Artist Statement

My watercolor paintings present images of formal dinnerware in still-life arrangements.  Each piece of china, crystal or silver is from the collection passed down to me through four generations of women in my family.  As I work with these objects, they evoke memories of good times shared around tables graced with their beauty.  The result is a symbolic reflection of my past and present that captures generations of time, not one particular moment in time.

While my work reflects an intense interest in realism, it also includes my belief that abstraction is most effectively expressed within realism.  Each painting embodies the abstract elements within reality.

On the surface, the images appear to collide with reality.  A closer examination reveals that reality and illusion are sometimes difficult to determine.  By following this principle, my work expresses a special complexity while, at the same time, reducing three-dimensional images to abstract patterns existing as flat shapes.

With each painting, my goal is to convey a conceptual image of reality and the abstraction of reality.  I accomplish this by translating small pieces of information into multi-focused paintings.  The complexity of the paintings makes it difficult to focus on any one object.  The viewer must then step back to view the painting as an abstract whole.

Time is another element addressed in my work.  Each painting is a deliberate, symbolic reflection of the past and present — a statement about our own time, a means of saying something about our past society.

Biography

Charmaine maintains a studio in Alameda, California, where she continues to pursue her professional interests in painting and sculpture.  She is a widow with two children and two grandchildren.  She is represented by the Amsterdam/Whitney Gallery in NYC.

Her professional accomplishments include several academic degrees and a twenty-five-year career as an art instructor at Alameda High School, which is part of the Alameda Unified School District.  Charmaine retired in 1993 after serving thirteen years as chairperson of the Fine Arts Department.  Geminis don't really ever retire though, so in 2000 she rentered the work world as an art instructor once again for Alameda High.  She also served as an Alameda County Art Commissioner.  She continues to substitute teach in the district.

Charmaine’s watercolors are sought after by corporate and private collectors in the United States, Japan, Australia and France.  Several Northern California galleries have presented her work in special exhibitions.  Her commissioned paintings are on view at the Westin Hotel, Tokyo, Japan.

Her work was featured in the November 1997 issue of American Artist Magazine and at the National Watercolor and San Diego Watercolor traveling shows.  The American Watercolor Society (AWS) invited Charmaine to participate in their 134th annual international exhibition in New York from April 3 to April 29, 2001.  Her work was previously included in this prestigious AWS exhibit in 1997.  Her paintings are often on view at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, the Triton Museum in Santa Clara, California, and the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York, New York.

Charmaine has earned the following academic credentials.

Hayward State University, Hayward, CA Bachelor of Arts – Art & Social Science
Hayward State University, Hayward, CA Secondary Credential – Art
University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA   Bachelor of Fine Arts – Art
California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, CA     Master of Fine Arts – Painting

Affiliations

Signature Member of the National and California Watercolor Society, Member of the American Watercolor Society, National Association of Women Artists (NAWA), Alameda Women Artists.

Professional 2001 - 2008   Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York, NY 2002 - 2006   Alameda Gallery, Alameda, CA 1998 - 2000   New Masters Gallery, Carmel, CA 1998          Studio Gallery, Alameda, CA 1997 - 2000   Galeria Prova, Tokyo, Japan 1994 - 1997   Weston Hotel, Tokyo, Japan 1993          Choices Gallery, Alameda, CA 1991          MFA show, Art Store Gallery, Oakland, CA 1985 - 1987   Gateway Gallery, Carmel, CA 1981 - 1985   Winters Gallery, Carmel, CA 1981 - 1984   Alameda County Art Commissioner 1970 - 1993   Art teacher - Alameda High School 2000 - 2005   Alameda High School 1980 - 1993  Fine Arts Department Chairmen (A.H.S.)

Group Shows 2008          CWA Signature Members Show, San Francisco, CA 2006          Elders Show de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA 2006          Circle of Winners, New York, NY 2005          National Association Women Artist, Philadelphia, PA 2004          National Association of Women Artist, New York, NY 2002          Side by Side, Philadelphia & National WS, Berman Museum, P.P 2001          "99, American Watercolor Society, New York, New York 2001          "96, "90, "84 California Watercolor Society 1st place, P.G.E, Reid Memorial ) 2000          "97, "90, "82 Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown Ohio. 1999          California United Artists' Society, Oakland, CA. First Place 1998          Galleria Prova, Tokyo, Japan 1997          77th National Watercolor Society Brea CA- Signature member & traveling,  show. 1997          National Society of Artist – Honorable Mention 1996          Planetary Renaissance International Art Spectacular, Min, MN. Best of Category 1996          Triton Museum of Art. Statewide WIC show, Santa Clara, CA. 1996          Magumn Opus IX International Competion, Sacramento CA. Best of Show 1989          Grumbacher Award 1987          Artist's Society International, San Francisco, First Place 1986          International Art Competion, New York, NY, Fourth Place 1985          "83, Leslie Levy Gallery, National Contemporary Realism, Scottsdale, AZ 1984          San Diego Watercolor Society Intematioal, San Diego, CA. 1st & traveling show 1983          California Statewide Art Show, Santa Rosa, CA. Best of Show