Maryland, Virginia and District of Columbia
Art
by Ann Erskine
Charles Rice
Charles
Rice began painting when he was seven years old. He would use oil paints,
crayons and pencils in his grandmother's attic because he lived with her
and spent a lot of time "creating." He was introduced to oil pastels
in 1993 and has been painting with them ever since because of their portable
quality. He can easily carry a sketch pad and a box of pastels on his travels
to such places as Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Rice also likes the "intimacy"
of oil pastels. He says, "I can spread the oils across the paper with
my fingers, the side of my hand or even my palm." He uses a French
pastel that is loaded with oil which allow him to blend and create new colors.
He is mostly self-taught but did have some formal training under the painter,
Barbara Peck and also Ka-ning Fong, a prominent painter in Honolulu. He
has studied at the Maryland College of Art and Design and the University
of Hawaii at Manoa. (left: Photo of Charles Rice, courtesy of Charles
Rice)
Rice's subject matter is constantly
evolving. When he paints on location, he tried to incorporate what he feels
as he works. He doesn't feel the need to make an exact copy of what he is
painting - he paints what he sees but mostly what he feels. He counts Cezanne
as one of his greatest influences because Charles Rice believes Cezanne
was seeking the truth in his work. He is also motivated by the composer
Elliott Carter who told Rice that he could grab musical notes out of the
air and Rice has experienced the same feeling "only with colors".
He feels that the colors speak to him as he is painting as if one color
is encouraging him to use it alongside another color. He is influenced by
his environment but it is processed through his soul. He enjoys painting
because it is the way that he relaxes and it gives him a chance for introspection.
(left: Country Path, Hawaii, 15 in x 11 inches)
Charles' work has been exhibited in the Embassy of Indonesia,
at the Oceania Gallery in Honolulu, the National Press Club in Washington,
DC, the Wilson Art Gallery in Washington, DC, the Broadway Arts Center in
Asheville, NC, the Maryland Governor's Mansion in Annapolis and The International
Monetary Fund in Washington, DC.
Read more columns on Maryland, Virginia
and District of Columbia Art by Ann Erskine in Resource
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