercolors “a la plein air” across the United States but also in faraway places such as France, Italy, Turkey and China. This approach finds its premise and its intent in a quote which is displayed in his studio by the famous French Impressionist painter Edgar Degas on training the visual memory.
“It is all very well to copy what you see; it is much better to only draw what you see in memory. There is a transformation during which the imagination works in conjunction with the memory. You only put down what made an impression on you, that is to say the essential. Then your memory and your invention are freed from the dominating influence of nature. That is why pictures made by a person with a trained memory are almost always remarkable works.”
Mr. Eaton’s landscapes capture poetically harmonious moments in the natural world. Through years of trial and experimentation he continues to discover fresh ideas, compositions and a variety of techniques all with the intention of creating visually appealing works to inspire a distinct emotional connection with his viewers.
Most of his work is executed on archival linen or other durable substrates using a combination of colorfast acrylics and modified oils, therefore created to resist damage by sunlight and other environmental conditions for many lifetimes.
Mr. Eaton’s landscape paintings capture poetically harmonious moments in the natural world. They are infused with his own experiences, growing up in the north eastern U.S., but can stir emotions or recollections for many casual observers regardless of geographic location. “When I’m in front of the easel, it’s like being on vacation somewhere near or far, where all that matters is the feeling of freedom to create and inspire”, he muses. The works are created on archival linen or gessoed canvas using professional oils or other high-quality mixed media to insure longevity.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Vermont after studying for a full year one-on- one with Mr. Richard Whitney, who at the time was the youngest member of the Boston Guild of Professional Portrait and Landscape Painters. Subsequently, Mr. Eaton spent two years studying painting techniques at the National School of Decorative Arts in Nice, France.
Professionally, he has taught painting and finishing disciplines to trade groups across the country involved in the paint contracting business as a specialty painter. Currently, he maintains a commercial studio in Stamford, Connecticut where he teaches privately while continuing to develop his own unique style of painting.