Charlotte Nelms was born and reared in Oregon yet, as military spouse has lived and continued her art studies all over the North American and European continents. She received her Associate of Arts Degree from City Colleges of Chicago, Europe. Recently, returned from Germany she has chosen to settle in Clarksville and is excited about the art opportunities in the area.
She has always been interested in art, even from an early age. “I can’t remember a time when I did not do some form of art. My dad, as a trimmerman for Boise Cascade Paper Mill, brought us kids all the paper we could use. I would sit for hours and make paper doll clothes, pictures or paper crafts glued together with flour and water paste.
As a child, I was always on the floor in the middle of some kind of artsy mess.”
Charlotte has worked in various mediums including graphite, oil, watercolor and pastel. One artist that influenced her to explore oil and pastel painting was the American Impressionist, Mary Cassatt.
Cassatt’s style and themes of children and the joys of childhood appear in Charlotte’s portrait work. Water is also a theme reoccurring frequently in her love of pastel and watercolor landscape. Whether it is placid or rushing, reflective or totally abstract, it inspires her. “When I am painting water I am painting reflected light because water has no color of its own. It has its own life by reflecting the life around it.”
The past thirty years, have brought Charlotte numerous awards and prizes for her work in Canada, California, Germany and Texas.
Come downtown to see Charlotte’s work!
This one is my personal favorite….although the Goose at the top – she just brought in – LOVE that too. This one just….moves me!
See you downtown!
