Meet Charles Cole
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For the month of October Trellis & Vine is proud to showcase the work of Local Artist Charles Cole. On top of being an author, illustrating his own books, and being a big part of our Local Smyrna Co-Op, Charles has a unique styling that we think is perfect for this spooky season. You can come see and/or purchase his work in person anytime at our gallery at 27 S Lowry St in Smyrna TN. You could also meet him in person on Friday October 18th from 6-8 pm. We'll let Charles tell you more about himself in the way only he can.
"I am an active artist and reside in LaVergne TN.
The beginning of my art career started with comic books (Amazing Spiderman). I remember at an early age drawing pictures of spiderman on the walls of our house in crayon. As I matured, I admired fantasy art (Frank Frazetta), and graphic novels (The Dark Knight, Elfquest). In college I gained an appreciation for fine artist such as Picasso, Dali, Edward Hopper, Edward Much, Soutini, Van Gogh and Robert Matta. When I started painting with oils at MTSU, I took an interest in local landscapes. The work ranged from expressionistic to abstract. The interest in the graphic arts and comic/illustration continued and spilled over into works with local buildingscapes in the Murfreesboro area. For 15 years art slowed down but I still continued creating by making decorated chair for a charity, and making props for scenario paintball games.
After a divorce in 2011 I started making art as art therapy. The art had content that was more subjective in nature. Some of these works were digital in nature. In 2013 started creating “fast works” on wooden canvases. The painting approach was fast and intuitive as was the content. The work ranged from subjective self portraits to Aliens to housecapes.
The mediums I use are mostly, acrylics, oils, sharpies, and digital art created with a drawing tablet and Corel painter software. Sometime I also dabble in photo manipulation.
In 2021 I took a look at my work and saw a nod toward developed characters or stories with plots. I decided to try my hand at writing and published my first two books, The Moonspell book 1 and 2. In this time I also completed a comic/poem for print called Rebirth. I feel my work over the past 25 years has taken on being used as therapy, challenging my approach to materials, and incorporating my inspirations and interest to try and find a middle ground. I look forward
to see what the next step will be.
The work you see now is a collection that leans more toward graphic arts and illustration. Many of the works were created digitally. Some of the works are taken from sketches done in the early 1990’s that were completed to a final piece in 2022. Other works like the scenario paintball painting and The Police painting relies on a comic drawn approach and were done in acrylics."
If you like this Charles's work and would like to see more you can visit us anytime between 10-6:30 Wednesday-Saturday during the month of September. If you would like to meet Charles, he will be on site on Friday October 18th from 6-8 pm to chat about art and more. Also go check out his book and other works at the links below. It's definitely worth your time.
The Moonspell Book 1
The Moonspell Book 2
CecArtStudio Etsy Shop