In Monet's Garden with Eric Santoli
Plein Air Easton Podcast
Go behind the easel with celebrated painter and educator on the latest episode of the Plein Air Easton Podcast. Hosts Tim and Marie sit down with Eric for a lively conversation about his life on the road, the inspiration behind his Eric En Plein Air PBS series, and the artistic journey that shaped him into one of today’s most exciting plein air voices. From studying at the University of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts to living and painting at Claude Monet's House and Gardens as a Munn Fellow Artist-in-Residence, Eric shares the origin story behind his passion...
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Strong Fundamentals with Lyudmila Tomova Clarke
Plein Air Easton Podcast
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Lyudmila Tomova to trace her extraordinary journey across continents, cultures, and careers. From her early years growing up in Sofia, Lyudmila Tomova shares what it was like to leave everything behind and begin again as a political refugee in New York City. Her story takes a remarkable turn when she’s recruited by The Walt Disney Company—a pivotal chapter that helped shape her artistic voice and discipline. But it’s her evolution beyond the studio that truly defines her legacy. Today, Lyudmila Tomova is celebrated as one of the world’s...
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From Graffiti to Plein Air with Antwan Ramar
Plein Air Easton Podcast
In this episode of the Plein Air Easton Podcast, we sit down with acclaimed painter Antwan Ramar for a conversation about the roots of his artistic journey. Antwan shares stories from his early life, reflecting on the moments and influences that first sparked his creativity and led him toward a life in art. We also dive into how he discovered plein air painting, the challenges and rewards of painting outdoors, and the way working directly from nature continues to shape his artistic voice. Along the way, Antwan talks about finding community in the plein air world, developing his style, and the...
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Art as an Advocacy Tool
Plein Air Easton Podcast
In this episode of the Plein Air Easton Podcast, we’re joined by Carol Bean of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy for a conversation about land, legacy, and the power of creative expression. Carol shares how ESLC works to protect the Eastern Shore’s farms, forests, and waterways—and why preserving these landscapes matters now more than ever. We also dig into the unique role artists can play in environmental advocacy, exploring how painting, storytelling, and visual documentation can inspire stewardship and spark meaningful conversations about conservation. It’s a thoughtful look at how...
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Values with Murray Taylor
Plein Air Easton Podcast
This week on The Plein Air Podcast, we sit down with artist Murray Taylor, a man who has spent an impressive amount of time chasing light, landscapes, and the elusive “just one more brushstroke.” We talk about painting outdoors (yes, including wind sabotage), the strange joy of hauling art supplies into nature like a very optimistic pack mule, and what actually happens when reality refuses to match your reference photo. Murray shares stories from the field, hard-earned wisdom, and the kind of insight that only comes from staring at a horizon until it blinks first. Expect laughs, honest...
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Never Give Up with Joshua Hoffman
Plein Air Easton Podcast
Marie and Tim talk with first time Plein Air Easton juried artist Joshua Hoffman who won 3rd place in this year's festival with his painting "Youth". Joshua talks about the importance of mentorship, pursuing his passion, and the story behind his award winning painting. "I have been studying art for over 20 years. I began oil painting in college where I quickly fell in love with landscape and plein air painting. There is something special about the connection a painter develops with their surroundings when they are routinely observing and practicing plein air painting, Through utilizing...
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Painting is a Compulsion with Martin Geiger
Plein Air Easton Podcast
In the launch of our 5th season, Jess and Marie talk with the 2025 Grand Prize Winner Martin Geiger. Martin, an introspective and serious painter, reflects on his family of artists, how he approaches competition, and how painting for him is almost an addiction. Martin Geiger studied in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for four years at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and now lives in Staunton, Virginia. He is head assistant at Bronzecraft Foundry as well as an instructor at the Beverly Street Studio School and a trustee on the board of the Staunton Augusta Art Center, He recieved two...
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The Preciousness of Time with Peter Trippi
Plein Air Easton Podcast
With Plein Air Easton right around the corner, Jess and Marie talk with the 2025 festival judge Peter Trippi. They discuss his early introduction to art history, his position as Editor-in-Chief at Fine Art Connoisseur magazine, and his approach to curation and judging. Peter Trippi has edited Fine Art Connoisseur since 2006. Previously, he directed New York’s Dahesh Museum of Art, which specialized in 19th-century European academic painting and sculpture. Before that, he held senior posts at the Brooklyn Museum and Baltimore Museum of Art. In 2002, Phaidon Press published Trippi’s...
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Look Longer with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy
Plein Air Easton Podcast
Following the inaugural Alumni Invitational through a partnership with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, Marie and Jess are joined by Communications Manager Caitlin Fisher, the brainchild behind the exhibition, to discuss the motivation behind the project and to debrief on how it went. Founded in 1990, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving land on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. From farm fields to marshes to woodlands and public trails, it is our mission to conserve, steward, and advocate for the unique rural landscape for generations to come....
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The Joy of Color and Light with Debra Huse
Plein Air Easton Podcast
LIVE from Plein Air Easton 2024, Tim and Jess talk with alumni artist Debra Huse. Debra brings her trademark joy to the conversation as she discusses the many projects she is involved with. Debra Huse is a contemporary American Impressionist. She uses rich color and bold fluid strokes to capture the light and drama in her plein air and studio oil paintings. Debra enjoys painting on location and has painted in many plein air events across the country. Huse and her husband Randy enjoy traveling on their sport fishing boat GROUPER where Debra often paints scenes from the...
info_outlineDan Weiss, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, served as the judge of the 2021 Plein Air Easton art competition. As we worked with Dan during the festival, we found him to be a passionate, kind, and easy-going man that was able to say incredibly intelligent things in a way that felt connecting when other wise people may sound exclusionary. He joined us virtually from quarantine to share the story of how he became such a uniquely qualified candidate for his role at the Met and express his love for Plein Air painting.
A scholar of art history and a seasoned leader of complex institutions, Dan Weiss was previously President and Professor of Art History of Haverford College and, from 2005 to 2013 of Lafayette College. He holds an MBA from Yale and a PhD from Johns Hopkins University in western medieval and Byzantine art, where he joined the art history faculty and in six years rose to full professor and then chair of the department. Three years later, he became the James B. Knapp Dean of Johns Hopkins’s Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. He holds a BA in Art History and Psychology from The George Washington University.
The author of six books and numerous articles, Weiss has published and lectured widely on a variety of topics, including the art of the Middle Ages and the Crusades, higher education, museums, and American culture. His most recent books include In That Time: Michael O’Donnell and the Tragic Era of Vietnam (2019), and Remaking College: Innovation and the Liberal Arts (2013). Earlier in his career, Weiss spent four years as a management consultant at Booz, Allen & Hamilton in New York.
The recipient of fellowships from Harvard University, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Weiss received the Business and Society Award from the Yale School of Management, the Van Courtlandt Elliott Award from the Medieval Academy of America for scholarship in medieval studies, the Distinguished Alumni Award from George Washington University, and he was inducted into the Society of Scholars at Johns Hopkins in 2018.
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To inquire about being a guest or sponsoring the Plein Air Easton Podcast, send us an email at info@pleinaireaston.com.
This episode is sponsored by JFM Enterprises, providing distinctive ready-made and custom frames & mouldings to the trade since 1974.
Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions & Scott Gratton.