Growing up on a small family farm in Hubbardsville, New York, Charlotte can’t remember not drawing or painting. As an only child, she entertained herself for hours on end, escaping
into the

world of art.

At the age of 11, the family made a drastic move to Florida, where Charlotte continued to find solace in the art world and was
fortunate enough to take drawing lessons with “Bean” Albert Backus, a well-
known Florida artist. He encouraged her to be unique and find her own style as
he saw promise in her work and passion. She spent the next couple decades of
her life experimenting with different techniques in oil and water color
paintings. Many of her paintings portrayed her love for horses and Upstate New
York scenery to include rustic barns, historic covered bridges, Victorian homes
and wintery snow scenes.

In 2008, Charlotte became overcome with artistic inspiration when she traveled to Italy for the first time. Her love for Italian architecture, the opulent
Mediterranean Sea and the quaint villages came to life on extraordinary oil
canvases. Charlotte fell in love with Italy and goes back there every time she
paints it.

Charlotte Blanchard - Wishful Traveler Gallery - Artist's Statement

It's all about detail and contrast coming together and making a pleasing union. I incorporate the solidarity of buildings with the fragility of flowers, light and shadows, bold
colors and subdued earth tones, smooth and rough surfaces, dramatic and yet peaceful
at the same time and all of this comes together to tell a story. I paint in
great detail. I want to be able to appreciate what I am painting up close as
well as from across the room.

My favorite medium to work with is oils. They give me all of the time I want in order to be able to blend the colors, work with textures and build color on color. Mostly I use brushes, but
favor palette knives for rough surfaces such as stone and brick. Green is my
favorite color because it gives me the most contrast between light and dark. I
paint on stretched canvas because I like the give and take of the canvas; it
adds a sense of life to my paintings.

I have visited Europe a few times over the past few years and it has inspired and motivated me to paint this area of the world in my European Art Paintings collection. When people see my paintings, I
want them to imagine themselves walking into them, going along enjoying the
sights, sounds and smells as they travel under arches, down narrow side
streets, around the bends and living their own stories as they go along.

Upcoming Exhibitions

Nov. 1, 2010 - Jan. 15, 2011: Mad Art Holiday Show & Sale in Hamilton, NY

Jan. 1 - Feb. 28, 2011: Earlville Opera House, Earlville, NY