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Copyright 1990-2020 Charmaine Pearson
Artist Statement
My watercolor paintings present images of formal dinnerware in still-life arrangements. Each piece
of china, crystal or silver is from the collection passed down to me through four generations of
women in my family. As I work with these objects, they evoke memories of good times shared around
tables graced with their beauty. The result is a symbolic reflection of my past and present that
captures generations of time, not one particular moment in time.
While my work reflects an intense interest in realism, it also includes my belief that abstraction is
most effectively expressed within realism. Each painting embodies the abstract elements within
reality.
On the surface, the images appear to collide with reality. A closer examination reveals that reality
and illusion are sometimes difficult to determine. By following this principle, my work expresses a
special complexity while, at the same time, reducing three-dimensional images to abstract patterns
existing as flat shapes.
With each painting, my goal is to convey a conceptual image of reality and the abstraction of reality.
I accomplish this by translating small pieces of information into multi-focused paintings. The
complexity of the paintings makes it difficult to focus on any one object. The viewer must then step
back to view the painting as an abstract whole.
Time is another element addressed in my work. Each painting is a deliberate, symbolic reflection of the past and present — a statement
about our own time, a means of saying something about our past society.
Biography
Her professional accomplishments include several academic degrees and a twenty-five-year career as an art instructor at Alameda High
School, which is part of the Alameda Unified School District. Charmaine retired in 1993 after serving thirteen years as chairperson of
the Fine Arts Department. She also served as an Alameda County Art Commissioner.
Charmaine’s watercolors are sought after by corporate and private collectors in the United States, Japan, Australia and France.
Several Northern California galleries have presented her work in special exhibitions. Her commissioned paintings are on view at the
Westin Hotel, Tokyo, Japan.
Her work was featured in the November 1997 issue of American Artist Magazine and at the National Watercolor and San Diego
Watercolor traveling shows. The American Watercolor Society (AWS) invited Charmaine to participate in their 134th annual
international exhibition in New York. Her work was previously included in this prestigious AWS exhibit in 1997.