Charlotte Rathke, Ceramics, pastel, general art

Welcome to the artist’s biography pages. As the web designer it is my job to facilitate the introduction of all members. Our members may be art appreciators, hobbyists or professional.

I spent many years in Massachusetts and have resided in Nottingham, England and Bavaria Germany. As a child clay was fun. Colors were captivating, shapes and values showed a path I wanted to follow into adulthood. As I colored with crayons and drew my family I discovered I had some talent. I took some art classes in pastel and immediately drew portraits of people especially my family. It is funny to see them now. As a teenager, I saw hundreds of paintings and sculptures throughout Europe, including London, Florence and Rome. Later on as my own family grew I painted them in pastel to show my love and appreciation for them. I earned a BA in Education from the University of Massachusetts.

Again seeking another Bachelor degree in Fine Arts at Colorado State University, I had the privilege of being taught pottery by the famous Richard DeVore for three semesters. His unique method of analyzing pottery/art can be transferred to all of the arts. The arts reflect society by different motifs. DeVore believed that ceramics can be called true art by the fact that it has the same standards and qualities as paintings and sculptures therefore; it should be in the same category. I also studied Graphic arts as my major, with web pages and have had web pages on-line since 2000. I have enjoyed creating art, and have had classes for children in general art and ceramics.

Here are all three aspects of my artistic creativity, ceramics, web pages and pastel portraits. Hope you enjoy them as well as the rejuvenation of our site.