Once upon a time a young man named Chuck Prescott, a native of South Portland Maine packed his bag and hitched his way to New York at nineteen years old with fifty dollars in his pocket in search of the ‘American Dream’.
Growing up in a small town represented some challenges for Chuck given his unique talents and desires. His artistic abilities at an early age led him to create a watercolor on paper inspired by Picasso’s cubism. Chuck always had a desire to further better himself in life something he couldn’t picture happening in South Portland, Maine.
Humble Beginnings
Chuck’s humble beginnings with his mom and siblings were often filled with much joy and excitement thanks to the camping experiences he was able to participate in as a Boy Scout; Chuck loved camping. However, his humble beginnings also came with social segregation in his little town. The social rejections he experienced at an early age fueled his desire, even more, to realize his own American dream.
The dream ride came to fruition on a freezing cold snowing afternoon in the middle of January in the early ninety eighties. Chuck remembers that moment in time when he was dropped off in the West Village with his friend. He was in “ahhhh” with the City, and he knew that no matter what challenges lie ahead he was determined to make it there.
Finding the Art Again
Art has always been embedded in Chuck’s DNA, but he also knew that living in New York required a substantial salary in order to survive and make it there. Being a “starving artist” in New York was not exactly in his vocabulary. Luckily for Chuck, he was able to land a job in a very artsy part of town Broadway.
For over thirty years, Chuck was the VP of Operation of a hospitality business on Broadway. This position allowed him creative control of many aspects of everyday operations. It also secured his financial stability and provided him with much-needed benefits, and a home in the Big Apple.
Having achieved all of these wonderful milestones was a true testament to the fact that where there’s a will there’s a way. Life continued to challenge Chuck by throwing him curve balls. Each curve ball was just another opportunity for Chuck to prove himself more. During one time where he faced an time of uncertainty Chuck resorted back to his true passion, the arts.
The Condo as an Exhibit Venue
Condo living in New York sometimes has their perks. In Chuck’s case, his NY condo lobby was used as a rotating gallery. Every month they showcased a new artist. This became the perfect venue for Chuck to show his heartfelt and emotional exhibit called Expose. In a span of three months, Chuck created an entire series of twenty Black & White paintings on a large canvas. The exhibit graced the walls of his own shared personal living space and it was well-received and appreciated by everyone that saw it. Exposed was deeply emotionally and symbolically connected to Chuck’s current personal affairs at that time.
After thirty years of hustle and bustle in the middle of Time Square New York, all of the wonderful perks and benefits achieved working as VP of Operations for a hospitality group on Broadway came to an end. The time invested provided him with some perks but most importantly it provided him the freedom to pursue his art career full-time. As a result, he found himself attending The Art Students League of New York on a more full-time basis.
Making Florida His Canva
South Florida became Chuck’s home destination. With a desire to make some changes in life, and focus on his art career Chuck packed up and moved to Florida where he lives today. Throughout the years, Chuck’s art has evolved mostly through the incredibly versatile genre of abstracts until the recent outbreak of the pandemic.
Staying connected digitally with family and friends during the pandemic became the norm. During this time Chuck found himself often puzzled by some of the lingo sent to him in text messages and emails. Yolo, TMi, LOL, idk are some of those codes he received. The lockdown provided the ability for people to re-invent themselves and to be creative. The process of isolation at this time gave wisdom with the lingo in question and his art to create his new series: SHORTCUTS.
Making Shortcuts
Shortcuts are a series of fun and colorful paintings in most cases sealed with resin. The Shortcuts series is fun, vibrant, lively and relevant to the times as it captures shortcuts to which most of us can relate.
The first series of SHORTCUTS Chuck created was recently exhibited exclusively at Gallery One Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. The exhibit has gained the admiration and acceptance of art collectors, art lovers as well as art enthusiasts.
A new series of SHORTCUTS is on display at Plunge Hotel (4660 El Mar Dr) in Lauderdale By The Sea. You can check out the exhibit until March 3rd.
Follow Your Heart
Although life in South Florida is a bit different than in New York, Chuck is grateful for the life he has created here. The ability to be doing his art and having his own personal art studio at home. He has no regrets about moving to Florida. A word of advice from Chuck is to Follow your Heart and Never Take NO for an answer.
