Charles Reid

Charles Clark Reid (August12,1937 June1,2019) was an American painter, illustrator, and teacher, notable for his watercolor 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 and Frederic Remington, both known for their paintings of the American Old West. Reid's father enrolled him in a correspondence course at the Famous Artists School, when he was 16 years old. Reid also attended South Kent School and the University of Vermont (1955–1957).

Disillusioned while at the University of Vermont he enrolled in the Art Students League of New York while in Manhattan from 1957 to 1959. He met Frank J. Reilly 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. He won the same award again in 1976 with In the Studio.

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 prize 1978, Sarah, for the best annual American figure composition. 1978 American Watercolor Society AwardSalmagundi award, 1975. Henry Ward Ranger fund, 1974, Friends. Emil and Dines Carlsen 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 2013, he won a gold medal at the annual Portrait Society of America, 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 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 Art.

Public collections Reid's works are found:

Smith College, Friends gift of Ranger Fund by professor of drawing George Bridgman 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.

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, 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. That was enough to help create this weekly figure class.

He taught for 10 years at the correspondence school,

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.

His watercolor technique was unconventional.

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. each brushstroke counts, He considers painting a "happening", like jazz.

He painted the illustration for the L.L. Bean 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.

Further collaborations appeared in American Heritage, Harper's, Sports Afield, Reader's Digest Books and the ''Franklin Press.