Meet the artist: Charles Louis Blank
Charles Louis Blank is an American contemporary painter working in figurative and landscape subject matter. He leads a pretty reclusive lifestyle in Louisiana. His goal is to jump a painting into a work of art. That’s a trick!
When did you first start painting? Were you born with a palette in your hand or did your interest develop over time?
I was interested in drawing as far back as grade school.
Was there a moment when you decided to follow your path as an artist?
When I was 17 I saw my first Van Gogh and I remember being just thrilled by the actual paint. It was so tactile I had to touch it, which I did. It was electrifying! I’m 75 so security was not as strict as it is today. From that moment on I became hooked on my path as an artist.
How would you describe your own style and technique?
To me, a painting is an elusive thing and if things are going right the painting begins to talk to me and I become one with the expression. How I describe it to those close to me is something like: I am a radio receiver and if I am tuned in just right, the radio waves come in and the expression of those waves are given life on the canvas and becomes art. The piece tells the story that passed through me – I am a conduit of the expression in a sense. If I’m not tuned in, I don’t force a painting, I simply wait until something strikes me and I begin. Some of my pieces are slightly realistic where others become very abstract. My work fluctuates based on how I am feeling – most times I work late into the night, sometimes until three in the morning!
Do you have a favorite piece? Can you think of a piece that was fun to work on?
No, I wouldn’t say that I have fun. It’s more like a struggle to get the painting to say something or speak.
Which artist from the past would you most like to meet?
Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and currently Frank Auerbach.
What is your favorite gallery / museum and why?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Hirshhorn in Washington D.C. and of course the Louvre. They house wonderful collections that you could spend a lifetime exploring.
What was the last exhibition you went to?
The last exhibition I personally went to was the William S. Paley collection at the New Orleans Museum of Art. My most recent solo exhibition took place at EVEY Fine Art Gallery in New York City from April 27th – May 9th, 2024.
Which artist materials do you use and why?
I fell in love with Old Holland oils 30 years ago and later Old Holland New Masters acrylic. Where else can you find a color like Old Holland Red Gold or Old Holland Violet Grey, or even my favorite color, Titanium Buff Light? Old Holland’s color palette can make a painting look unique.
My most recent works can be seen exclusively at EVEY Fine Art in New York, New York and Palm Beach, Florida; although, my pieces can be seen in multiple museums’ permanent collections across the United States. www.artevey.com
