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Paintings That Move™?

How does Fred Childs create Paintings That Move™?  Imagine you are standing in a cylinder that is sliced into pieces that are reshaped to create a set of flat panels.   Each piece is a painting in a horizon that is 360 degrees.  Opening the slices, the horizon will move continuously.

The sketch below illustrates this with four panels that first form a box, and then are opened to create a quadtych.  Imagine the the dot in the sketches is where you are standing as you view the paintings.

 

Fred Childs' original works of acrylic and iridescent paint have been placed in private collections and exhibited in a number of public venues on California's Central Coast.

As a member for 8 years of  MPPAF, his works have been shown in museums and galleries in Pacific Grove, Carmel, Monterey, and Los Gatos.  He painted a 35 ft by 45 ft backdrop of Jerusalem and hills for donation to the Church of the Highlands in San Bruno.  The church has performed Easter and Christmas in front of it.  A 5 ft tall by 18 ft mural painted by Fred Childs hung at St. Jude's Church in Marina for 6 years. His paintings have graced homes all over Northern California.

The inspiration for Fred Childs' work comes from observing nature.  His Paintings that Move™ combine the Chinese concept of "the four seasons" with the spatial  play of Escher puzzles, leading to paintings on panels that can then be arranged to form a variety of new horizons.  Using Maxwell Parish colors with iridescent paints, Fred Childs creates illumination effects that vary with changes in lighting, carrying the concept of movement into time as well as space.

Dreams are my pencils.  Often I will awake and paint what is remembered in the early A.M.  The question arises, "Where is that?  Is that Tahoe?  No, it's Washington -- or is it Carmel?"

My paintings are created without drawings or computer generated images.  The main idea is usually formed in one sitting.

As a painter, I am self-taught.  I grew up as an "army brat," travelling the world, learning different languages and cultures, then landing and settling on the Monterey Peninsula. I graduated from Seaside High at age 17, and then studied to be a history teacher at San Jose State.  All the while, I was intrigued by painted works of art.

As a youth, I would look at a painting and wonder what was happening on the left, right, top & bottom.  Inspired by the "four season" Chinese style, Maxwell Parish colors, Escher puzzles -- and always given free reign of my creations, I would create a painting than then go on to paint what was happening on the left or right.  This progressed to having the left side match up with the right side.  In my mind, my paintings encircled me.  A rainbow could move across a cloud bank.  Island pieces would move to become bays.  I also use iridescent paint to create colors that change with the light source, with sometimes pale or strong illuminescence.

Painting began as a way of interpreting my observations and dreaming to satisfy myself.  Then, given this gift, giving back became very important.  This has led me to donate works to many churches and causes.  In the Gallery of this website, you can see and learn more about the works I have donated to St. Jude's Church in Marina, CA and to the Church of the Highlands in San Bruno, CA.  Handstretched canvas screens, that stand or fold, have been donated or loaned for display in the Pacific Grove Art Center, the MPAF Gallery in Carmel, and other venues.

Now a practicing artist, I also create works for sale and accept commissions for custom wall murals, screens, hangings and framed paintings.

-Fred Childs

© Copyright 2005-2008 by Fred Childs. All Rights Reserved.