From perch at his easel on Main Street: an artist’s impressions of Riverhead

The man sitting with an easel across from the Suffolk Theater over the last week doesn’t seem to mind chatting with passersby while he sketches his subject.

“The art dealers in East Hampton said I’d have to be dead for 50 years before they could show my work,” said Randy Smith, a handyman and painter visiting from Howardsville, Va. Smith has painted different sites on Long Island over the years – lighthouses, historic buildings or whatever catches his eye.

Smith first draws his renderings on wood, then paints over them. He’s painted at sites throughout the region, with perhaps a special emphasis on New York City – “I want to paint all the bridges in New York City. Boy, would that be fun” – though he doesn’t stick to a script when it comes to finding a paintable scene. During one 2006 session on the banks of the East River in Queens, A N.Y. Times reporter approached Smith and gleaned a profile piece from their conversation.

“I like the city,” said Smith. “I like this town too. I could actually live here, I believe. I’d like to live on this street right here.”

He learned about the theater from Dan Rattiner, who has published Smith’s work on the cover of Dan’s Papers. The theater’s owners, Dianne and Bob Castaldi, stopped by Smith’s camp-chair-and-easel post one day to chat.

“I feel like they really, ya know, helped this town a lot by pulling this theater together. It’s the heart of town, as far as I’m concerned, and they’re breathing new life into it. So it won’t be long until the rest of the place’ll catch up,” Smith said. “A vibrant little town, ya know? It’ll be exciting to watch it grow up.”

Smith piqued the interest of a few local artists who came to inquire. He talked to one for 20 minutes or so, “had a good, intelligent conversation.”

The drop-by sidewalk encounters aren’t always so pleasant. One man Smith said “didn’t seem right” gave him an earful.

“He started talking about politics, using the N-word, ya know? Gah – just hatred, ya know? Spewing hatred,” Smith said. “He said he thought this theater was probably full of gay people” – Smith chuckled – “I meet some bizarre people here. He was pretty extreme for this town…he said he was an intelligent guy; he told me so.”

Smith, 59, said he shut the visitor off somehow as the conversation turned to how Nixon was set up.

“Told him I didn’t remember the ’70s,” he said. “Stock answer, ya know?”

Another man parked near Smith and noticed markings near the curb, complaining that that meant there would be another festival and “Chuck Schumer’s gonna be here. He doesn’t do a thing.” Smith didn’t see the problem with a visit from the senator.

“If he came walking by on Sunday I’d shake his hand,” he said.

The artist’s interest in the history of what he paints was evident as he spoke of past works, including Alexander Hamilton’s former house now located in Harlem’s St. Nicholas Park.

“I’m a Hamiltonian. In Virginia they’re Jeffersonian. He was just so wrong,” said Smith.

As he drew more detail into the arcing theater’s facade – the curve creates a visual effect he likes – Smith said he was looking forward to his next subject, the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum. The thought didn’t affect the delicate strokes of his pencil.

“All these bricks. I’m gonna get most of ’em.”

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