Charles Clark Reid (August12,1937 June1,2019) was an American

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...

, and teacher, notable for his

watercolor Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

style. He won numerous national and international awards for both his watercolor and oil works, and also hosted many workshops in the US and abroad. He published numerous books and instructional DVDs and created a postage stamp and an iconic ad campaign with his watercolor depictions. His watercolor works and oil paintings are in private and college museum collections.

Early life

Reid became interested in painting at the age of 14 when his parents encouraged him by letting him use a room in the family home for his art. His father gave him illustrated history books and books about

Charles Marion Russell Charles Marion Russell (March 19, 1864 – October 24, 1926), also known as C. M. Russell, Charlie Russell, and "Kid" Russell, was an American artist of the American Old West. He created more than 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Native Americans, an ...

and

Frederic Remington Frederic Sackrider Remington (October 4, 1861 – December 26, 1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in the genre of Western American Art. His works are known for depicting the Western United State ...

, both known for their paintings of the

American Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

. Reid's father enrolled him in a correspondence course at the

Famous Artists School Famous Artists School is an art Distance education, correspondence course institution, in operation since 1948. The school was founded by members of the New York Society of Illustrators, principally Albert Dorne and Norman Rockwell. History T ...

, when he was 16 years old. Reid also attended

South Kent School South Kent School, a private all-boys boarding school in South Kent, Connecticut, United States, is located on a campus in western Litchfield County. It is sited on Spooner Hill east of Bull's Bridge, overlooking the former Housatonic Valley ra ...

and the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

(1955-1957). Disillusioned while at the University of Vermont he enrolled in the

Art Students League of New York The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may stu ...

while in Manhattan from 1957 to 1959. He met

Frank J. Reilly Frank Joseph Reilly A.N.A. (1906–1967) was an American painter, illustrator, muralist, and teacher. He taught drawing and painting at the Grand Central School of Art, and illustration at Pratt Institute and Moore College of Art. However, he is be ...

there, who became his teacher. He was invited to exhibit in New York City at the ROKO Gallery and at the FAR Gallery during 10 years in the 1970s until its closure in 1979.

Recognition and honors

Although not a member of the

American Watercolor Society The American Watercolor Society, founded in 1866, is a nonprofit membership organization devoted to the advancement of watercolor painting in the United States. Qualifications AWS judges the work of a painter before granting admission to the soc ...

, they exhibited Reid's work four times: in 1973 with ''Sleeping Girl,'' in 1975 with ''Miss Goodman'', in 1978 with ''Narda,'' and in 1984 with ''Mary''. Reid won the Samuel J. Bloomingdale Memorial Award with ''Miss Goodman'' and the High Winds Award with ''Narda.'' In 1975, he won the

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

' Hassam, Speicher, Betts, and Symons Purchase Fund Award with ''Wally.'' He won the same award again in 1976 with ''In the Studio.'' In 1975, he was admitted as an Associate at the American

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the fin ...

, and in 1983 he became an Academicia

*In 1971, he won the Julius Hallgarten award, ''Debbie,'' for the one of three best Oil paintings of the year, by an artist from the United States, under 35 years of age. *2nd Altman prize (figure) 1972, ''Thursday Morning.'' *1st Altman prize (figure) 1974. * Thomas B. Clarke priz

1978, ''Sarah,'' for the best annual American figure composition. * 1978 - Narda

Salmagundi Club, Salmagundi award, 1975. *

Henry Ward Ranger Henry Ward Ranger (January 29, 1858 – November 7, 1916) was an American artist. Born in western New York State, he was a prominent landscape and marine painter, an important Tonalist, and the leader of the Old Lyme Art Colony. Ranger became a N ...

fund, 1974, ''Friends.'' * Emil and

Dines Carlsen Dines Carlsen (March 28, 1901 – October 1, 1966)''Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014''. Social Security Administration. was an American Expressionist painter. He was a student at, and later a member of, the National Academy of Design. He also ...

award for the best annual still life painting. *Adolph and Clara Obrig for the best oil painting by an American artist. He joined the National Academy of Design in 1980. In 1983, he was awarded a silver medal from the

Society of Illustrators The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. It was founded in 1901 to promote the art of illustration and, since 1959, has held an annual exhibition. History Founding The Society of Illustrators was founded on ...

. In 1988 he joined the

Century Association The Century Association is a private social, arts, and dining club in New York City, founded in 1847. Its clubhouse is located at 7 West 43rd Street near Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. It is primarily a club for men and women with distinction ...

. In 2013, he won a gold medal at the annual

Portrait Society of America Portrait Society of America is an art organization based in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. Established in 1998, the Portrait Society of America is a 501(C)3 registered charity was set to serve the purpose of an art education organization to ...

, ''The Art of The Portrait'' International Conference. The Gold Medal is awarded to "individuals whose work has revolutionized the practice and influenced others". Reid also won ''The Purchase Award'' at the second ''Shanghai

Zhujiajiao Zhujiajiao (; Shanghainese: ''Chukakoq'') is an ancient town located in the Qingpu District of Shanghai. The population of Zhujiajiao is 60,000. Zhujiajiao is a water town on the outskirts of Shanghai, and was established about 1,700 years ago. ...

International Watercolor Biennial Exhibition'' (also called Shanghai International Biennial Exhibition) in 2013. He has been exhibited in major institutions including The Butler Institute of Fine Art and the Pennsylvania Museum of Artbr>

Public collections

Reid's works are found: * Smith College, ''Friends'' gift of Ranger Fund * Brigham Young University Museum of Art, Brigham Young University (Utah) * Yellowstone Art Center * Century Association * Marketing Corp. of America * National Academy of Design

Influences

Charles Reid was a pupil of Frank Reilly who was tutored by professor of drawing

George Bridgman George Brant Bridgman (November 5, 1864 – December 16, 1943) was a Canadian-American painter, writer, and teacher in the fields of anatomy and figure drawing. Bridgman taught anatomy for artists at the Art Students League of New York for some ...

and by Franck-Vincent DuMond, both of whom were influenced and connected to the French academic style of the late 19th century. Reilly passed on these influences to Reid. Both Bridgman and DuMond had studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts de Paris and at the

Académie Julian The Académie Julian () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907) that was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number a ...

Reid received teachings based on the contributions of the great pictorial movements and his art is influenced by French impressionists like Edouard Manet, whose simplification of forms he appreciated. As Amanda Apostol said he also refers to the Nabis and particularly Edouard Vuillard,

Pierre Bonnard Pierre Bonnard (; 3 October 186723 January 1947) was a French painter, illustrator and printmaker, known especially for the stylized decorative qualities of his paintings and his bold use of color. A founding member of the Post-Impressionist ...

, and

Toulouse Lautrec Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist and illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in th ...

, who Reid also counts among his favorite painters. He took from them the use of pure colors for half and midtones values, and the absence of a center of interest. Reid was also influenced by American post-impressionists such as

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more ...

Winslow Homer Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the foremost painters in 19th-century America and a preeminent figure in ...

and the more contemporary

Fairfield Porter Fairfield Porter (June 10, 1907 – September 18, 1975) was an American painter and art critic. He was the fourth of five children of James Porter, an architect, and Ruth Furness Porter, a poet from a literary family. He was the brother of photo ...

Andrew Wyeth Andrew Newell Wyeth ( ; July 12, 1917 – January 16, 2009) was an American visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century. In his ...

and

Joan Mitchell Joan Mitchell (February 12, 1925 – October 30, 1992) was an American artist who worked primarily in painting and printmaking, and also used pastel and made other works on paper. She was an active participant in the New York School of artis ...

Training

While on his honeymoon in Madeira, he met George Jacobs (1926-2002) who colored pen and ink drawings with watercolor. George Jacob's method of painting with watercolor relies heavily on pen lines. In this early period they took daily van trips, painting street scenes and landscapes with Reid first copying Jacobs' style. When Reid came back to the US in 1964, at twenty-seven he took a job teaching at the Famous Artists School becoming the youngest instructor employed there. At the time, there had been no watercolor instruction. At the end of 4 years, he was asked to set up a figure class in watercolor with no experience other than the month with George Jacobs. His supervisor, Frank Jones, gave him a brief demonstration of a tugboat, highlighting the wet-in-wet technique, and in how to deal with his edges to improve his watercolor technique. That was enough to help create this weekly figure class. He taught for 10 years at the correspondence school, and he spent each day at the easel. This work served as the basis for his first book ''Figure Painting in Watercolor''. Its publication in 1973 put him in the forefront of people's mind as a watercolorist. Charles Reid found inspiration in the fashion illustrations of Dorothy Hood, which he admired for her direct and simple style. In the late 70's and 80's he traveled a great deal and spent time in airports where he developed his contour drawing skill by drawing fellow passengers waiting for flights.

Technique

His work was simple and direct. For portraits he used contour drawings to connect the figure to the background. As a pupil of F. Reilly he focused his works on drawing and usage of perfecting tonal value in his painting. In the book by JM Parramon, "Creative Watercolor", the author set out the technical elements that establish the singularity of Charles Reid's style. The contour-drawing and his way of applying the color. According to Parramon his paintings show how he "associates the precision of the form to the ease of the line and the color". His watercolor technique was unconventional. He painted from mid-darks to lights rather than starting light and going dark. He used alla-prima approach, and didn't glaze, which is the traditional way to paint watercolor. He only glazed sometimes for the features of the figures. Charles Reid perceived still life in an abstract way, seeing large splot of light and dark. Then he put paint as a diagram of colors in order to establish the color combination of his painting. He painted directly onto paper, with the intention of getting the right value and color on the first try. This contributes to the sense of spontaneity and freshness to his work. Although not necessarily happy with mistakes, he considered them to be essential in retaining a sense of freshness, suggesting things are "alive". Contrary to what his style suggests, he worked in a meticulous manner avoiding overworking, each brushstroke counts, and he deals with edges. He considers painting a "happening", like

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

. To ''American Artist'' he said, "The more you know the more you can improvise". He starts each painting like a new experience, pretending he does not know how to paint. He looked at his watercolors more as poems that are completed after an hour or two, whereas his oils were like novels that required a more detailed depiction of the scene. Reid was a studio painter and a

plein-air ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

painter, but he tended to prefer the warmth of the south light, thinking it worked well for him.

Collaborations

On March 18, 1972, Reid was the first to design an 8 cent US Postal Service stamp that highlighted Family Planning, issued in New York City. It's a vertical stamp showing a family group (husband, wife, daughter and son) walking forward. His inspiration for the painting came from a family photograph. He painted the illustration for the

L.L. Bean L.L.Bean is an American privately-held retail company that was founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean. The company, headquartered in the place in which it was founded, in Freeport, Maine, specializes in clothing and outdoor recreation equipment. ...

Maine Hunting Boot, which has been widely used in advertising in their catalogs, on truck sides and on large cubes throughout stores. The painting also appears on the cover of ''The Making of an American Icon'' by Leon Gorman about his experience as the grandson of the founder of L.L. Bean. He illustrated a limited edition of John Steinbeck's "The Grapes Of Wrath" published in 1978 by Franklin Library

Further collaborations appeared in '' American Heritage (magazine), American Heritage'', '' Harper's'', ''

Sports Afield ''Sports Afield'' (SA) is an American outdoor magazine headquartered in Huntington Beach, California. Founded in 1887 by Claude King as a hunting and fishing magazine, it is the oldest published outdoor magazine in North America. The first issue, ...

'', '' Reader's Digest Books'' and the ''Franklin Press.''

Teaching

As a teacher, Reid hosted fifteen to twenty workshops a year over thirty-five to forty years. He wrote twelve books, eleven of which are about watercolor. He made nine instructional DVDs: * Figurative Watercolour * English Watercolour Sketchbook * Painting Flowers in Watercolor * Watercolor Secrets * Flowers in Watercolor * 10 Lessons Course * Watercolor Solutions * Watercolor Landscape Masterclass * The Figure in Watercolor He judged in numerous painting exhibitions as well.

References

Publications

* Figure Painting in Watercolor (1972 Watson-Guptill)
Portraits Painting in Watercolor (1973 Watson-Guptill)
* Flower Painting in Oil (1976 Watson-Guptill ) * Painting What You Want to See (1983 Watson-Guptill) * Portrait and Figure Painting in Watercolor (1984 Watson-Guptill) * Charles Reid: Pulling Your Painting Together (1985 Watson-Guptill) * Painting by Design (1991 Watson-Guptill) * The Natural Way to Paint (1994 Watson-Guptill) * Flower Painting in Watercolor (2001 North Light) * Charles Reid's Watercolor Secrets (2004 North Light) * Charles Reid's Watercolor Solutions (2008 North Light)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Charles 1937 births 2019 deaths Painters from New York City People from Cambridge, New York Art Students League of New York alumni American male painters National Academy of Design members American portrait painters American watercolorists 20th-century American artists American magazine illustrators South Kent School alumni 20th-century American male artists