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A Short Biography of Chuck Paine
The east shore of Jamestown, RI, in 1948 when Paine was four years old. Both steam-powered ferries that connected the island with Newport can be seen in mid-photo. The War had ended, the warships were mothballed, and boat owners by the hundreds celebrated on sunny summer weekends. One day before the mysteries of the written word were fully revealed to him it was discovered that Chuck suffered from childhood asthma, which affliction involved long stretches of housebound boredom. A caring neighbor suggested paint-by-number sets as a way for the ailing lad to pass his time and the fledgling beginnings of a life spent with pencil, pen or brush in hand took flight. Painting is bloody hard work and the drive to extract from a blank sheet of paper or canvas a result worthy of the name ART does not come easily nor without effort. Chuck had the advantage of intense competition from the very beginnings of his artistic struggle, for he was born a twin. Sibling rivalry until well into the teenage years involved a profusion of attempts to leapfrog his equally talented artist brother, Art Paine, as the twins used up the remaining colors of those marvelous painting sets on canvas boards that were the present of choice beneath many a youthful Christmas tree.
Paine began painting at the age of 5 while living in this modest home on Jamestown. The Paine twins were adjudjed "gifted" by a middle school art teacher, which honor entitled them to weekend lessons at Rhode Island School of Design where self-taught attempts to unravel the mysteries of form, line, color and perspective derived increasing structure at the feet of true masters. But Sputnik had recently whirled overhead, and the necessity to catch up to those dangerous Russkies put thoughts of fine art on hold. "Get a Job" said Dad, and painting was not considered a real job in the frightened America of 1962. Paine was accepted as an engineering student at Brown University, as close to a career in drawing as could be tolerated during those scary times.
Early Paine oils, painted at the age of 15. Over the intervening forty years Paine has lived a renaissance life buoyed by art, wit, travel and luck. He attributes his success to a love of using his hands, whether to paint, design, write (he is a much published author on maritime subjects), or "build things" (including six sailing yachts ranging from 13 to 30 feet in length). He established in 1973 and nurtured until 2008 what became one of the world's most successful yacht design studios, whose launchings number well over one thousand and if placed end to end, would stretch six beautiful miles. In recent years he rediscovered his youthful passion for drawing and painting. Since 1999 he has devoted much of his time to painting in oils and watercolor. He has had the good fortune to have immediately attracted a clientele willing to display his efforts on the walls of their homes. Although quite a few of his works have been sold through galleries, most are obtained through word of mouth, his annual art show in Tenants Harbor, or this website. Visitors to this site are invited to browse through the “galleries” pages to view some of Paine's most recent paintings. Click on any that interest you and a larger image and brief description will be displayed. It is a regrettable fact in the collection of original art that artworks are truly "one of a kind". Perverse Fortune often dictates that the painting you most admire has been snatched up by someone else. But if you are lucky and the painting of your dreams is still available it will be included on the “Works for Sale” page and Paine would be delighted to think of it beautifying its new home. Paine will always keep a selection of his still available works at his home-studio at 11 Wallston Road in Tenants Harbor, Maine, and you are most welcome to visit. Just phone first to ensure that you can catch him at a time he is painting: phone 207-372-8147. Others of his works may be occasionally found at various galleries which are listed elsewhere in this website. |
