Nadine Charlsen in her studio, NYC,  2014

Nadine Charlsen in her studio, NYC,  2014

Large scale watercolor painting in progress,  Art Students League, NYC

Scenic painting the stage floor for a production of  Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

BIO

Nadine Charlsen is an urban landscape watercolor artist and instructor based in Asheville, North Carolina. Charlsen's background as a theatrical lighting designer in New York City for 31 years has allowed her to incorporate her knowledge of light, shadow, scale, colors and textures to culminate an artistic drama. Her work is inspired by architecture, cityscapes and serene countryside settings captured through the lens of her camera. She has a working studio in NorthLight Studios in the River Arts District in Asheville, NC.  She is also represented by 3402 Art Gallery in Baltimore, Maryland.

Charlsen was recently included in the top ten percent of world watercolor artist's in Concours mondial de l’aquarelle – Le Catalogue. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including American Art Collector, NYC Arts and Culture Magazine, Railfan and Railroad Magazine, The Laurel of Asheville, Rapid River Magazine, Splash 16: Exploring Textures and Splash 17: Inspiring Images. She was featured in Watercolor Artist Magazine, January/February 2017. Making a Scene, p 48-57. She was a focus artist in the November 2019, American Art Collector Magazine. Her Canadian Pacific engine appeared in Prepare For the Unexpected, a book of poetry and short stories by Jim Leach. Seizing the Soul of Urban Landscapes is the most recent article about Charlsen’s unusual watercolor process, Rapid River Magazine, March 2023, p 36-37.

She is a signature member of The American Watercolor Society, a member of the Salmagundi Club, National Association of Women Artists,  Coast Guard Artists and American Society of Railroad Artists.

Charlsen received her BS in Education from Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, Kansas, her MA from Wichita State University Wichita, Kansas and her MFA from Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY.
She studied at the Art Students League in NYC and is a life member of the league.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Art has always been a part of my life. My watercolors are improvised on the urban landscape - gritty, stark, rough - engaging a deeper emotion - using shadow, texture, color, and glazes moving art to a more complex tonality. My art evokes an emotion that helps you take the journey with me into that world.

My studio is the ever-changing world around me. I am an avid bicyclist, and walker. I do long distance bike trips and paint and photograph as I go. I love visiting noisy cities and bustling streets.  Every day is a different wonder, a new world to live in the moment. My work is created from the occasion that makes it unique and with its own particular style. The style is a product of the time and place. The versatility is my signature.

My career in theatrical design allowed me to work in many art mediums and explore scenic painting of large backdrops, sculpture and 3-D mixed media. My motivation for continuing to paint is for both you and I to escape for a moment to another place and find joy in reliving the moment together. I cherish my continuing fascination of the world and treasure my history.