Charles Walzem
Email: bobbi.joe@comcast.net
Phone: Home: 410-552-5199, Cell: 443-465-7361
The Walzem family presents the artwork of Charles Walzem. Chuck is our son and brother, the fourth oldest of nine siblings. He painted for most of his life and had not considered displaying his work or making a living from it. So we are providing some assistance. There is a chance he is now rolling in his grave but it is more likely he is quite proud we have done this on his behalf.
Chuck died unexpectedly on November 28, 2008 at the age of 57 from cancer and its complications. Following his death the family located over 1,000 of his art works that he had stored here and there. While we considered Charlie an artist above all else, the level of his talent became clearer when this collection was gathered. Most are paintings using gouache, a media heavier and more opaque than water color, and with greater reflective qualities. Others are in chalk, water colors, and mixed media. Chuck created many fine works and we would like to share them, as our walls can only hold so many.
Born in Rock Island, IL, Charles graduated in 1969 from Alleman High School and was shaped by the culture of the 1960s. He went on to college and obtained both a bachelors and masters in art. Charlie worked many part time jobs, mostly as a waiter in local restaurants, to support his appetite for painting. To acquire a more reliable source of income, Chuck obtained an education degree and joined his father, William “Buzz” Walzem, in the teaching profession. With this third degree he traveled to Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China and taught English as a second language, from 2001 through 2008. The influence of these eastern countries is present in many of his later works. Charlie lived in the Quad Cities for much of his life and during the months between teaching seasons. Charles died while returning from his last trip as a teacher in China.
From a professor and mentor: “His art making benefited from his poetic appreciation of the world. He saw beauty in the everyday as well as the extraordinary. He was an intimist, choosing the small and enigmatic over the large and loud. I think the haiku served as a model for him – terse, intensely beautiful, neatly wound, thoughtful. Charlie was that most wonderful of human beings with whom you learned as much as you were taught. His view of the world was dedicated to bringing more joy into his and other people’s lives.”
Charlie left us his interpretations of landscapes, cityscapes, and the small and curious scenes from his surroundings and travels. While most of his works evidence his passion for painting, others reveal Chuck’s whimsical, playful imagination. A number of his paintings are imaged on this site.
If you would like more information or are interested in one of these or other art works by Charles, we can be reached at bobbi.joe@comcast.net, or by phone at (410) 552-5199.
To view original works, over 30 of Charles’ paintings will be displayed November 12 through December 29, 2010 at MidCoast Gallery West at 1629 2nd Ave., Rock Island, IL.
