Thank you SO MUCH to the amazing team at Plein Air Easton for having me on their podcast!  Below is a YouTube version of the podcast or you can listen to the episode here: https://pleinaireaston.com/podcast/monets-garden

"Go behind the easel with celebrated painter and educator Eric Santoli 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 for outdoor painting, teaching, and adventure. It’s an inspiring listen full of travel tales, career insight, and the spontaneous energy that makes plein air painting so magical."

  I had a fascinating visit today to Macculloch Hall in Morristown, NJ.   We'll be filming an episode there this summer for Season 2 so I wanted to visit beforehand.  Executive Director, Kathleen Bartlett gave me a wonderful tour inside and outside this beautiful Georgian mansion.  
  Macculloch Hall has tons of history which was almost lost as the home fell into disrepair before being saved in the 20th century.  There is a beautiful historic garden which is free and open to the public daily.  The garden includes some of the first wisteria in the US given by Commodore Perry in 1857 and also the second oldest sassafras tree in NJ.  Jersey tomato fans should note that the first recorded tomato was grown here!
  The museum has an impressive collection of artwork including work by Charles Wilson Peale (the founder of my alma mater - the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts).  They also house a collection of work by political cartoonist, Thomas Nast (1840-1902) who lived across the street from Macculloch Hall.  Amongst his political cartoons, Nast is responsible for the donkey and elephant political party mascot depictions.  And impressively, Nast created the modern depiction of Santa Clause (which may have been modeled after his own jovial likeness); Nast conjured up the North Pole, the Naughty or Nice list and other iconic Santa-related ideas.
  I had also planned to do some painting in their garden today, but it was raining so I'll have to wait until our return.  If you're in this area of NJ, then I definitely encourage you to visit Macculloch Hall to take a tour and experience this history for yourself!

  I want to say "Congratulations!" to my friend, J Schwanke for 100 episodes of his amazing public TV program!  J Schwanke's Life in Bloom has been one of my favorite shows for years and I am so happy for J and his family.
  J's show is inspiring, education, engaging, fun and peaceful.  If you enjoy flowers and gardening then it's a program that you must watch.
  You can watch the "One Hundred Blooms" episode (Season 8, Ep.805) here: https://www.pbs.org/video/one-hundred-blooms-mSipHT/  ..and keep an eye out for a familiar face around the 16:28 mark!

  I am so excited as we get ready for the premiere of Eric En Plein Air!  It's been an amazing journey to get to this point and I'm so proud of all the work that our team put into this program.  We're working now on developing Season 2 which has many more locations to explore by brush!
  I'm heading to the South of France in 9 days to teach a workshop, but I'll share more updates before I leave!