>> I'M ERIK FORD FOR MADE HERE.

WITH WHALES FROM MASSACHUSETTS

INTRODUCES US TO CHARLIE HUNTER

IN HIS FILM I KNOW IT WHEN I SEE

IT.

CHARLIE HUNTER, AN IRASCIBLE AND

CHARISMATIC PAINTER, SHARES HIS

MASTERY OF CARAFE AND HIS WISDOM

BULLPEN THE LANDSCAPE OF HIS

HOME STATE.

I FOUND MYSELF INSTANDLY

CAPTURED AND I'M SURE YOU WILL

TOO.

YOU CAN WATCH THIS AND MANY

OTHER MAJOR STORIES STREAMING ON

VERMONTPBS.ORG AND THROUGH THE

PBS APP.

THANKS FOR WATCHING

>> I SUCK ADD RATINGS AND I SUCK

AT MUSIC SO HERE I AM DOING WHAT

I CAN DO.

GLIE REMEMBER THE EXACT MOMENT I

FELL IN LOVE WITH TRAINS.

HALF A LEAGUE, HALF A LEAGUE,

HALF A LEAGUE ONWARD.

STORMED AT WITH SHOT AND SHELL,

THE HORSE AND HERO FELL, THEY

THAT HAD FOUGHT SO WELL, ALL

THAT WAS LEFT, ALL THAT WAS LEFT

OF 600.

I WOULDN'T TAKE BRATTLEBORO IF

YOU GAVE IT TOE IN ON A STICK.

I LIKE IT JUST FINE BUT IT'S NOT

MY CUP OF TEA.

YOU HAVE TO LIVE SOMEWHERE.

I WOULD RATHER LIVE HERE WITH A

BUNCH OF OUTLIERS INSTEAD OF A

MAINSTREAM PLACE WITH CRAPPY

TRAFFIC.

OH, I'M LOOKING AT THE CAMERA,

AREN'T I?

I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT?

OH.

I KNOW.

SUZANNE TAKES YOU TO A PLACE BY

THE RIVER!

BREAKFAST TIME.

DELICIOUS.

MMM.

LOOK AT THAT!

SMELLS LIKE BURNED TIRES.

WHEN WE WAKE UP IN THE MORNING

WE'RE IN A FOUL MOOD BUT THEN WE

GET TO EAT DELICIOUS FOOD,

DELICIOUS FOOD, DELICIOUS FOOFD,

IT TASTES SO GOOD, IT TASTES SO

GOOD.

I JUST SING IT FOR AS LONG AS

THE FOOD EATING RITUAL TAKES

PLACE.

EAT!

EAT!

NEW YORK HAS INVADED BY BEAVERS.

THIS LOOKS LIKE DOG -- SOMETIMES

IT'S LIKE CAT , SOMETIMES IT'S

LIKE HORSE -- TODAY IT'S FOUL.

I COME HERE EVERY MORNING.

THE FOOD IS WONDERFUL.

YOU GET TO BE SURROUNDED BY

BEAUTY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO

MAINTAIN.

IT'S JUST -- IT'S JOYFUL.

I MEAN, IT'S UNPRE-TEN CHUS.

BYE!

>> BYE, GUYS!

THIS IS GRETA.

GRETA ROCKS.

THANKS.

I THINK IT'S EMBLEMATIC OF

BELLA'S FALLS.

IT'S QUIRKY AND INDIVIDUALISTIC.

BELLA'S FALLS WAS NOT AN ARTIST

TOWN.

EVERYBODY IS COVERED IN CAT

HAIR.

YOU GO UP TO MONTREAL THEY HAVE

WORSE WEATHER THAN WE DO AND

EVERYBODY LOOKS FABULOUS.

YOU COME HERE, EVERYBODY LOOKS

LIKE HELL.

WE DO NOT LIKE HUGGING.

WHEN I HUG IT'S KIND OF A

MODIFIED HEIMLICH MANEUVER BUT I

GREW UP IN NEW ENGLAND.

I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER

PERSPECTIVE.

I THINK THEY ARE MORE FRIENDLY.

MORE FRIENDLY BUT ALSO MORE

LIKELY TO KILL YOU.

YOU'VE GOT A MIX OF PEOPLE WHO

ARE LONG TIME FROM HERE, YOU'VE

GOT A BUNCH OF INTERESTING

PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME HERE.

NO ONE IS THINKING WHAT USED TO

BE HERE IS GOING TO COME BACK.

DON'T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO THESE

SONS -- NO ONE THINKS THAT THE

PAPER MILLS ARE COMING BACK.

BELLA'S FALLS IS OVER.

THAT I REMEMBER WHEN I LIVED IN

NORTHAMPTON THERE WAS A CARTOON

THAT SAID, GREENWICH VILLAGE

GONE RURAL, WITH A PICTURE OF A

OVERALLS WEARING FARMER AND A

BLACK WOMAN IN CAT'S EYEGLASSES.

SHE SAYS, WANT TO GO TO THE

TRACTOR PULL?

HE SAYS, NO I THOUGHT I WOULD GO

TO THE CINEMA AND CATCH DIVA

AGAIN.

>> THANK YOU!

>> YES, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE

STUDIO.

WE'RE GOING TO -- THE WORDS OF

MY FRIEND PATRICK LEE, OUR JOB

AS ARTISTS IS TO LEARN TO

ACCURATELY RENDER THINGS AND

THEN -- IT UP.

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.

>> YOU PEOPLE ARE BEAUTIFUL!

JUST BEAUTIFUL!

THE ANALOGY I HAVE USED OFTEN

WHEN TEACHING IS TOWNS VAN ZANDT

SONG PANCHO AND LEFTY.

LIVING ON THE ROAD MY FRIEND IS

GOING TO MAKE YOU FREE AND CLEAN

BUT NOW YOU WEAR YOUR SKIN LIKE

HIGHER THAN AND YOUR BREATH'S AS

HARD AS KEROSENE WHAT.

DOES THAT LITERALLY MEAN?

HARD AS KEROSENE?

YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE MEANS.

THAT I WOULD ASPIRE TO PAINT.

TO HAVE A PAINTING EVEN APPROACH

THAT LEVEL OF STORY TRUTH.

OH, GOD, THAT WAS ELOQUENT.

I REMEMBERED IT SINCE I WAS NINE

OR TEN, I'M NOT GOING TO FORGET

IT IN THE NEXT TWO MINUTES!

IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON AND THE

SUN WAS GOLDEN HOUR, THE LITTLE

FREIGHT TRAIN CAME BY.

I READ THE SIDES OF THE BOXCARS

AND SAID ONE THAT SAID NICKEL

PLATE ROAD.

THE LETTERING WAS JUST

FANTASTIC.

THE BEAUTY OF THE LIGHT ON THIS

KIND OF FORGOTTEN OBJECT THAT

WAS STILL IN MOTION, IT JUST WAS

PROFOUND TO ME.

I WAS HOOKED ON TRAINS.

MY THEORY IS ALL RIGHT THINKING

TWO-YEAR-OLDS LOVE TRAINS.

AND THEN PEOPLE LOSE TOUCH WITH

THEIR -- THEIR -- WHAT STEERED

THEM RIGHT ABOUT CHILDHOOD.

THEY FORGET.

I JUST -- TRAINS ARE MY RIGHT

OBJECT, YOU KNOW?

PART OF WHY I LIKE TRAINS SO

MUCH IS GRAPHICALLY THEY ROCK.

NICE HORIZONTALS CUTTING THROUGH

THE LAND.

ALSO FASCINATION WITH PASSAGE OF

TIME.

IT'S IMPORTANT.

>> WHY?

>> BECAUSE IT'S JAMES THURBER

WROTE, GETS US ALL IN THE END.

WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT HUMAN

ENDEAVOR IS ABOUT ATTEMPTING TO

LITERALLY MAKE ONE'S MARK IN THE

TIME THAT ONE HAS.

YEAH.

YEAH.

I THINK THAT'S THE MOST

ENDEARING THING ABOUT HUMANS.

WE'RE GOING TO FAIL.

BUT YET WE TRY.

>> THE ONE PARTICULAR SKILL SET

I HAVE ALLOWS ME TO LOOK AT

SOMETHING AND DO A DECENT

GENERALLY DO A DECENT PAINTING

OF IT IN A COUPLE OF HOURS.

THAT IN AND OF ITSELF IS OF

LIMITED INTEREST.

IT'S LIKE A DOG BEING ABLE TO

DANCE ON ITS HIND LEGS.

IF ONE ACCEPTS THAT ART IS ABOUT

TRYING TO BREAK THROUGH THE

INHERENT LONELINESS OF EXISTENCE

OF SHARING WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO

BE ALIVE, THEN HOW DO YOU MAKE

AN IMAGE THAT TRANSCENDS THE

LITERAL ASPECT OF IT?

I THINK IT'S A WORTHWHILE THING

TO BE THINKING ABOUT.

RATHER THAN WORKING FROM A

PRECONCEIVED IMAGE, I'M JUST

MAKING THESE MARKS THAT I FIND

GRAPHICALLY INTERESTING, AND

THEN FROM THAT ONCE THIS DRIES I

CAN USE IT HOPEFULLY AS AN ARM

TOUR, AN ABSTRACT COLLECTION OF

SHAPES, MAKING IT A TRUTH

WEILAND SCAPE OR A SOMEWHAT

TRUTHFUL SPACE.

WHERE IS THAT GOING TO GO?

GOING TO END UP -- OR IS IT -- I

HAVE NO IDEA AT THIS POINT.

WHAT?

SOMEONE WOULD LIKE A LITTLE MORE

LAP TIME.

I'M SORRY

MY TRUTH IS IF THERE'S A CERTAIN

LEVEL OF DESTRUCTION, IF THERE'S

A CERTAIN LEVEL OF -- A CERTAIN

POINT OF NO RETURN, IT FEELS FOR

ME DISRESPECTFUL TO DOCUMENT IT.

ONCE A CAR IS REALLY SINKING

INTO THE EARTH, IT'S LIKE LET IT

RUST IN PEACE.

LET IT HAVE ITS LAST TIME BY

ITSELF.

>> I GUESS WHAT I WANT TO KNOW

IS BEING VANQUISHED.

>> WHAT THE -- ARE YOU TALKING

ABOUT?

>> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS

THAT ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED,

ANNIHILATED AS OPPOSED TO APOP

LIP TICK.

>> I DON'T WANT TO PAINT THOSE.

>> RATHER YOUR STORE, YOUR GAS

STATION, THERE'S A CERTAIN LEVEL

OF SPIRIT THAT ENDURES AND

PREVAILS THAT'S UNVANQUISHED.

>> YES, THE NOBILITY.

HONOR THE LIGHT BRIGADE.

HONOR THE CHARGE THEY MADE.

YEAH.

THAT'S ABOUT ALL I REMEMBER OF

CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE.

HALF A LEAGUE, HALF A LEAGUE,

HALF A LEAGUE STORMED THE HORSE

AND HERO FELL, THEY THAT HAD

FOUGHT SO WELL.

ALL THAT WAS LEFT, LEFT OF 600.

YEAH.

I LIKE THINGS THAT HAVE A MOD I

COME OF DIGNITY.

I LIKE WHEN THEY SLIDE OFF YOUR

LAP AND FALL ON THE FLOOR.

I WOULD RATHER NOT BE GIMPY.

I DIDN'T WAKE UP ONE MORNING AND

SAY,, GO I WOULD LIKE THE

ADDITIONAL CHALLENGE OF BEING --

OF HAVING LIMITED MOVEMENT, BUT

EVERYBODY I KNOW WHO IS 60 HAS

SOME PROBLEM OR OTHER.

IF I I'VE GOT THIS PROBLEM THAT

I WALK FUNNY, CAN'T REALLY USE

MY RIGHT HAND, WHAT I'M GOING

THROUGH DOESN'T SEEM TO BE TO BE

ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT ANYBODY

ELSE GOES THROUGH.

THERE'S NOTHING PROFOUND ABOUT

IT.

NOT ENOUGH TIME, WE'RE NOT GOING

TO GET IT ALL DONE.

HEY, BUDDY.

YEAH.

THAT'S PART OF THE GAME TOO.

I'M STILL HOPING FOR

IMMORTALITY, BUT CURRENTLY THE

SIGNS ARE NOT LOOKING TERRIBLY

POSITIVE.

I WOULD PREFER TO BE ABLE TO

HAVE AN UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME

TO BE REALLY GOOD AT BEING A

HUMAN BEING, BUT WE GEL AS MUCH

TIME AS WE GET.

WE ALL DO PRETTY MUCH.

WELL, WHO SAYS I'M RIGHT?

I MAY BE JUST FULL OF !

I DON'T LIKE WORKING FROM

PHOTOGRAPHS.

I WILL BUT I DON'T LIKE IT.

I'M JUST MAKING THESE MARKS THAT

I FIND GRAPHICALLY INTERESTING,

THEN FROM THAT ONCE THIS DRIES I

CAN USE IT HOPEFULLY AS ANAR

MATURE.

IF MY HANDSHAKES AT ALL, THEY

VOLKS STRUCTURE BUT IT'S NOT A

STRUCTURE AT THIS POINT.

IT'S ALSO NOT REALLY A PAINTING

AT THIS POINT BUT IT'S A

SOMETHING.

I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE THIS

PAINTING AT THIS POINT ABOUT

LOLA'S IN STURGEON BAY,

WISCONSIN, I'M TRYING TO MAKE IT

ABOUT EVERYBODY WHO STOOD IN

FRONT OF AN ENIGMATIC, GHOSTLY

BUILDING.

MACHINE TOOL INDUSTRY

SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT, HAS MOVED

ON SO HOW IS SPRINGFIELD, VERNLT

GOING TO REINVENT ITSELF NOW?

INTERNATIONAL PAPER WAS FOUNDED

IN BELLA'S FALLS.

IT'S LONG SINCE HEADED OUT.

HOW ISABELLA'S FALLS GOING TO

REINVENT ITSELF NOW?

THAT IS WHAT THESE PAINTINGS DO

TOUCH ON.

NOW WHAT?

NOW CAN WE GO RIDE TRAINS?

PRETTY SOON.

HERE'S BOB'S TRAIN ALL PUT

TOGETHER READY FOR THE

PASSENGERS.

IN THE REAR IS THE OBSERVATION

CAR.

THE ASKED THE CONDUCTOR TO KEEP

AN EYE ON BOB BECAUSE THIS IS

HIS FIRST TRAIN TRIP ALONE.

YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN NOW, HE SAYS.

THE HUGE LOCOMOTIVE SETS THE

TRAIN IN MOTION, SLOWLY AT FI

FIRST.

OH, LOOK OUT, HERE SHE COMES.

THERE SHALL GOES.

SHE'S GONE, STREELG STRAIGHT

THROUGH TEXAS LIKE A BIG

CYCLONE, BIG, RED AND SILVER.

SHE'S A MAD DOG STREAMLINE COME

TO SHOW THE FOLKS.

I ADMIRE WRITING LIKE THAT LIKE

TOWNS VAN ZANDT OR JOHN PRYNE.

I READ ENOUGH THAT I HAVE AN

IDEA OF IT.

I DON'T REALLY WANT TO LEARN

MORE ABOUT IT.

I PREFER NOT -- WELL, LET THE

MYSTERY BE.

YOU KNOW?

I CAN DO THAT MORE EASILY WITH

MUSIC THAN I CAN WITH ART.

I KNOW MORE OF THE TRICKS WITH

ART

>> PART OF PAINTING MEANS JUST

PAINTING OUTSIDE.

IT IS PART OF THE AMERICAN LOVE

OF PUTTING FOREIGN NAMES ON

THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S

AFRAID IT'S DECLASSE.

IT'S HAD A REBIRTH IN THE LAST

TEN YEARS IN THE U.S.

THIS YEAR MANAGED TO FINALLY

COMBINE MY TWO LOVES OF TRAINS

-- OF TRAINS AND PAINTING AND WE

DID A THING CALLED ON TRAIN-AIR.

A PAINTER FRIEND OF MINE, LARRY

MOORE, WANTED TO SEE IF IT WAS

POSSIBLE TO TAKE A TRAIN, JUST

GO ONE STOP DOWN THE LINE FOR

LIKE A WEEK, EACH DAY MOVING ONE

STOP FURTHER DOWN, PAINTING IN

EACH ONE OF THOSE LITTLE TOWNS.

CONCURRENTLY I WAS REALLY

INVOLVED WITH EFFORTS TO SAVE

ONE PARTICULAR AMERICAN TRAIN,

THE SOUTHWEST CHIEF.

SHE'S A DAILY AMTRAK TRAIN

BETWEEN CHICAGO AND LOS ANGELES.

SO IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, ME AND

FIVE OTHER PLEIN AIR PAINTERS

BOARDED IN CHICAGO.

WE PAINTED IN LA JUNTA FOR A

DAY.

WE WERE GREETED BY THE MAYOR.

WORD OF OUR COMING HAD SPREAD.

WE ALL GOT LITTLE PENS THAT SAID

YOU'RE ON THE LEVEL IN LA JUNTA.

TRINIDAD, COLORADO, IS AN OLD

MINING TOWN THAT NOW SURVIVES ON

MARIJUANA.

WE WENT STOP DOWN THE LINE TO

RATON, NEW MEXICO.

THESE GUYS SAID, LOOK, WE WERE

COAL MINERS.

COAL MINES ARE NOT COMING BACK.

WE KNOW THAT THE FUTURE OF THIS

TOWN IS GOING TO BE THROUGH THE

ARTS.

AFTER TRINIDAD, RATON, TO LAS

VEGAS, NEW MEXICO, GOT ON THE

TRAIN, WENT ONE STOP DOWN TO

LEIME, NEW MEXICO, THEN WE HAD A

POP-UP SHOW, PAINTING FOR

SOMETHING GREATER THAN ONESELF.

IT'S NOT JUST USING THE PAINT

BECAUSE IT'S FUN TO GO PAINTING.

IT'S USING THE POWER OF THE ARTS

AS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER.

IT'S HELPING EFFORTS FOR REALLY

ADVOCACY AND IT'S ALMOST

AMBASSADORIAL.

GETTING PARTS OF THE COUNTRY,

THE CURRENT RED-BLUE DIVIDE,

GETTING PARTS OF THE COUNTRY TO

TALK TO ONE ANOTHER AGAIN.

WHAT I NEED TO DO FOR A MINUTE

IS STEP BACK AND GO, HMMM.

I CAME WITH THOSE FOLKS BECAUSE

I WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN

HELPING MAKE ARTS COMMUNITY AS

OPPOSED TO GETTING ACCEPTED BY A

PREEXISTING ONE.

DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD.

WHAT THE HELL'S THE POINTS OF

THAT?

BUILD YOUR OWN THING.

IT'S A MUCH BETTER DEAL FOR YOU.

IT'S A SELFISH THING, AND IT

GIVES OTHER PEOPLE AN

OPPORTUNITY AND IT'S AN EXAMPLE

FOR OTHER PEOPLE THAT THEY TOO

SHOULD CREATE THEIR OWN REALITY

AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO GET THE

HIPSTERS TO BELIEVE IN YOU.

LOOKING OKAY OVER THERE.

LOOKING OKAY OVER THERE.

THIS LOOKS SOPHOMOREIC.

NOW THEY ARE STARTING TO

WHISPER.

HE'S NOT GETTING THAT RIGHT!

THAT'S NOT VERY GOOD AT ALL!

I'M STILL GOING TO -- UP THE

RAILROAD TRACKS, TRUST ME.

>> THAT DID NOT BRING ME JOY.

WHAT REMAINS TO BE DONE IS TO

LEARN HOW TO PROPERLY LOAD A

SQUEEGEE, OBVIOUSLY.

EVERYTHING MEANS, YOU KNOW, JUST

GOING TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO

UNTIL YOU KEEL OVER.

YOU'RE GOING TO BOOGIE UNTIL YOU

CAN'T BOOGIE NO MORE.

EVERYONE HAS THEIR RIGHT

OBJECTS.

JUST GETTING BETTER AT WHAT YOU

DO.

YOU KNOW.

>> YOU'RE DONE ASKING QUESTIONS?

OH, I'M NOT DONE PAINTING.

ALL RIGHT?

>> LET'S SEE HERE.

>> SEE, THAT'S GETTING

INTERESTING.

>> I THINK IT IS.

>> CATHOLIC CHURCH HIT IS A

PHILISTINE, BUT THE CREW

APPRECIATES.

GUILDING THE LILY.

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!

YOU PEOPLE ARE BEAUTIFUL!

WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS BEAUTIFUL!

A KIND OF TRUTH WEIY LANDSCAPE.

ATTEMPTING TO LITERALLY MAKE

ONE'S MARK IN THE TIME THAT ONE

HAS.

WE'RE GOING TO FAIL.

BUT YET WE TRY.

>> VERMONT PBS, PARTNERING WITH

LOCAL FILM MAKERS BRING YOU

STORIES MADE HERE.

FOR MORE VISIT VERMONTPBS.ORG.