Self-taught Painter to Acclaimed Artist: The Journey of Camille Engel
I am honored to say that I knew Camille Engel before she walked onto the world stage as an International Artist and Contemporary Realist Oil Painter. Camille and I go way back to the days before marriage. Our husbands were friends, went to church together, and shared a house with some other guys back in the day. Upon meeting Camille I immediately admired her creative flare. It touched everything that she did whether food, cards, parties, invitations or clothing…it was her style. Her wedding card to my husband and I was crafted by hand, and like no other card that we received. It was the first one that I placed in my sunshine box of wedding memories.
While Camille was blessed with the gift of creativity she got a late start on the canvas. While she had enjoyed painting, it was not until the age of 45 that she began to paint at a professional level. According to Camille, her mother did everything that she could to keep her from her art. Unfortunately, this seems to be normal for parents of the creative types…they are afraid that their work will not be appreciated or have monetary value. Camille’s Mother wanted her to be able to earn a living as a bookkeeper or secretary. In this case, we are grateful that Camille did not listen to her mother.
Self-taught Painter to Internationally Acclaimed Artist
A self-taught oil painter, she traces her beginnings back to the gardens of the Cheekwood Art Museum in Nashville, TN. She is known for her passionate oil paintings with rich lighting, colors, textures, and intricate detail. However, other artists would approach her as she was painting to inform her that her painting was “wrong”, but Camille did not let those words phase her in her pursuit of her unique style.
She later learned that her intuitive style is the “indirect painting” technique practiced by 17th century Dutch masters. They used glazing (thin transparent washes of paint) allowing light to bounce off the underlying opaque paint to create luminosity. Camille’s layered glazes and precise perspective give her painting an illusion of depth and three-dimensionality on the flat surface. Pursuing the aims of the realist movement with remarkable passion and skill, her oil paintings are accepted among some of the world’s top artists into prestigious museum tours and art exhibitions from Santa Fe to New York City winning numerous awards along the way.
One of the most satisfying things for Camille on her journey has been to see her paintings admired and purchased by people across the world. It is confirmation to her that she is doing what she is supposed to be doing and using her gift of painting to touch others with the beauty that she strokes on the canvas. Please take a moment to visit her website and shop. The beauty and detail of each piece of art is phenomenal. My personal favorite is the cardinal pictured below. Welcome | Camille Engel (camille-engel.com).
I Am With You - Camille named the painting from the encouragement of friends that reminded her that "Cardinals appear when Angels are near".
An Artist to Watch - Camille Wins her First Award
Her validation has also come from the many awards that she has received over the years. The list of awards is long, you may find them at Awards | Camille Engel (camille-engel.com). Her first award was for her Wild Roses Painting (pictured below) that was selected to appear on the cover of “Art Calendar” in September 2002, Volume 16, No. 8. This was her 7th painting. Camille realized early on her journey that her painting was a gift that had been shelved for many years. She was named as one of our nation’s “Artist to Watch” by Southwest Art magazine 2014 and Fine Art Connoisseur magazine 2010. From a small painting shop to the world stage, American contemporary realist oil painter. Camille Engel, is now an internationally acclaimed, published, and awarded painter. You can find her paintings in national and international magazines such as Fine Art Connoisseur, American Art Collector, Western Art Collector, Southwest Art, The Artist’s Magazine, American Artist and International Artist.
Wild Roses - Camille Engel’s first award “Art Calendar”, September 2002, Volume 16, No. 8.
Camille also works with fine art galleries and design firms from Santa Fe to London, Camille Engel paintings are being commissioned and acquired by prominent corporate and private collections: The Tennessee State Museum; Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and Baptist Hospital in Nashville; The Chattanoogan Hotel in Chattanooga; as well as the Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, GA; and Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro, TN; and Metro Nashville Gov’t. among many others.
Color My World - Male Ruby-Throat Hummingbird flying amongst coral color Lantana in a garden.
Camille is grateful for the support of her husband, Todd Engel, that has allowed her to pursue her dreams. She gives him the title of her “number one supporter”, but she is also grateful to God and the many encouraging friends that have surrounded her during her life. Todd is also an artist in his own right, that of graphic designer. He designed my book cover for Nature Sings and I might add did an excellent job. Order your copy today at https://www.marlenetidwell.com/.
Camille’s Advice to the Aspiring Artist
I asked Camille what she would say to the aspiring young artist. Her response…Enjoy life! She looks at every morning as a fresh opportunity to find extraordinary joy in the most ordinary things. Her art overflows out of that joy. She encourages those that have a creative bent to put down the electronics and study the beauty that surrounds us and pay attention to colors, light and shadows when outside…BE YOU! This is great advice for anyone seeking to be creative!