Photo courtesy of Houska Gallery
CWEnder Charlie Houska, above, has an enviable live/work situation. Twenty-two years ago he purchased a building at 4728 McPherson Ave. which he rehabbed into a gallery, an art studio, and living quarters above.
Except for the few years he spent renovating another building and decided to lease the McPherson space to Atrium Gallery, Charlie Houska had been exhibiting artwork consistently, until the pandemic hit.
Last spring, when the shut-down prevented in-person visits to Houska Gallery, Charlie shifted gears and offered virtual tours, which enabled him to continue showing previously scheduled artists’ work. That experience proved to be such a success that virtual tours continue today, even after Houska Gallery has opened its doors to the public once again—albeit to fewer patrons at a time.
When Charlie, the gallerist, isn’t organizing new exhibitions, he can be found in his art studio. He earned a degree in Visual Communications (Graphic Arts Major and Fine Arts Minor), and that experience, coupled with marketing classes he took in college, have enabled him to focus on creating art that’s “recognizable, and more saleable. I’m mostly self-taught,” he explained, “and would describe my style as Pop Art that ventures into Modern Figurative.”
“My art has remained consistent—bold color with black lines,” Charlie said. “My subject matter has evolved from generic ‘cartoonish’ characters to depicting various themes and landscapes that could be found in Asia, Greece, and India.”
During the shut-down, Charlie found more time to work on new pieces, some of which are shown in this post. He cut the shapes out of wood, then sanded, primed, and painted them with acrylics, using resin to achieve the glass-like finish.
When asked which artists influenced his work (Hide & Seek is another recent piece, shown above), he said: “Originally I was influenced by Picasso, but over time I found additional inspiration from works by Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Roy Lichtenstein.”
Find more examples of Charlie Houska’s art work here, a product line featuring his signature art on cellphone cases, masks, and coffee mugs at Houska Store here or on Instagram, @charleshouskastudio.
And be sure to visit Houska Gallery, 4728 McPherson Ave., or view the website or Facebook page to learn more about the latest exhibition of work by Amy Reidel: Mombie Magic, which will remain on view until March 27.