Meet Eamon Harrington | Producer, Director & Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eamon Harrington and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eamon, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Words, music, color, film – these are the things that have always interested me. far more than math or science or things analytical. So pursuing those things came naturally to me. it was never really a decision. I wrote from an early age. I began taking pictures in high school. Film and video during college. Eight years learning all facets of television production at a New jersey cable TV station. Then 4 years at MTV Networks in New York, first as a producer than an executive. In 1993 I started my own production company with my business partner John Watkin. We still run Planet Grande Pictures together, with hundreds of hours of credits and many industry honors including 7 Emmys. Eleven years ago I began to paint, and I’ve painted nearly every day since. Perhaps these career moves were conscious decisions, but looking back they feel more like the natural order of things than a well-oiled business plan.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
After 35 years of making documentaries and television programs, and loving every minute of it, I picked up my daughter Maggie’s paintbrush one night after she went to bed. I pushed paint around the canvas for hours. I did it again the next night, and the next, and now eleven years later I’m still doing it. I can’t get enough of it. I’ve made thousands of paintings since then. Acrylic on canvas. Self-taught Outsider art I suppose you’d call it. Bold colors, thick pigment, post-expressionistic, with a nod to folk and pop. I use a lot of text in my work, probably because I can’t draw or represent things realistically, so I rely on the beauty and power of words to make the work come alive. Often the work is politically charged. I’ve made a lot of protest paintings. But just as often it’s calming and serene. Almost always abstract. I was lucky enough to have a gallery of my own for a year and a half in Malibu, where I was able to show my work and host a variety of readings, performances, debates, and community activities. It was called Red Ladder Gallery and my daughter Maggie ran it. I think the thing I love most about the solitary discipline of painting compared to the collaborative exercise of filmmaking is the fact that there are NO NOTES. In television, all you do is get notes. Notes, notes, notes. But with a painting, no one tells you to change your blue to green. There is tremendous freedom in that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Because I live in Malibu I’d start here at the beach. We’d hang out for the day on Little Dume beach. We’d have happy hour at the Sunset restaurant to watch the sun dip below the horizon, and then we’d grab dinner at Cafe Habana or Tra Di Noi. We’d probably wind up at the Soho House on PCH for a nightcap. I’d make sure to give them a few rides through the canyons, both Las Virgenes and Kanan. We’d hit the walking streets in Venice, the canals, Abbot Kinney, the boardwalk, all of it. Drinks at Joes. Dinner at Gjelina. I’d tell them they need to book at least one night at the Chateau Marmont, and I’d invite myself along for a meal on the patio and a swim in the pool. We’d hit downtown of course, and I’d call my daughter Molly for recommendations of the best restaurants. We’d walk around the hipster neighborhoods on the east side. We’d drive through the Hollywood Hills at night to find the best vista of the city lights. We’d take in a ball game at Dodger stadium if there was one. And I’d probably find a way to get them to the bar at Davenport’s for martinis and jumbo shrimp cocktails. That would take up the first half of the week. I think we’d spend the remainder hitting the dozens of culturally rich neighborhoods that define LA’s ethnic and racial diversity. We’d eat at as many of the little local joints as we could fit in.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost my wife & muse Veronica Brady gets the loudest shootout. Besides blessing me with 4 incredible kids, Veronica has managed to maintain a busy, vibrant and successful career of her own as a producer / director in theatre, television and film. I’m in awe of her. My business partner John Watkin gets a big shoutout for nearly 30 years of creative collaboration. MY large and extended family of co-workers and employees at Planet Grande have all taught me how to be better at what I do. And my kids – Molly, Leo, Maggie & Seamus – give me purpose, inspiration and love.

Website: eamonharrington.myshopify.com
Instagram: @eamonh
Linkedin: Eamon Harrington
Facebook: Eamon Harrington
Other: www.planetgrande.net