Charles Bradley's paintings and silk screens involve two distinct creative processes.   Although you would think his printmaking fell into a class of its own, he likes the silk screening process enough to include some of its techniques into his, small celestial scenes.   His gouache paintings are often mistaken for serigraphs simply because the color boundaries are so clean and sharp.   Gouache is an opaque watercolor.   He accomplishes the sharpness in his designs by using frisket film, much like an airbrush artist would use in airbrush "paintings."   The artist has purposely shied away from the use of such equipment.   He has chosen instead to hand-cut all of his stencils and to paint each color with a watercolor brush. People observing his finished product often ask: "Is this a collage of colored papers?" or, "Is this Origami paper?"   The answer surprises people since these sometimes complex, interwoven designs often look as if they were pieced together, or "laid down" in beautiful, quilt-like patterns giving the appearance of fabric or fine papers.   There is often a gradational use of color.

The process is quite involved however. It involves the previously mentioned stencil cutting.   The uncut stencil material is a thin clear film similar in appearance to cellophane or Saran Wrap.   This material is laid down directly over his original pencil drawings.   It is lightly burnished to the surface of the watercolor paper. Since it is clear, he is also able to see the often complex numbering scheme which is developed immediately after his drawings are completed.

Prior to the creation of the many stencils involved, Charles seeks to optimize his use of this material.   To do this, he lays a sheet of tracing paper over the entire scene (or design).   He then uses a permanent fine-tipped, black marker to retrace every line. Corresponding color scheme numbers are also included on this traced copy.   The purpose of this traced copy is to facilitate the stencil creation process.   This tracing is then removed and a protective sheet is then temporarily laid down over the original pencil drawing.   It is onto this protective sheet (or mat board) that the artist then places the tracing.   The paper-backed stencil film is then placed OVER this tracing.   If, for example, there is a shape numbered 47A on the tracing, Charles will use the same fine-tipped marker to "draw around" that shape (onto the clear surface of the film) such that there remains about 1/2" of space around the original traced line.   The purpose of this larger size is to facilitate the final painting process.

Once all shapes are optimally arranged onto the paper-backed stencil film, it is then time to cut all of the (numbered) shapes out of this material.

Color schemes for his designs and drawings are usually established immediately after the completion of the original pencil drawings.   To aid in recalling what those colors ultimately will be, the artist will make separate notes of them.

The artist uses (many) #11 Exacto blades to first cut all the shapes out. Once cut, they are then organized in numerical and / or alphabetical sequences for easy retrieval and application to the watercolor paper.   Shape 47A may be a dark Windsor Blue stencil for example.   The paper backing is removed from stencil 47A.   It is then adhered to the watercolor paper over the area previously marked with "47A" in pencil.   Very carefully, the artist then uses a sharp blade to cut into the film such that only the material marked by the pencil line is removed.

To optimize on time, he will often work on as many as 6 paintings at the same time.  If dark Windsor Blue is to be used elsewhere, for example, then those stencils will all be applied and used.

Once all areas to be considered are carefully prepared for painting, the hand-brushing of respective colors takes place.   Paintings involving this process take approximately one 8 hour day to complete.   This depends on the size and complexity of the design.   Larger works often take several weeks.   Some of Charles Bradley's contemporary, acrylic abstracts on linen canvas have taken several months to complete.

Mr. Bradley's paintings range in price from as low as $75 in some of his small celestial gouache designs to as high as $3,000 as found in his largest work -- a contemporary abstract completed in July of 2000 titled "Random Study One."