 |
MEET THE ARTIST
|
 |
"One of my earliest
ambitions was to be a horticulturist," remembers Vavrina. As
a young boy, he approached his mother with a request to have his
own flower bed. But she did not want to "spoil" her front
yard. So he found a spot on the edge of their property where
he created his own beautiful rock garden. Plants from that
boyhood endeavor could be found 50 years later! His still lifes reflect his love of flowers, his passion for color, and his ability to give his paintings an edge with creative composition. |
 |
As a young man,
Vavrina discovered the thrill of racing sailboats. "In my
next life, maybe I will be a racing captain," he jokes. In his seascapes, you can see the action in the sails, in the sky and on the water, and feel the excitement of the moment. |
 |
Vavrina was born
Charles Ronald Laurel in a rural location near Rhinelander, Wisconsin. His early
childhood would not seem to be a background for serious artist.
He and his younger brother played in the woods in the Wisconsin
North Woods. He often tramped alone, following an old
railroad track to his grandparents' farm, or creating his own path
with imaginary adventures. The little town of Sugar Camp
where he grew up, was a tourist destination in the summer, and
cold isolation in the winter. But this youthful exploration
taught him self reliance and a willingness to take risks that are
necessary for productive adulthood. |
 |
Vavrina became bored
with comic books as soon as he learned to read. As a
schoolboy, he discovered the wealth of the traveling library, and
was soon ordering all the works of the great novelists, Dickens,
Tolstoy, Jack London, and so many more. To this day, you
will never find Vavrina without a book within reach. It was
this love of reading that allowed him to progress intellectually
beyond the one room school house where his education began. |
 |
Vavrina's
introduction to travel began with a family trip to Florida when he
was about 12 years old. He fell in love with the warm
climate, and it was an easy decision for him and his wife to move
their family and business to Southwest Florida in 1961. He
had bought out his father's business and continued
in business for 25 years. During that time the Laurel's
raised four children, and found time to indulge in their mutual
interest in traveling around the world. |
 |
When Vavrina and his
wife built their home in Fort Myers, they could not find any
suitable art on the local scene. Mary gave Charles a set of
oil paints for Christmas, and challenged him to do something about
it. He took some classes that gave him a start. Finally,
Vavrina decided to abandon the world of business. He took a
sabbatical and went to Hong Kong, where he studied the
philosophers and determined the next phase of his life. He
would pursue his hobby, painting, as his new career. He
studied at the Hong Kong Academy of Fine Arts, and before he left,
he launched his career with his first one man show. |
 |
Vavrina and Mary
purchased an older house and created a studio / gallery. The
facility soon attracted other artists who would get together for
critiques or to share models. Vavrina began to do some
teaching himself, trading lessons for the work of apprentices
around the studio. He still continues this practice. Throughout their marriage, Charles and Mary traveled extensively. They made a point of visiting the major art museums around the world. They always found themselves enthralled with the work of the Impressionists, and he absorbed their style, making it his own. |
 |
The defining moment
of Vavrina's artistic career came when he attended the Van Gogh
Centennial in Amsterdam. He studied the great master's work
minutely, sketching and noting every detail of his brushwork.
Van Gogh became his Muse. He said that Vincent sat on his
shoulder and told him what to do. Of course, he could not, nor did he wish to, become another Van Gogh. But the influence of this great painter, and the French Impressionists, is readily seen in Vavrina's work. His use of the bright palette, natural light and everyday scenes characteristic of Impressionism is the hallmark of Vavrina's work. |
 |
Vavrina returned to
Europe the following summer, making a pilgrimage to Arles, the
scene of so much of Van Gogh's life and work. It was here
that fate or destiny or happy accident led him into a camera shop
to pick of photographs he had made of his paintings. Another
artist was doing the same thing. He soon struck up an
acquaintance with the noted French painter Gérard Valtier,
The two artists became fast friends, painting, exhibiting and
visiting together for many years. |
 |
Vavrina branched out
into a variety of subject matter and styles. He did a series
of cartoonistic paintings he call "The Boys," which were featured
in a one-man show at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in
Fort Myers. |
 |
He followed these
with a number of "Girls," delightful whimsical figures.
Vavrina does not do "Portraits." He finds an element to
focus upon and does so in a charming, sympathetic manner. |
 |
He has even tried his hand at sculpture, doing a variety of small subjects. His most ambitious projects were busts of himself and his wife. They turned out so well he had them bronzed. But he prefers painting and has devoted himself to that aspect of his talent. |
 |
|
| Vavrina has had many shows in different parts o the world. After his one-man show in Hong Kong, he began having shows in the United States. He and his friends, Gérard Valtier and Charles Ortega had a show in Naples, Florida. There followed a series of shows in Birmingham, Dallas, Houston and New Orleans. He also had additional shows with Valtier in Europe, including France and Corsica. Click on awards above for other credits to his name. You can also review his Auction History by clicking on Auctions above. | |
 |
A number of local artists have found their way to Vavrina's studio. He has organized painting sessions with live models. He has arranged critiques for their work. From time to time he has also taken on apprentices who trade studio work for lessons. |
 |
Vavrina has battled diabetes all his adult life. In 1995 he lost his right leg. But he did not lose his will to paint. He wears a prosthesis and still gets around well, if a little more slowly. A couple of years ago he had quadruple heart bypass, and once again overcame the difficulty. He even gets on the treadmill daily. "As long as I can paint, I can overcome anything," is his motto. One of the most difficult things to deal with has been the planned takeover of his studio by the local Fire District. Click on News above for details. Now he must find other ways of doing business. Over the years, Vavrina has developed relationships with a fine group of galleries who represent him. His work can be found in galleries in Houston, Austin, Winter Park, Birmingham, Jacksonville, Tampa, Sanford and New Orleans. Click on Galleries above for a list. When he has to vacate his studio in September, he will still be working with these various galleries. And he will be relying on the website to generate more sales. But there is a lot more to his plans. Charles and Mary have formed the Laurel Fine Arts Foundation. When they leave the studio, the paintings will be moved to the foundation headquarters, along with his library, tapes and his permanent collection. A portion of his sales will go to funding the foundation. Click on Foundation above to learn more. There are a number of people who have become Collectors of Vavrina paintings. They come from a variety of locations and backgrounds. They are business people, physicians, accountants and homemakers. They are scattered around the world. We do not have photographs of people who have purchased paintings through other galleries. But you will find a few by clicking on Collectors above.
Vavrina's forté is his bold use of color, whether in a landscape, seascape or still life. A step into his studio is almost overwhelming to the first time visitor. The color is extraordinary. There is light and air in every painting. This is what Vavrina brings to the canvas. And what he will continue to do as long as he can lift a brush. Let Vavrina tells you more about himself. Click on Artist's Reflections above. |