Opening Friday, November 6, 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
On view through Thursday, December 3, 2020.
Mon. - Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. or by appointment.
In “Weaving History,” Chadwick’s African-American figures engage in pursuits, tasks or pastimes which have been done for centuries and for lifetimes: raising chickens, crabbing, basketweaving. Children learn from their elders and one day will become the elders, passing the knowledge to the next generation.
Chadwick’s paintings are a tapestry of color, harmony and composition. They leave the viewer seeking intimacy with the art, just as we all seek closeness with those in our family and our circle. The audience is often left feeling a spiritual connection to the paintings as our humanity has been captured on his canvases.
“In my mind, I always fall back to a quieter time,” Chadwick said. “Not that things were easy, but there were simpler, quieter joys. Hanging freshly washed laundry, snapping beans, working in a garden. I recently received a nice comment that when the person sees my work it always brings a smile to their face. Also, I receive lovely letters saying my work often takes them back to their warm childhood memories. These comments please me and let me know what I am doing and the feeling I want to get across is working.”
"My work seems to be ever-evolving, but I am still drawn to and fascinated by strong African American figures. Where my recent works have taken me, is as the role of a storyteller. Whether a lone figure in my patterned background or a family scene, I now try to include a bit of history or a touch of something else hidden in the painting to hopefully make the viewer take a moment to discover what is happening in the work that may not be noticed at first glance,” said Chadwick. “From perhaps at first unseen snakes to West African symbols, images are scattered throughout my paintings to better help tell the story of those captured in my paintings."
After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1976, Chadwick’s career took off and has taken many artistic turns through the years. Landing his first job as an illustrator while still in school, he worked for a national glassware company illustrating for corporations such as McDonalds, Burger King, Hallmark Cards and Twentieth Century Fox.
After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1976, Chadwick’s career took off and has taken many artistic turns through the years. Landing his first job as an illustrator while still in school, he worked for a national glassware company illustrating for corporations such as McDonalds, Burger King, Hallmark Cards and Twentieth Century Fox.
Upon moving to Washington, D.C., in 1978, he first freelanced as a magazine illustrator until 1984 when he decided to form his own firm, Chadwick Design Incorporated. First specializing in theatrical graphics,
Chadwick also illustrated for national ad agencies along with National Geographic, The Washington Post, PBS,
Kennedy Center, New York Times Book Review, Special Olympics and The Shakespeare Library, just to name a few. Chadwick received numerous awards from Communication Arts Magazine, and the Art Directors Club of New York and of Washington, D.C. Able to illustrate in various mediums, Chadwick increasingly enjoyed the richness of oil paints. First using them as washes combined with pencil in illustrations, he later began using strictly traditional oils on canvas or panel.
“For 35 years I illustrated but followed the trends and picked up techniques that were in fashion. Five years ago, I was struggling with abstracts and balancing them with realistic portraits. After painting out a painting I wasn’t happy with, I thought I'd combine both techniques. It happened fast with little thought and when completed I was a bit taken with the outcome,” said Chadwick. “It was my intention from the beginning to make all my subjects be strong and positive. Everyone has a story and has to overcome troubles in their lives. The people I paint have come through to the other side and are stronger for it.”
“I once saw a wonderful waitress in Lynchburg named Charisse. I asked her during lunch if I could come back and photograph her. She was excited and agreed. Hours later I pulled up in my car with a folded moving blanket and she posed for me on the sidewalk. She became The Quilter. I have taken photos in airports, bus stops and even photos of people sitting on their front porch. I explain that I’m an artist looking for images and nine times out of 10 they say ‘okay.’”
“As I build my paintings, I use various reference material. Maybe an overall photo from the 40s, a 50s apron, a background from a 19th century painting and a piece of fabric from today. If I had to pick a time frame it would be 1940s - 50s. I combine all reference inspiration photos in photoshop to get the scale right to the canvas and then do a rough charcoal transfer of the basic shapes of where the figures are. I then let the patterns take over and have them flow around the painting. I have a rough idea of the outcome in my head, but I’m always surprised in the end with where it ends up.”
“It is interesting for me to see early works. Comparing them to what I’m doing, now I’m happy to say I see growth and exploration,” he said. “I want to paint people who are American with strength and dignity.”
Chadwick now works out of the historic city of Lynchburg, Va., painting full time. His figurative works can be found in the collections of the Caring Institute, Washington, D.C.; World Mercy Fund, Bad Homburg, Germany; The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, England; Doyle Hotel Collection, Dublin, Ireland; and in private collections both here in the States and in Europe. Chadwick primarily focuses on painting African American figures. He has been represented by Ella Richardson Fine Art for the last five years.