04 Oct Meet The Artist: Charlie Pate
Each quarter, we display work from a different local artist at our Main Street Real Estate Gallery. Our newest featured artist is Charlie Pate. To learn a little more about Charlie, we asked him some questions about his work.
Explain the process you go through for your work. What draws you to the mediums you choose?
It all starts and ends with drawing. I was fortunate to have instructors in art school who insisted on drawing as the basis for painting and sculpture- or anything art related. My choice of oils and pastels is based on the colors I can achieve, particularly light and shadow.
What piqued your interest in art?
I grew up around art. My grandmother, Wilhelmina Pate, studied art at Queens College way back in 1920, and my aunt Joan Houser who lived with us when I was a boy, was an artist. Drawing became the way that I could express my thoughts and feelings about subjects that interested me, like scenes and figures in history.
How would you describe your style of art?
Art history names my style Classical Realism. In laymen’s terms, my work is somewhere between realism and impressionism.
Where do you gather most of the inspiration for your work?
My eye is always drawn to light and shadow on a particular subject – landscapes or people or common objects in still life. God’s creation has been an inspiration for me all of my life. I guess painting is my way of celebrating that.
What’s your favorite piece of your own work?
The work that pleases me most is The Ascending Christ, a bronze sculpture commissioned by Bon Secours St. Francis that stands in front of their cancer treatment center. My son, Charles, who is a very fine artist, worked on the monument with me.
What’s an interesting fact about you or your work?
It has been interesting to be surrounded by artists all day, every day, in my own home. My wife and all three kids are creative, artistic people. They have been the best source of encouragement and also the most helpful critics. We all benefit from that environment.
What famous artist do you most admire?
That’s a tough one. Sorolla, Zorn, Kroyer, John Singer Sargent, Michelangelo…..too many favorites to name.
To learn more about Charlie Pate visit his website.
Come meet Charlie Pate at our Artist Reception on October 11th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Main Street Real Estate Gallery. Charlie’s art will be on display at the gallery from October 1 – December 31st.
