Rod Charlesworth: A Personal Perspective on Canada's Landscape

×

Expand

Rod Charlesworth, "Northern Firs, Dene Village"

oil on canvas, 36"x60". Courtesy of the Gallery.

Landscape painter Rod Charlesworth recalls, as a young boy in Terrace, BC being "compelled to draw."  By age seven, he was happily sketching; at twelve, he was painting.

Over forty-five years later, painting remains Charlesworth's passion. Whether a bold landscape or a whimsical winter scene of children playing under the Northern Lights, his work is collected internationally by public and private collectors.

Rod often highlights old-growth forests in his artwork because he's drawn to natural elements with a strong, vertical pull. His work honours the temporary nature of trees, such as cedar and Douglas fir, as they follow a cycle of birth, growth and decay. Charlesworth's loose, gestural brushstrokes intermingled with the swipe of a knife or even a finger add texture and complexity to his composition.

Rod's energetic and almost rhythmic paintings are often proudly positioned in the front window at the West End Gallery in Edmonton, AB and Victoria, B.C. Visitors to both cities are often captivated by the vibrancy and subject matter from a distance, providing an ample excuse to cross a busy street to take a closer look.