Honoring the Cover Artist: Casey Chalem Anderson

This week’s cover sees the return of a favorite Dan’s Papers cover artist, Casey Chalem Anderson, who can now say she has a dozen Dan’s covers under her belt. Here, she discusses this week’s dreamy cover, her Towd Point series, summer plans and more.

Where were you when the inspiration struck to paint “Questioning the Sky,” and is this a place you’d visited or painted before?

On the cover is a left-hand detail of a larger painting that looks out toward the opening to the bay right from Towd Point Road in Southampton. Two tender strips of land reach out toward each other, never quite touching. All boats coming into North Sea Harbor or heading out to the Little Peconic Bay must pass through this narrow channel. I’ve spent many hours observing the changes in the tides as it affects these sandy shores. They are in constant flux.

I didn’t grow up coming out to the Hamptons, but started to get to know it when I was in college in California. I came to visit my Dad at his summer house on Towd Point. I fell in love with the land, the water and the sky.

Over the years, I’ve painted the area many times. Towd Point is the place that made me think, “maybe I could live here all year long.” That was 30 years ago.

Did you paint this on location or in your studio?

This painting was painted in the studio using my memory, reference photos and my passion for oil paint.
I know this place intimately. In every season, at every time of day, Towd Point resonates with beauty. It’s delicate and with water on both sides of the road, extremely vulnerable. This fragility is an integral part of its beauty. When I go there, I’m reminded of the ultimate power of the sea and the fleeting nature of life.

Do you consider your art style and process to be still evolving or mostly set?

Whether it’s the curve of a rolling ocean wave, a flower field filled with blooming color or reflections on tranquil water, I’m interested in translating the beauty I see here in the Hamptons. I believe taking a moment to soak in the physical beauty allows us the space to wonder and connect with our higher consciousness.

I’m always discovering new ways to paint, new color mixes and new challenges, so I would say it is constantly evolving.

Your most recent Dan’s Papers cover was for the June 23, 2022 issue. What artistic endeavors have you been up to since then?

My inexhaustible astonishment and fondness for Towd Point has led me to create a brand new series of paintings, 36 Views of Towd Point.

Towd Point encapsulates mystical, philosophical and spiritual awe for me. I see it as I look out and feel it as I paint. When the painting is complete, it resonates with wonder and allows viewers to experience a philosophical moment for themselves. Solitude is essential to discovering who we are, where we want to point ourselves and how we want to make our mark on the world. Looking out on the sea or at paintings of beauty can give us that moment.

What upcoming art events, exhibitions or other projects are you working toward now?

I have plans to exhibit the new paintings, some of them quite large, when I get farther along. Right now, I’m focused entirely on the Towd Point project; some of the works are painted in my studio and some are created on location.

I’m working with Irwin Levy and Esperanza Leon from the podcast “Our Hamptons.” They will have an upcoming show on Towd Point — fun stories about what it was like years ago and some of the history of the place. I love to learn everything I can about this place that I love. It all goes into the paintings!

What are you most looking forward to about the upcoming East End summer?

For the first time in my life, I’ll be kayaking around Towd Point. My boyfriend got me a wetsuit for Christmas, anticipating that we would be on the water as soon as possible. I think I’m going to like it, and it will surely give me a whole new perspective to translate into paintings.

Would you like to share any closing thoughts or additional information?

Thank you, Dan’s Papers, this is my 12th cover making it an even dozen!

You can purchase prints of my seaside paintings here: artfullywalls.com. I have a studio in Sag Harbor. You can contact me to visit through my website: caseyart.com. Instagram: @CaseyChalemAnderson (Hamptons oil painter of modern seascapes).