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 Movalli, Charles

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Charles Movalli of Gloucester, Massachusetts is presented the Hudson Valley 

Art Association's highest honor by its Board of Directors for his outstanding, 

outreaching dedication to the preservation and expression of art. A strong 

believer hi its principles, Movalli has spent his life-time "spreading the word" 

as writer, teacher and painter. Above all, his many short articles have 

furthered the careers of those he showcased.

Charles' career was an attempt to answer a basic question posed by 

Claude Croney, AWS: are you a teacher who paints or a painter 

who teaches. Which comes first: the work itself, or teaching students? 

The two are not mutually exclusive-but Movalli always felt, even 

when at his busiest as a teacher: Work comes first.

The working life of Charles Movalli is a fitting answer to this question:

 Born and raised in the traditional art colony of Gloucester, Massachusetts, 

young Charles was encouraged to paint by his artist-mother, Charlotte; 

she worked in pastel and watercolor with a specialty in painting flowers.

His father, Alfred, was the son of a sculptor and had a great interest in art. 

Movalli's early nurturing was furthered by frequent visits to Gloucester's 

Sawyer Free Library, which had an unusually rich collection of art Books. 

Here Movalli discovered Frank Lloyd Wright who soon became the 

teenager's life-long hero. Movalli greatly admired the architect's disciplined, 

well organized mind -- the basic tool for any kind of artistic execution. 

Inspired to become an architect, Movalli became an English major 

on the advice of his school advisors, he turned to liberal arts. 

Meanwhile, Movalli tried to find editorial work. Don Holden, at the helm of 

Watson-Guptill became Movalli's first "padrone". Holden gave Movalli his 

first non-academic assignment: working with Roger Curtis on a series of art 

instruction books. Movalli was also attending art demonstrations by Emile Gruppe 

(HVAA tribute 1972). Holden again saw the potential for another useful art collaboration. 

This project led to a series of four titles. The books are now 

collector's items and formed the basis for a real friendship between Movalli and 

Gruppe, fifty years his senior. Movalli edited the three Gruppe books: Gruppe on 

Painting, Brush Work; Gruppe on Color; and Brushwork for the Oil Painter. Movalli 

also wrote a historical introduction to Hunt's On Painting and Drawing and books 

with Croney, Betty Lou Sehlemm (translated into Japanese) and Paul Strisik 

(HVAA Bargaining - Oil tribute 1982). This book was translated into Chinese.

Movalli's connection with Watson--Guptill led to other assignments as contributing 

editor to American Artist magazine, for which he eventually produced over 70 

articles on art and artists. His writing was not restricted to this publication. 

His articles have appeared in Southern Accents, Southern Boating, and in The 

American Art Review. In addition, his own work was featured in American Artist; 

other examples can be found in Frank Webb's Dynamic Composition, 

Wendon Blake's Artists Guide to Using Color and Stephen Doherty's Handbook 

to Landscape Painting.

All are required reading for art book collectors around the world. While working 

with Claude Croney Movalli first encountered the problem: Does the artist paint 

and teach, or does the artist teach and paint. Movalli's art-related writing not only 

gave him a needed grounding in the fundamentals of painting but also led to his 

becoming a full-time painter. Soon there began a cycle of exhibitions, awards, 

and one-man shows. The popularity of his books and articles led to many year's teaching.

"Simplification" and "expression" became his watchwords. Over the years, he has lectured 

and demonstrated painting techniques for over 100 art organizations and juried exhibitions 

in Massachusetts, North and South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Indiana, Kansas, 

and Bermuda. Before retiring after 20 years of teaching, he had led workshops in 24 states 

as well as Bermuda, Mexico, Canada, England, France, and Switzerland.

In 1996 John Stobart's video Worldscape II features a painting segment in Gloucester with 

Charles Movalli. He finally became a teacher who paints. Movalli now maintains his home and 

studio in Gloucester with artist-wife Dale Ratcliff, who recently finished in the top
100 at the local Arts in the Parks competition. Movalli believes that his career 

falls into clear segments. Charles Movalli sports three hats: First, that of a journalist 

and writer of art instruction books who wanted to paint; second, a teacher who painted whenever 

possible; third, a painter who taught occasionally; developing, finally, into a painter involved 

primarily with solving his own unique pictorial problems.

"I was like the bumblebee gathering pollen from all the people I worked with. 

Eventually, you have to try to make your own honey. Writing, teaching, and painting are all alike 

in that they force you to boil things down, to edit and compress so that what you say makes sense.

 But, " he also warns, "it can't look like you've worked hard and long, even if you have. A painting 

should be done quickly with both your intellect and your nerves. When they give out, stop. For me, 

painting is reaction. It's a matter of swiftly pursing an insight to its logical conclusion. "

Working in all media (oil, acrylic & watercolor), Movalli is listed in Who's Who in American Art. 

His memberships include North Shore Arts Association; Rockport Art Association; Guild of 

Boston Artists; Hudson Valley Art Association; Academic Artists; Knickerbocker Artists; Oil 

Painters of America (Signature Member); and New England Watercolor Society.

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