By Rebecca Pikus
Upon first meeting Charlie Ciali, one is struck by his boyish (almost Boy Scout) look — a broad smile, a friendly-looking, handsome face. But — if you want to talk about serious artists — Charlie is certainly one of them! Charlie is a Printmaker, an Encaustic Painter, and an Art Teacher & Instructor.
“Encaustic painting” — also known as “hot wax painting” is one of the world’s oldest & most versatile art mediums, dating back to ancient Greco-Roman Egypt. Beeswax is heated & colored pigments are added. The liquid or paste is then applied to a surface — usually prepared wood, or even canvas. The wax can be polished to a high gloss, modeled, sculpted, textured & combined with collage materials, but the artist better be fast! Encaustics cool immediately, so there is no drying time. Fortunately, however, the piece can always be reworked.
Charlie Ciali earned a BFA in Ceramic Arts from Daemen College in 1978, & continued graduate studies at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania. He had several exhibitions during that time. Charlie then lived & worked in Minneapolis, MN for over two decades. The first 5 years, he worked as the Asst. Director for MC Fine Arts Gallery, one of the leading galleries in the Midwest. Then Charlie opened Perspective Gallery, which specialized in glass, ceramic arts & fine jewelry. The gallery earned national recognition in several trade magazines, and was named “Best of the Twin Cities” for art galleries in its first year! In 1995, Perspectives Gallery was one of 20 galleries from the U.S. invited to participate in the Tokyo Arts Expo.
In 2002, Charlie went to Palm Springs, Ca. where he has continued to flourish. He began doing commissioned abstract portrait work. He is a mixed media artist, exploring combinations of different mediums & how they interact with each other. Presently, Charlie’s work is primarily in monotype printing, encaustic paintings, and Resins.
Charlie has served on the Palm Springs Public Arts Commission & the Parks & Recreation Commission. He also serves as Executive Vice President of Fundraising for the Palm Springs Art Museum. He mentors high school students with the Arts Institute of Palm Springs High School, where he has served as Board President. In 2013, Charlie created and instructs a printmaking program in conjunction with the Palm Springs Unified School District. Charlie operates Ciali Studio in Palm Springs, where he teaches encaustic painting & printmaking in an assisted open-studio format. Workshops are offered throughout the year. Charlie is also a certified instructor for Enkaustikos and R&F Encaustics, and conducts printmaking demonstrations for Speedball’s line of AKUA Ink products.
Charlie Ciali resides in Palm Springs, Ca with his dedicated partner George & their two feisty rescue Chihuahuas. Charlie is currently represented by Archangel Gallery, 1103 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, Ca (www.archangelgallery.com). Charlie’s information: www.charlieciali.com – Tel. (760) 409-9496
Monotype workshop scheduled at Palm Springs Museum Spring of 2014
