Among the numerous artists of the East End, few can claim they are actual natives of the area.
Born and raised in Southampton to a farming family, Eileen Dawn Skretch is a landscape painter who captures the soul of the East End in her oils on wood.  She shares, “The Parrish Art Museum, my museum, showed me my town painted by William Merritt Chase and Fairfield Porter, and hung my paintings in the same galleries when they hosted the local school exhibitions during my childhood.” Learn more about our KDHamptons Featured Artist, below.

KDHamptons: What inspires your painting?
Eileen Dawn Skretch: As a child I loved my coloring books but in second grade we had an art class lesson that step by step created a bird perched on a birdhouse. It was magic! From a blank sheet of paper I created another world. I was hooked on attempting to capture all sorts of images in many mediums.

KDHamptons: Why are landscapes so special to you?
Eileen Dawn Skretch: I’m drawn to the dwindling vistas we have here. A short conversation I had with Jane Wilson gave me insight. She told me that you can’t escape what’s in your blood.  As she experienced, when you’re from a farming family the landscape, the sky, the horizon have a hold on your heart. With such rapid development I’m drawn to my memories.

KDHamptons: How did start working with wood?
Eileen Dawn Skretch: Wood was a lovely revelation, I’ve been pretty entrenched in landscapes in oil on wood for the last 15 years.  I was introduced to painting on it in Terry Elkin’s plein air class. I realized I’d been seeing landscapes in the wood grain in furniture all my life, like we see creatures in the cloud shapes. My joy of woodworking played into it as well… the smell of fresh cut wood, power tools! Most panels are cut from a 4×8 sheet of plywood and then strengthened and sealed.  Some are actual hollow core doors, an inspiration from a wrong size door ordered for a remodeling project.

KDHamptons: How does your process differ from painting on canvas?
Eileen Dawn Skretch: The wood grain is an integral aspect of the painting. On canvas you begin by possibly toning your gesso and drawing your image. My wood panel’s grain has to be the drawing! If the grain doesn’t work for the scene to be painted, I search other pieces of wood until I can see the scene in the wood grain…No other drawing! One image I wanted to paint took 2 years before I found the perfect grain to match the scene.

KDHamptons: How do you choose a scene to paint?
Eileen Dawn Skretch: My favorite scenes to paint are the ones that smack me over the head…make me stop the car and take notes or photos… leave the party and observe…demand I come back to the same place different times of the day to be sure of the essence of the locale. There’s an attachment akin to love of what I’m seeing…painting. Having grownup here I have my favorites. There are places I visit regularly. Some I prefer in certain seasons or weather.
The vistas still hold me. I remember as a child when we would drive from one town to another the fabulous expanse of open space. Those vistas are vanishing. I generally paint with those views in mind… eliminating Mcmansions and the vegetation that comes with them…holding tight to the open wonder of my childhood.

KDHamptons: What message do you hope to communicate through your art?
Eileen Dawn Skretch: Look, really look around you. See the beauty we have here.
One of my favorite compliments to receive on a painting is” I didn’t notice the beauty I drive through every day until I saw it in your painting hanging on the wall!”
Eileen’s paintings can be seen at The Southampton Historical Museum through October 22
and The South Street Gallery, Greenport, 631.477.0021, year round. For more info please go to:  www.EileenDawnSkretch.com

− by Ann Lombardo