Charles Engebretson was born in Alkabo, North Dakota on the 1st of April 1928, and was reared in Montana. He does not remember a time when he was not drawing. Painting followed as a natural result.

He sold his first painting at the age of 17 to his Commanding Officer in the Marine Corps while stationed in China.

He has traveled in every continent, except Antarctica. During his travels, he studied with some of the world’s best artist, painted, sold his paintings, and taught.

He believes that the fundamental responsibility of an artist is not just to see, but, to see into the essence of an object, a scene or a person.

Mr. Engebretson uses many different techniques, and a variety of mediums including oils, watercolors, and acrylics.

His subjects are landscapes, portraits, still lifes, wildlife and seascapes. His works have been shown in many galleries.

Among his most notable works are:

392 scenes of the Bahamas. The entire collection was purchased by Magnavox Corporation.

A 600’ long x 10’ high historical portrayal of Louisiana painted in fresco, in conjunction with other artists, is seen on the walls of the Southern Pacific Train Depot in New Orleans.

Another mural in New Orleans was lost during a hurricane.

A 42’ wide and 28’ high mural in the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Westminister, California.

Two carpets, one 40’x 80’ and the other 20’x 40’, depicting Louisiana history. The original artwork was woven into the design of the carpets which were then installed in the main solons of the governor’s mansion in Louisiana.

Numerous portraits and paintings owned by the late Princess Grace of Monaco, Lady Nancy Oaks, Sir David Nobel, Sir William Bisson, sheik Isa Bin Kaliffa of Bahrein, and other notables too numerous to list.

Original oil paintings depicting ethnic, social and economic highlights of colorful and historical Brighton, Colorado.

In addition to being a working artist, he has worked as a commercial deep-sea diver, doing salvage work for Lloyd’s of London, performing underwater construction and pipeline work all over the world. Many of the off shore platforms and drilling rigs that you see on TV were set by him.

He worked in the Buford Sea, and was friends with the Eskimos north of the Alaskan coast line.

All the while painting, showing, and selling his art. As a result of his travels, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience which lends an invaluable dimension to his art; the ability to see beyond the obvious.

Mr. Engebretson has generated an impressive number of paintings in his life time - amounting to over 8,000 paintings in watercolor and oils, plus more than 4000 portraits including charcoals, pastels and oils.

It seems to me that all of humanity has a certain reverence for the things of nature. We are compelled to acknowledge our appreciation of the varied and wonderful things of this world with which we find ourselves  surrounded.

So, here am I, in this incredible world with all its diversity and glory, ever turning upon my own axis, trying to take it all in. Then I, like so many others, find myself attempting to make a statement; to try to express the personal joy found in interpreting the life that I am privileged to share.

My chosen medium is paint, so, looking into the depth of my subject matter, I lay in patterns and texture, values and perspective, edges and hues with the intention of creating a three dimensional image on a two dimensional surface.

Very often, with the help of that inner thing that seems to guide us,  it  works for me as it has worked for so many others throughout the ages of history.

I am pleased to use a style that is representational with an impressionistic flair. Over the years I have found that this works for me. I have used a variety of styles over time, but keep returning to this favourite means of expressing myself.

I am pleased to find my place in the world of art, and revel still in my association with the artists of the world. We are the ones who are privileged to produce the visual arts that have brought forth so much of the pleasure that the world enjoys.

In the creation of our art we find our joy, in our work we glimpse the things of eternity.

Perhaps, in my case, it is only that I like what I see, and who I meet, as I trudge my personal road to happy destiny…