Born and raised in Duncan, Eaton’s love for nature drew him outdoors to appreciate the wilderness around him. In his youth, he lived on a farm alongside the Koksilah River and could usually be spotted wandering the shore, fishing and appreciating the display of colours and life next to the water.
In reminiscing about his childhood, Eaton said many years were spent in solitary thought, and looking back now, his memory serves as a patchwork of colours and scents.
He recalls that his love for the arts first took shape while in a junior high art class; a love that has held strong for more than 50 years. It was the instructor of that art class that introduced him to oil paints, and was also someone with whom he could discuss colour and painting techniques.
After graduating high school, Eaton left for Vancouver to attend the Vancouver School of Art in the 1970s. Although he was accepted into a four-year program, he left the city after a year, realizing that the rush of city life was not for him.
Eaton also felt that the school did not offer a lot in the artistic direction he wanted to go in, and believed, at that time, he would have appreciated more of a structured curriculum. He also found it hard to fit in, coming from the Island, but still appreciated his time there and credits it as a learning experience. While in Vancouver, he became a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, and remained a member for the better part of 15 years.
Eaton has found the creative process, although, by necessity, a solitary process, is in the end about letting others share in his vision of the world around us. If he can evoke a feeling or response with a painting or drawing, then maybe in some small way, he has succeeded.
