Advancing Wave 48 x 72 oil/canvas by Casey Chalem Anderson
When I completed Advancing Wave, I had no idea where it would lead. Like most of my paintings, it began quietly in the studio, inspired by shifting light, the movement of water and that feeling of standing right at the edge of the sea.
Last year, Shannon Wiley of Sea Green Designs selected Advancing Wave for a room she designed at the Southampton Designers Showhouse. The painting hung over the large fireplace at the center of the room. Then recently, something unexpected happened. Someone connected with an upcoming film production saw the painting and asked if it might be available. One conversation led to another, and before long, six of my paintings were selected to become part of the film. It reminded me that paintings can have journeys of their own.
The experience also brought me back to something I think about often: the sea doesn’t stop at the shoreline. My paintings were selected to help tell the story of a place where the sea is part of daily life. On screen, as in life, the sea finds its way into our rooms, our memories and our conversations.
Whether a painting hangs in a home, appears in a designed space, or unexpectedly becomes part of a film, my hope is the same: to bring a little of the East End’s light, water, and quiet presence into someone’s daily life. A breath of salt air.
Warmly, Casey
