Conversations with Charlotte Rollman
A taste of the Knoxville Voyager Interview:
Hi Charlotte, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I retired from 30 years of teaching painting at Northern Illinois University and moved to Tennessee because I wanted to paint outside in every season. It is so beautiful here and inspiration is everywhere. I joined a plein air painting group “Tuesday Painters” and in this group I met John Adkins, my business partner. After Covid we had so many paintings I wanted to open a gallery and that’s how the Adkins Rollman Gallery began in Nov 2022. Personally I choose a partner I felt was as passionate about painting as I was but also with a contrasting style. We are almost opposite in so many good ways!
The time has flown by with the gallery and painting is still my passion. I am very proud of our gallery. Sometimes I feel like I am still teaching and educating our visitors and locals who are expecting traditional arts and crafts and Adkins Rollman Gallery surprises them too. Our love of East Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains is clear and we share that now far and wide. Unlike having a solo exhibition in a city and with the gallery owner’s collectors, we get to meet the people who take our work home and take care of and love our paintings.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have always done painting and drawing….it is who I am. Because I have had some professional experience in fabric design and textiles in New York and Chicago, I am known as a colorist. Being a colorist had influenced my teaching and now in my mature painting career, I am not afraid of color and sometimes decorative (not so much in a craft sense) but the confidence of my personal style.
Another thing is, that I enjoy painting lots of things and that makes it harder to pin point one subject. I have no idea how it is expressed from the viewers side but I like the idea knowing I can paint anything. It surprises even me and my followers.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Don’t be afraid. I usually let someone else define courage…. especially in art. Having a gallery puts your ideas out in public and not cloistered in a studio. And ironically I find everyone always loves the latest painting I do, just like me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://adkinsrollmangallery.com
- Instagram: charlotterollmanworks
- Facebook: adkinsrollmangallry/charlotterollman
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